Eng 102 P 2

4/26/2019 PROJECT 2 ANGEL, ENG 102, FIN - Google Docs
ANIMAL ADOPTION RESEARCH 1

Animal Adoption
Angel M. Jimenez
Arizona State University

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GwMVJ2iZ0JNWpcvekbGH09ITekMzai9tdXUumHs4Nh8/edit 1/18

Abstract
Animal adoption is an increasingly growing issue within the United States as well as within other
countries. On each end of the spectrum, there are a variety of issues, perspectives, and activists
for or against adoption. There are also various levels of educations and statistics or lack of
statistics that each side brings to the table when discussing animal adoption. In this research
paper, I tried to include a variety of perspectives because I am passionate about the topic of
adoption and would like to be more open to other views. When you listen to each side or agree
with a side sometimes you only agree or listen to the information that sides provide. So I am
curious to see the facts and statistics I will find and how the variety of perspectives will help me
to understand the animal adoption issue on a deeper level with a wider understanding. We can’t
solve an issue unless we understand all the sides to the issue and I think that is what people most
often forget when instead they jump to conclusions too quickly. So my challenge will be taking a
step back and being more openminded about the issue as a whole instead of just the major
underlying issues such as animal shelter overpopulation, breed discrimination, and the high
euthanasia rate within some states.
Keywords : Adoption, Overpopulation, Euthanasia

Animal Adoption
Section 1, Introduction
My topic is Animal Adoption. I have always been interested in this topic since I was little and
would often beg my parent’s for a puppy. At a young age, I just knew that I had a love and a deep
passion for animals. For the longest time, I used to seriously consider veterinarian, zookeeper,
animal rescuer or dolphin trainer at Seaworld all as options for a future career. Whatever I did in
my future I knew I wanted it to involve animals somehow. As I grew older I realized that biology
and the sciences were not my cup of tea and that medical school was expensive, even for a
veterinarian. So as young Latina firstgeneration college student I decided to pursue my passion
for journalism at a financially affordable school. But still, I love animals and helping in any way
I can even through journalism. Recently I and three others embarked on a project in which we
are trying to conduct firsthand research/reporting on the importance of adoption in Arizona
since the euthanasia rate here is the highest in the whole country. So from talking to local shelters
and nonprofit organizations. So, to say the least, I am very passionate about this issue and when
presented the requirements for project two I instantaneously knew that I wanted to discuss the
issue of adoption.

Section 2, Annotated Bibliography
● Entry #1

Pruitt, Melissa (2019, March 23). Personal Interview at La Gattara Cat Lounge & Boutique

Summary:
When talking with Melissa Pruitt otherwise know as “Missy”, the owner of Arizona’s only Cat
Cafe, La Gattara Cat Lounge and Boutique her love for cats was undeniable. You could see it in
her smile, her style choices in her clothes, the decor of her cafe, and the constant postings she
does across all of La Gattara’s socials. Her whole life is cats. So she is passionate about cats, to
say the least, but she strongly invested in the issue of adoption and rescues. She herself in the
past used to rescue cats and still rescues cats on occasion although she now has partnered with
local animal rescue organizations such as Lost Our Home Pet Rescue. She believes that adoption
is really important because Arizona has the second highest Euthanasia rate in the country not
only for the dogs but for the cats too.

Evaluation:
When talking with Melissa she is very persuading. She brought up some great points about
adoption and how important it’s become not just for the dogs but for the cats too because people
often forget that. She hopes that more shelters will transition to environments like her Cat Cafe
where the cats can freely roam around and be happy and it’s easier to adopt because you really
get to know the personality of the cats. To her, the cats in the shelter aren’t themselves and it’s
hard to determine their personality when looking at them in their small confined cages

Exert:
● Ms. Pruitt told us the story of how she found him, “We found him at a bar at downtown
phoenixlike three years ago at an event and he was emaciated he was disgusting and
horrible and then we were like alright we’ll get him TNR (which is Trap Neutered and
Returned) and we’ll see what’s going on and we took him and they were like he’s
probably 11yearsold and he’s got kidney failure he’s going to die but he was so lovable
so I was like okay I’ll keep him until then and that’ll be fine I’ll give him the love until he
dies, that was three years ago.”

