Every pet owner knows that there are excessive responsibilities that go along with having a dog or cat. They must feed and exercise the pet, to keep it physically healthy; they must play with it, and keep it emotionally healthy as well. They have to keep it safe from cars, people, or other animals, and they ought to protect other people, property, or pets from their own animal. There is another responsibility that not all pet owners think about, however: neutering or spaying, or “fixing.” What does “fixing” a pet mean? Simply put, it means taking the pet to the vet for a quick, cheap surgery that will prevent the pet from ever becoming a mother or father. This surgery solves problems that pet owners know about, and some that they might not have considered before. In fact, I believe that all pet owners should be required to have their pets fixed.
Everybody loves an adorable new kitten or puppy. But those cuties soon grow larger, and right now, there simply are not enough homes for them all. Some unwanted animals go to shelters, or “dog pounds.” These shelters are like prisons for animals, but with one important difference: many of the prisoners will never get out. Shelters have limited funds and limited space, and they cannot keep all the animals they collect. If a cat or dog is not adopted within a certain time period, that animal is killed. On the other hand, not all unwanted animals go to a shelter. What happens to a homeless animal left out on the street? Remember, our pets are exactly that - pets. They are not wild animals. They cannot find fresh water or hunt their own food, especially in a city. They cannot understand traffic laws, so they often get struck by cars. They are susceptible to common illnesses - illnesses that they can then spread to other animals, including pets. They are not tame, so they may attack other animals or people. In either case, the life of most unwanted animals is not long, but it is full of misery and pain, and it is also a life that is dangerous to pets or people who they meet. By not “fixing” their own animal, they will almost certainly be adding to this problem.
Of course, some people will not agree with me. “I don’t want to give my animal an unnecessary surgery,” they will say. “Surgery is risky, too, and it’s certainly expensive.” This idea shows ignorance. Spaying or neutering should be done as soon someone gets their pet - when he or she is young and healthy - and it is almost 100% safe. The animal is in much more danger if not fixed, for the urge to run away from home will put the pet in extremely dangerous situations. Likewise, almost all cities have a fund to help pay for the surgery. Just ask at your vet or the local S.P.C.A. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The cost can be as low as ten dollars.
No matter how someone looks at the situation, there truly is really no valid reason not to spay or neuter a pet. Whether considering the potential suffering of unborn animals, the health and comfort of your own pet, or your own convenience as a pet owner, you must agree that the facts all show that spaying or neutering is the way to go. It is not only the convenient choice, but also the morally right choice, and one that all pet owners should make.
Works Cited
Hoffman, Lyz. "Goleta Encourages Fixing Pets." Independent. N.p., 6 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Keith, Kristie. "The Unspoken Truth about Spaying and Neutering Our Pets." SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.sfgate.com/pets/yourwholepet/article/The-unspoken-truth-about-spaying-and-neutering-2464233.php>.
"The Truth about Fixing Your Pet." Fixing Your Dog. Canine Obedience Unlimited, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.canineobedienceunlimited.com/dog-training-articles/the-truth-about-fixing-your-pet/>.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Later High School Start Times (3)
What time should the school day begin? School start times vary significantly, both within individual communities and across the nation, with many schools beginning earlier than 7:30 a.m. and others after 9:00 a.m. Regions often stagger the start times of different schools in order to reduce transportation costs by using fewer buses. Nevertheless, if beginning the school day early in the morning has a negative impact on academic performance, staggering start times may not be worth the cost savings.
I acknowledge that later school start times have some consequences. For instance, because most school districts have a delicately balanced bus transportation system designed to run as inexpensively and efficiently as possible, any change in the school schedule can have a severe impact. In addition, high school athletics are very important to many students who have obvious concerns about the impact of a change in start times on their ability to participate. Any delay in the start of school will most likely result in a later release time, which may reduce time available for practice and meets. However, there are easy solutions to these two issues. One solution that has worked to solve the transportation problem is flipping start times, most commonly elementary with high school. This solution requires no extra buses or drivers, just a change in the order of pickups. This schedule also seems to be more appropriate to elementary school students’ sleep schedules, because young children tend to wake up earlier in the morning. As for extracurricular activities, most districts that have changed their start time have experienced few problems with regard to athletics. Practice times are rescheduled, and in some cases lights are installed so practice can run slightly later. Meet times are changed so that students do not have to leave class early. Many districts have even seen increased participation in sports and improved performance by their teams. Research has shown that sleep deprivation has a severe negative impact on endurance and coordination, so it makes sense that better rested student athletes would perform better.
