Rescue and Shelter Dogs: Annotated Bibliography ✓ Solved

Working thesis statement: Families should only be permitted to adopt dogs from shelters and rescue organizations and pet stores should be outlawed.

Annotated Bibliography

Farrell, L. L., Schoenebeck, J. J., Wiener, P., Clements, D. N., & Summers, K. M. (2015). The challenges of pedigree dog health: Approaches to combating inherited disease. Canine Genetics And Epidemiology, doi:10.1186/s.

Summary of article: Since humans have selectively bred dogs for physical and behavioral characteristics through inbreeding, pedigree dogs can be plagued by genetic disease. This is particularly true for recessive genes that are not mitigated through genetic diversity. The only way breeders can ethically create healthy litters is through ongoing diagnostic screening of all dogs along with genetic testing regardless of arbitrarily chosen aesthetics of the animal.

Assessment of article: The authors are affiliated with the Roslin Institute and the Royal School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology is an open-access publisher of bio-medical research with rigorous peer-review before publication. This is a scholarly source.

Reflection on article: Based on this evidence, I think I can claim that pet stores do not take the steps necessary to ensure healthy pets. In addition to this evidence, I need to find evidence of the actual requirements pet store have for their breeders. If I find evidence that they do not require diagnostic screening and genetic testing of breeding animals, I can claim that dogs from pet stores may be plagued by genetic disease.

Ghirlanda, S., Acerbi, A., & Herzog, H. (2014). Dog movie stars and dog breed popularity: A case study in media influence on choice. PLoS One, 9(9), 1-5. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.

Summary of article: The researchers used data from the American Kennel Club (AKC) because it is the largest archive of dog registry information in the world. The researchers sampled the dog breed registration numbers filed with the AKC between 1926 and 2005. Using film archive databases, the researchers identified 87 movies featuring dogs released in the United States between 1927 and 2004. The influence of canine movie “stardom” on dog registration numbers was measured following statistical methods, controlling for as many variables as possible. The researchers found that dog breeds used in popular movies have a statistically significant impact on the popularity of the breed.

Assessment of article: Stefano Ghirlanda is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Brooklyn College and is affiliated with the Centre for the Study of Cultural Evolution (CSCE) at Stockholm University. Alberto Acerbi is also affiliated with the CSCE and is a professor in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Bristol. Harold Herzog is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Western Carolina University. PLoS One is an online publisher of scientific studies across multiple disciplines. All articles are fully refereed and peer-reviewed. This is a scholarly source.

Reflection on article: Based on this evidence, I can make a claim that desire for a pure-bred dog may be based upon popular culture trends rather than more rational or logical decision-making processes.

Indrebà¸, A. (2008). Animal welfare in modern dog breeding [Special Section]. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 50(56), 1-6. doi:10.1186/-S1-S6.

Summary of article: Indrebภargues that health should be a part of breed standards. Previously, breed standards were focused on aesthetics and temperament with disregard for health. Indrebภfound that it will take “several generations to change the breed through genetic selection in order to eradicate the unhealthy over-typed dogs.” Indrebภrecommends a screening program for all breeding dogs in the development of any breeding program and touches upon the need for a National Disease Register.

Assessment of article: Astrid Indrebภis affiliated with the Norwegian Kennel Club and the Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. This article is part of a presentation at the 21st Symposium of the Nordic Committee for Veterinary Scientific Cooperation in Denmark and is rigorously peer-reviewed. It is a scholarly source.

Reflection on article: Based on this evidence, I can claim that genetic disease is on the rise. Responsible breeders must carry out a large number of recommendations to be ethical. Additionally, I need to find evidence of the actual requirements pet stores have for their breeders to identify unethical practices.

Jeppsson, S. (2014). Purebred dogs and canine wellbeing. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 27(3), . doi:

Summary of article: Jeppsson studied the health and wellbeing of purebred dogs. She found that some breeders consider health and wellbeing in their breeding practices. However, those efforts are generally ineffective because, she states, “there are no guarantees in breeding.” She discusses the ethical duty of breeders to avoid producing dogs with sickly or torturous lives through selective breeding for qualities other than health. She calls for the end of breeding any sickly or unhealthy dog breed while loosening the genetic barriers between remaining breeds to ensure healthier dogs.

Assessment of article: Sofia Jeppsson is affiliated with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics is scholarly, and all publications are peer-reviewed. This is a credible source.

Reflection on article: Based on this evidence, I can claim that purebred dogs may suffer needlessly, and that genetic diversity, as observed in mutts from shelters, is preferable for a healthy and stable pet.

Taylor, J. S. (2015). Anti-puppy mill legislation across the country is dogging pet stores. ABA Journal. Retrieved from untry_is_dogging_pet_stores

Summary of article: This article looks into widespread legislation banning pet stores from selling animals bred through commercial enterprises. Large cities and counties throughout the country have passed laws prohibiting the sale of animals produced in breeding facilities. Some local laws allow for adoption of rescue animals in pet stores and the sale of some animals from small-scale breeders.

Assessment of article: The American Bar Association produces the ABA Journal. It is a credible source, although not entirely scholarly because some articles are not peer-reviewed. This article offers important insights into current puppy mill legislation.

Reflection on article: This article shows the trend of many municipalities banning the sale of puppy-mill animals due to animal welfare concerns. There is significant momentum building against puppy mills, which supports my argument for adopting from shelters.

Conclusion

The evidence presented through the above articles supports the critical importance of adopting dogs from shelters and rescue organizations while eliminating the practice of selling dogs from pet stores. The variety of credible sources examined illustrates the health implications associated with pedigree breeding, the societal impact of dog breed popularity, and the ethical considerations surrounding animal welfare in breeding practices.

References

• Farrell, L. L., Schoenebeck, J. J., Wiener, P., Clements, D. N., & Summers, K. M. (2015). The challenges of pedigree dog health: Approaches to combating inherited disease. Canine Genetics And Epidemiology, doi:10.1186/s.
• Ghirlanda, S., Acerbi, A., & Herzog, H. (2014). Dog movie stars and dog breed popularity: A case study in media influence on choice. PLoS One, 9(9), 1-5. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.
• Indrebà¸, A. (2008). Animal welfare in modern dog breeding [Special Section]. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 50(56), 1-6. doi:10.1186/-S1-S6.
• Jeppsson, S. (2014). Purebred dogs and canine wellbeing. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 27(3), . doi:
• Taylor, J. S. (2015). Anti-puppy mill legislation across the country is dogging pet stores. ABA Journal. Retrieved from untry_is_dogging_pet_stores