● “I equate him to a baby that was born dead but then when the mom holds them they come
back to life. I know it sounds cheesy but I really feel like that’s what happened to Charlie.
He just got so much love and he gives so much love that it’s just like you know, love
wins.”


● Entry #2

McLachlan, Sarah. “Sarah McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video.” YouTube , YouTube, 3 Oct. 2006,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc .

Summary :
In this video, various close up zoom in angles of sad dogs faces are used. Some of the dogs are
crying and most of them look sad. Most of them are behind cages and we injured animals as
well. Some of the animals are crippled and missing limbs. Some of the animals are on the desk.
In between each shot, it fades to black and then a statistic pops up about animal cruelty and
animal abuse cases each year. After this montage of sadness, the rescuers come in and we see the
medical care, food, shelter, and love that they provide. Towards the middle of the video, they
start to ask the viewer to donate and “be an angel” and donate to help an innocent animal in need.
Throughout the video, the underlying song that is playing is Sarah McLachlan's song “In the
Arms of an Angel.” She then makes an appearance in the video and proceeds to narrate the
video.

Evaluation:
Some Sarah McLachlan does well in the video is that she used wording that evokes pathos and
emotion and we see that she loves animals because she is petting a cute yellow labrador retriever
throughout the video. Her first line has a lot of pathos when she says, “Hi I’m Sarah McLachlan.
Will you be an angel for a helpless animal? Every day innocent animals are abused beaten and
neglected and they’re crying out for help.” Ms. McLachlan then proceeds to narrate the video
and ask for donations to help the BC SPCA animal shelters,“Please call the number on your
screen and join the BCSPA with your monthly gift right now for just $18 a month only 60 cents a
day you’ll help rescue animals from their abusers and provide medical care, food, shelter, and
love.” Something that the video heavily relies on is pathos from the words McLachlan uses, to
the sad faces of dogs and cats, to the sad song of “In the arms of an angel” playing in the
background. In a sense they are guilting the online viewer of the commercial because if they
don’t donate they’ll feel bad for not helping the sad animals that are crying, hurt, injured, and
need homes.

Excerpt:
● “Every single hour in BC, an animal is violently abused”
● “3,000 animals were rescued last year”
● “For hundreds of others, help came too late”
● “Will you be an angel for a helpless animal?”

● “Every day innocent animals are abused, beaten and neglected and they’re crying out for
help.”
● “For just $18 a month only 60 cents a day you’ll help rescue animals from their abusers
and provide medical care, food, shelter, and love.”
● “Right now there’s an animal who needs you, your call says that I’m here to help. Please
call right now.”

● Entry #3
“Pet Statistics.” ASPCA ,
www.aspca.org/animalhomelessness/shelterintakeandsurrender/petstatistics .

Summary:
In this article, the ASPCA breaks down different statistics on the different issues related to
adoption. All of the statistics contribute to their overlooming message that it’s really important
that people adopt. They also give a wide variety of facts from “facts about U.S. animal shelters”,
to “facts about pet ownership in the U.S.” Throughout it, though they continuously use the
statistics towards their argument of how animal adoption is really important.

Evaluation:
One of their key components to their argument is the animal shelter intake numbers vs. the
euthanasia rate. They briefly mention that the animal euthanasia rate is decreasing but they make
sure to emphasize that this is due to adoption. They do this so that the reader understands that it’s
important to continue to adopt so that the Euthanasia rate continues to decrease. They then use
pathos towards the end when throwing in the statistic of “According to the ASPCA’s National
Rehoming Survey , pet problems are the most common reason that owners rehome their pet,
accounting for 47% of rehomed dogs and 42% of rehomed cats. Pet problems were defined as
problematic behaviors, aggressive behaviors, grew larger than expected, or health problems
owner couldn’t handle.” This quote brings out emotion because it makes it seem like it wasn’t
the animal's fault and that their owners couldn’t provide for their needs. So it continues to drive
their point that people should adopt these poor helpless animals so to speak.