I strongly believe that Wake County school times should extend the start time of high schools to a later time. The consequences of sleep deprivation during the teenage years are particularly serious. Teens spend a great portion of each day in school; however, they are unable to maximize the learning opportunities afforded by the education system, since sleep deprivation impairs their ability to be alert, pay attention, solve problems, cope with stress and retain information. Young people who do not get enough sleep night after night carry a significant risk for fall asleep automobile crashes; emotional and behavioral problems such as irritability, depression, poor impulse control and violence; health complaints; tobacco and alcohol use; impaired cognitive function and decision-making; and lower overall performance in everything from academics to athletics. One statistic showed that, in Fayetteville County, Kentucky, teen driver crash rates reduced by 16.5% in two years after school start time was delayed by one hour while the rest of the state saw an increase in teen crash rates. In addition, The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota participated in a study of the impact of changing school start times on academic performance, behavior, and safety in urban and suburban schools. Results from three years of data from both Edina and Minneapolis showed improved attendance, increase in continuous enrollment, less tardiness, and students making fewer trips to the school nurse.
Adolescent sleep deprivation is largely driven by a conflict between teens’ internal biological clocks and the schedules and demands of society. Therefore, it makes sense to look at school start times, which set the rhythm of the day for students, parents, teachers and members of the community at large. Although there are a few negative side effects of later start times, on the whole, the benefits outweigh the costs of making this change. By simply adjusting school start times, far fewer students will be sleepless in America.
Works Cited
Cline, John. "Do Later School Start Times Really Help High School Students?"Psychology Today. N.p., 27 Feb. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/201102/do-later-school-start-times-really-help-high-school-students>.
St. George, Donna. "Education." Washington Post. N.p., 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-11/local/35767223_1_school-day-school-leaders-school-buses>.
Trudeau, Michelle. "High Schools Starting Later to Help Sleepy Teens." NPR. NPR, 18 Jan. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6896471>.
I acknowledge that later school start times have some consequences. For instance, because most school districts have a delicately balanced bus transportation system designed to run as inexpensively and efficiently as possible, any change in the school schedule can have a severe impact. In addition, high school athletics are very important to many students who have obvious concerns about the impact of a change in start times on their ability to participate. Any delay in the start of school will most likely result in a later release time, which may reduce time available for practice and meets. However, there are easy solutions to these two issues. One solution that has worked to solve the transportation problem is flipping start times, most commonly elementary with high school. This solution requires no extra buses or drivers, just a change in the order of pickups. This schedule also seems to be more appropriate to elementary school students’ sleep schedules, because young children tend to wake up earlier in the morning. As for extracurricular activities, most districts that have changed their start time have experienced few problems with regard to athletics. Practice times are rescheduled, and in some cases lights are installed so practice can run slightly later. Meet times are changed so that students do not have to leave class early. Many districts have even seen increased participation in sports and improved performance by their teams. Research has shown that sleep deprivation has a severe negative impact on endurance and coordination, so it makes sense that better rested student athletes would perform better.
I strongly believe that Wake County school times should extend the start time of high schools to a later time. The consequences of sleep deprivation during the teenage years are particularly serious. Teens spend a great portion of each day in school; however, they are unable to maximize the learning opportunities afforded by the education system, since sleep deprivation impairs their ability to be alert, pay attention, solve problems, cope with stress and retain information. Young people who do not get enough sleep night after night carry a significant risk for fall asleep automobile crashes; emotional and behavioral problems such as irritability, depression, poor impulse control and violence; health complaints; tobacco and alcohol use; impaired cognitive function and decision-making; and lower overall performance in everything from academics to athletics. One statistic showed that, in Fayetteville County, Kentucky, teen driver crash rates reduced by 16.5% in two years after school start time was delayed by one hour while the rest of the state saw an increase in teen crash rates. In addition, The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota participated in a study of the impact of changing school start times on academic performance, behavior, and safety in urban and suburban schools. Results from three years of data from both Edina and Minneapolis showed improved attendance, increase in continuous enrollment, less tardiness, and students making fewer trips to the school nurse.