Excerpt:
● “Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide
every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. We
estimate that the number of dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters annually has declined

from approximately 7.2 million in 2011. The biggest decline was in dogs (from 3.9
million to 3.3 million).”
● “ Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and
860,000 cats). The number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has
declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011. This decline can be partially explained
by an increase in the percentage of animals adopted and an increase in the number of
stray animals successfully returned to their owners.”
● “Approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year (1.6 million dogs and
1.6 million cats).”
● “According to the ASPCA’s National Rehoming Survey , pet problems are the most
common reason that owners rehome their pet, accounting for 47% of rehomed dogs and
42% of rehomed cats. Pet problems were defined as problematic behaviors, aggressive
behaviors, grew larger than expected, or health problems owner couldn’t handle.”


● Entry #4
Herzog, Hal. “The Puzzling Geography of Animal Shelter Dog Euthanasia.” Psychology Today ,
Sussex Publishers, 11 May 2018,
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animalsandus/201805/thepuzzlinggeographyanimalshel
terdogeuthanasia.

Summary :

Something that was really interesting about this article was it’s perspective when analyzing the
animal euthanasia rate here in the U.S. Since it was published on Psychology today and not an
animals rights activist group or an animal shelter organization they were able to act as a neutral
party and analyze the issue of the euthanasia rate without the bias that typically accompanies
animal shelter’s arguments when they present facts about the Euthanasia rate in relation to
adoption. Overall the article did a really good job of deeply analyzing the issue and presenting a
variety of facts. The article also tied in the history of the problem as well which deeprooted the
problem. So overall it provided a general perspective into the euthanasia problem.

Evaluation:
It was really interesting seeing the neutral psychological perspective because they did a great job
of presenting all the different aspects of the euthanasia problem while also analyzing the
emotion, pathos, and humanity behind it. They made valid points as to how people’s ideas of
animals and pets is changing and how the “trend toward the humanization of pets has resulted in
more adoptions and fewer deaths of healthy animals in shelters.” In the article, they continued to
present facts but have emotional tie ins like the one I just presented throughout. It was also really
interesting how they analyzed the impact that geographical location has on animal

Excerpt:
● “In 1973, there were 65 million pet dogs and cats in the United States, and 20% of this
number were put to death in animal shelters. Today, there are 160 million pet dogs and
cats but less than 2% of that number is euthanized in shelters.”
● “A large majority of owners now thinks of dogs and cats as family members. This trend
toward the humanization of pets has resulted in more adoptions and fewer deaths of
healthy animals in shelters.”
● “This means states with lower average incomes tended to kill more animals in shelters. ”
● “about 40% of the betweenstate differences in dog euthanasia was associated with
differences in income.”

● “The decline in euthanasia of animals in the United States from nearly 15 million a years
to fewer than 3 million represents considerable moral progress.”
● “Even today in the United States, however, dogs and cats in shelters are put to death at a
rate of six animals every minute.”

● Entry #5
BautistaHobin, Elena Maria, Minteer, Ben, Ellison, Karin, Morefield, Michael, Barrett, The
Honors College, & School of Life Sciences. (2015). Instagram and Adoption Rates: The Impact
of Proactive Social Media on Adoption Rates at the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA .
Summary:
This article was the most modern because they analyze how social media has impacted the
animal adoption rate. It was interesting too because instead of focusing on the whole country it
focused on Arizona specifically. Through the exploration of harnessing new technology, they
were able to analyze how social media and this new technology has positively benefited the
adoption rate. Another important aspect of the study was the geographical location. Arizona has
one of the highest animal overpopulation rates in the country as well as one of the highest animal
euthanasia rates in the country. We see this in the article but the facts and data/statistics that they
provide. For example at the very opening of the study, the opening statistic is “Companion
animal overpopulation is a massive problem all across America. Every year, millions of dogs
enter animal shelters across the United States (Zawistowski, Morris, Salman, & RuchGallie,
1998). Of these millions that enter, it is estimated that between 5 to 17 million do not leave the
shelter alive, and only 25% of shelter animals find their way to adoption (MohanGibbons,
Weiss, Garrison, & Allison, 2014).”

Evaluation:
This is study is also interesting because social media tactics have since been implied at Arizona
Animal Welfare League & SPCA’s that it’s almost impossible nowadays to find an animal shelter
that does not have a social media that’s used to help the animals get adopted. In the end, they
were able to conclude that having an Instagram page specifically added “unique value for the
shelter.” I think this study just emphasizes how important it is to embrace and learn new
technology because if used correctly then it can be such a powerful tool and animal shelter
adoption rates increasing are just one positive example of how Instagram and other social media
can be used to raise awareness to an issue and positively benefit it by doing so. The last that I
would like to add is that the article also does a really great job of evaluating the animal
overpopulation rate, why animals are abandoned, euthanasia circumstances, the euthanasia
problem among many other issues. Which made their argument stronger when talking about the
positive impact of Instagram helping with adoption since it looked at the issue as a whole, the

history behind the issues, different studies, and providing a wide look into the problems and
underlying issues.

Excerpt:
“To focus in on the state of Arizona, the Arizona Humane Society took in a grand total of 38,348
animals in the year 2013 (Arizona Humane Society 2013 Annual Report, 2014).”
“ However, only 17,382 animals were “saved” or adopted out successfully (Arizona
Humane Society 2013 Annual Report, 2014).”
“ In 2010, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control took in 94,132 dogs; more than
half of these were euthanized (White, 2011)”
“In fact, pet overpopulation is an especially pressing issue for the state of Arizona. As of
2011, Arizona was estimated to have the second highest euthanasia rate in America
(White, 2011)”
“It has also been identified by professionals in the veterinary, animal control and animal
welfare fields that companion animal overpopulation is a problem caused directly by
people, rather than by the animals themselves (Fournier & Geller, 2004). “It is the
behavior of BautistaHobin 5 people that has resulted in an overabundance of animals,
and to solve the problem people must change their behavior” (Fournier & Geller 2004,
p.51). People have created this problem for companion animals, and thus it is people,
keeping in mind our duty to protect and promote companion animal welfare, who should
work to actively correct the problem. ”
“Dog and cat breeders, it can be argued, contribute to the problem of pet overpopulation
by supplying the world with more pets when there are already millions that do not find
loving homes and end up being euthanized. ”
“age of the dog was the primary factor for a quick adoption, with younger dogs being
adopted significantly faster.”


● Entry #6
Gunter, L. (2018). Understanding the Impacts of Breed Identity, PostAdoption and Fostering
Interventions, & Behavioral Welfare of Shelter Dogs .

Summary:
This thesis was written fairly recently in 2018 and it collected data that was useful in analyzing
breed identity when it comes to animal shelter intake, how long it takes for the specific breed to
be adopted, along with other issues that certain breeds face. They also analyze shelter breed dog
heritage and came to the conclusion that most shelter dogs are a mix of various different breeds.
For sources in her thesis since she is a graduate student at Arizona State University she used the
following “the Arizona Animal Welfare League and the Arizona Humane Society as well as
Humane Society of Western Montana, DeKalb Animal Services, and the Society of the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Texas, their staff, and volunteers for their generosity and
support of this research. I am also grateful for the participation of potential adopters visiting the
research shelters, owners who have adopted dogs from these shelters.” This thesis is a good
stepping stone for analyzing how breed heritage plays a role in animal shelter adoption but it
would be interesting if her research were expanded by others too but in geographical locations
and states other than just Arizona.

Evaluation:
Overall Gunter’s thesis is extremely thorough. We see this from her first few lines where she
explains the purpose of her research, “ I will review our current knowledge about the dogs that
arrive at animal shelters in the United States and around the world. By understanding the
characteristics of these dogs, we can identify areas where more data collection and analysis is
needed to inform animal sheltering practices.” The research is really important because as she
mentioned it’s helping animal shelters improve their practices and understand the role that breeds
play in adoption. Something that was unique about this research is that she also researched and
included statistics on adopters before adopting and after adopting their pet. Overall really though
research with heavy facts and statistics.

Excerpt:
● “ breedspecific legislation was enacted across the United States to address this risk with
local ordinances ranging from prohibiting ownership (Sec. 855, 1989 & 1996) to
confinement restrictions and muzzling (Sec. 517, 1989 & 1999), to mandatory
sterilization (Sec. 43, 2005).”