Adolescent sleep deprivation is largely driven by a conflict between teens’ internal biological clocks and the schedules and demands of society. Therefore, it makes sense to look at school start times, which set the rhythm of the day for students, parents, teachers and members of the community at large. Although there are a few negative side effects of later start times, on the whole, the benefits outweigh the costs of making this change. By simply adjusting school start times, far fewer students will be sleepless in America.
Works Cited
Cline, John. "Do Later School Start Times Really Help High School Students?"Psychology Today. N.p., 27 Feb. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/201102/do-later-school-start-times-really-help-high-school-students>.
St. George, Donna. "Education." Washington Post. N.p., 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-11/local/35767223_1_school-day-school-leaders-school-buses>.
Trudeau, Michelle. "High Schools Starting Later to Help Sleepy Teens." NPR. NPR, 18 Jan. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6896471>.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Animal Testing (2)
We humans are not like animals; we are animals. Psychologists study animals to learn about people, by doing experiments that are permissible only with animals. Animal research has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century - for both human and veterinary health. Animal experiments have therefore led to treatments for human diseases, like insulin for diabetes, transplants to replace defective organs, and vaccines to prevent polio and rabies. Pain and suffering is based on knowledge attained through research with lab animals.
Certainly, many animals die each year due to scientific studies. Each year in the United States, an estimated thirty million animals are hurt and killed in the name of science by private institutions, household products and cosmetics companies, government agencies, educational institutions, and scientific centers. However, researchers remind us that the world's thirty million mammals used each year in research are but a fraction of 1 percent of the billions of animals killed annually for food. While researchers each year conduct experiments on some 200,000 dogs and cats cared for under humane regulations, humane animal shelters are forced to kill 50 times that many. How many of us would have attacked Pasteur's experiments with rabies, which caused some dogs to suffer but led to a vaccine that spared millions of people and dogs from agonizing death? And would we really wish to have deprived ourselves of the animal research that led to effective methods of training children with mental disorders; of relieving fears and depression; and of controlling alcoholism and disease? Of course, the answer is no.
Animal research is ethical. Without animal research, medicine as we know it today wouldn't exist. Defenders of research on animals argue that anyone who has eaten a hamburger, tolerated hunting and fishing, or worn leather shoes agreed that, yes, it is permissible to sacrifice animals for the sake of human well-being. If humans give human life first priority, the second issue is the priority they give to the well-being of animals in research. Most researchers today feel morally obligated to enhance the well-being of captive animals and protect them from needless suffering. In one survey of animal researchers, 98 percent or more supported government regulations protecting primates, cats, and dogs, and 74 percent supported regulations providing for the humane care of rats and mice. Additionally, many funding agencies and professional associations have rules for the humane use of animals. For instance, British Psychological Society guidelines call for housing animals under reasonably natural living conditions, with companions for social animals. Humane care also leads to more effective science, because stress and pain distort the animals' behavior during tests.
Today's scientists are not motivated by cruelty, but by a powerful desire to push the frontiers of medical research and develop therapies for debilitating diseases. Professional ethical standards provide guidelines concerning the treatment of research participants, and university ethics committees safeguard participants' well-being. It is obvious that animal research benefits all living species and that we are able to live longer, healthier, happier lives because of it.
Works Cited
Christina, Cook. "Stand Up for Science." : Facts about Animal Research. Pro Test, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://www.pro-test.org.uk/2006/03/facts-about-animal-research.html>.
Claire, Madelyn. "Against Animal Testing." Teen Ink. N.p., 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://teenink.com/hot_topics/environment/article/440790/Against-Animal-Testing/>.
Fox, Fiona. "Animal Research Is Brave, Not Cruel, Science." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/28/animal-research-brave-not-cruel-science>.
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