● “Additionally, recent research has indicated that the label of “pit bull,” independent of the
dog’s visible characteristics, can influence perceptions of a dog’s attractiveness to
potential adopters, as well as the dogs’ length of stay in the shelter and adoption success
(Gunter, Barber, and Wynne, 2016).”
● “breed signatures and the number of breeds detected in our sample, the amount a single
breed typically contributed to a dog’s breed heritage, the proportion of purebred dogs
identified at the sheltering organizations and the impact of breed on length of stay. ”
● “breeds typically classed as “pitbulltype” (dogs with at least one GGP from American
Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, Bull Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers),
these dogs accounted for 26.6% of intakes at AAWL and 30.7% of intakes at SDHS. ”
● “The second most common breed signature at both shelters was Chihuahua, with 24% of
AAWL dogs and 17.8% of SDHS having at least one GGP of Chihuahua heritage.”
● “The length of stay (LOS) at the two shelters was comparable, with dogs at AAWL
kenneled an average of 23.6 days awaiting adoption while SDHS dogs’ average LOS was
25.8 days. There was a noticeable difference, however, between dogs with signatures of
pitbulltype breeds when compared to dogs without. The difference was similar at both
shelters, but more pronounced at SDHS.”


Section 3, Investigative Essay
Adoption in America, a growing issue
Animal adoption is a topic that most individuals do not pay attention to unless they are in
the market and are looking for a fourlegged furry companion to love and make a party of the
family.
Often you will also see the other side of the spectrum of passionate animal rights activists
in the aisles of local shopping malls protesting the horrors of puppy mills and preaching adoption
to the socalled gullible families who pay the expensive prices of mall puppies because they fell
in love looking through the glass to see this tiny caged puppy in a box. Yet often what they don’t
know after their purchase is the increased health risks and behavioral issues that often comes
with and categorizes puppy mill puppies breed for profit.
There’s also the sad commercials on TV that has been playing for years begging people
to donate to local shelters and stop local animal abuse. The video I am referring to is a
compilation of shots of sad shelter dogs in cages in black in white with Sarah Mclachlan “In the
arms of an angel” playing in the background.
Then there’s also TV shows that play on Animal Planet that follow rescuers on a daily
basis to see the case by case animals they and the abuse, health issues, neglect, or abandonment
they’ve faced such as “Animal Cop,” “Pitbulls and Parolees”, and others.
Another perspective we also see is online statistics that contains the facts and statistics of
the increasing animal overpopulation rate in animal shelters being a link to the increasing animal
euthanasia rate within the shelters.

To say the least, there’s many voices and perspectives that play a role when it comes to
the discussion of animal adoption, underlying issues, and solution propositions.
Although each of the sources brought their own perspective to the table they each talked
about similar overarching issues while highlighting different underlying issues which was really
interesting.
For instance, in Sarah, McLachlan's animal cruelty video they relied heavily on the
emotional connection to the viewer. `In the video, they are trying to raise awareness to the abuse
the animals face and how the viewer can help these animal shelters by providing a donation that
in turn will help the animals. We see her talk about animal rights and animal abuse in the line
“Every day innocent animals are abused, beaten and neglected and they’re crying out for help.”
(entry 2) She then provides a solution to help when she breaks the fourth wall to ask the viewer
“For just $18 a month only 60 cents a day you’ll help rescue animals from their abusers and
provide medical care, food, shelter, and love.”(entry 2) What adds the most emotion to their
video and argument are the sad faces of the crying animals, hurt animals and crippled animals.
In the personal interview that I had with the Melissa Pruitt the owner of La Gattara cat
cafe she used emotion in her argument as well but she brought a much different perspective than
all of the others because she on cats which almost all of the other sources had left out or
forgotten to mention since the others chose to focus on dogs instead. So with Ms. Pruitt, she
made it know very early on in the interview that Arizona has the second highest euthanasia rate
in the country not just for dogs but for cats too. She as a lover of cats, rescuer, and cat cafe owner
used one specific cat as a prime example of why she does what she does when she talks about
Charlie Chaplin the cat. She stated that “I equate him to a baby that was born dead but then when

the mom holds them they come back to life. I know it sounds cheesy but I really feel like that’s
what happened to Charlie. He just got so much love and he gives so much love that it’s just like
you know, love wins.” (entry 1) So it’s really sweet because she rescues cats and helps them find
their homes because she knows they each have so much love to give even if they’ve had a rough
patch in their life. So if anyone is every scared of adopting a rescue cat Melissa uses Charlie and
the many other cats as examples of the love they have to give and that people should give them a
chance.
In entry three which was pet statistics by the SPCA, they focused on three main statistics.
The first statistic that they focused on related to the euthanasia rate “ Each year, approximately
1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats). The number of dogs
and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in
2011. This decline can be partially explained by an increase in the percentage of animals
adopted and an increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their
owners.”(entry 3) The second statistic that they focused on adoption rates “Approximately 3.2
million shelter animals are adopted each year (1.6 million dogs and 1.6 million cats).”(entry 3)
The third statistic they focused on related to why pets are abandoned and rehomed “According to
the ASPCA’s National Rehoming Survey , pet problems are the most common reason that owners
rehome their pet, accounting for 47% of rehomed dogs and 42% of rehomed cats. Pet problems
were defined as problematic behaviors, aggressive behaviors, grew larger than expected, or
health problems owner couldn’t handle.” (entry 3) overall by using these three statistics the
SPCA was able to formulate their argument on the importance of adoption and how it wasn’t the

animal's fault that they were abandoned it was the owner’s fault that they “couldn’t handle.”
(entry 3)
In the Psychology Today article titled “The Puzzling Geography of Animal Shelter Dog
Euthanasia.” They took the most neutral stance on the argument of adoption because they were
not tied to an animal rights activist group such as the SPCA or another group. Some interesting
points that they made were how “In 1973, there were 65 million pet dogs and cats in the United
States, and 20% of this number were put to death in animal shelters. Today, there are 160 million
pet dogs and cats but less than 2% of that number is euthanized in shelters.” (entry 4) This
almost makes it seem like the animal rights activist group and large animal shelter organizations
are not telling the whole truth and almost blowing it out of proportion since in reality like the
statistic said “here are 160 million pet dogs and cats but less than 2% of that number is
euthanized in shelters.” (entry 4) Another interesting point that this article had made was the
thinking and psychology behind why the adoption rate has risen is because “A large majority of
owners now thinks of dogs and cats as family members. This trend toward the humanization of
pets has resulted in more adoptions and fewer deaths of healthy animals in shelters.” (entry 4)
In BautistaHobin, Elena Maria, Minteer, Ben, Ellison, Karin, Morefield, Michael,
Barrett, The Honors College, & School of Life Sciences. (2015) research paper/thesis on
Instagram and Adoption Rates: The Impact of Proactive Social Media on Adoption Rates at the
Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA . they brought a unique perspective on how if used
correctly Instagram can be such a powerful tool as seen in their study where when it was used it
positively impacted the adoption rates by increasing them. They also had a geographical specific
angle since they focused on the Arizona perspective on the issue since “pet overpopulation is an

especially pressing issue for the state of Arizona. As of 2011, Arizona was estimated to have the
second highest euthanasia rate in America (White, 2011).” (entry 5) They argued that a large
factor to the adoption problem, overpopulation problem, and euthanasia problem are “Dog and
cat breeders, it can be argued, contribute to the problem of pet overpopulation by supplying the
world with more pets when there are already millions that do not find loving homes and end up
being euthanized.” (entry 5) Another valid point they had made to take into consideration is how
the “age of the dog was the primary factor for a quick adoption, with younger dogs being
adopted significantly faster.”
In Gunter’s thesis on “Understanding the Impacts of Breed Identity, PostAdoption and
Fostering Interventions, & Behavioral Welfare of Shelter Dogs.” She brought a unique
perspective to the argument of adoption because she decided to study the impact that breed had
on adoption. She found that “ breedspecific legislation was enacted across the United States to
address this risk with local ordinances ranging from prohibiting ownership (Sec. 855, 1989 &
1996).” (entry 6) So with this, she made a point that legislation against certain breeds makes less
people want to adopt them and pitbulls, unfortunately, are a prime example of this. She then went
into more depth when talking about pitbulls specifically and found that “Additionally, recent
research has indicated that the label of “pit bull,” independent of the dog’s visible characteristics,
can influence perceptions of a dog’s attractiveness to potential adopters, as well as the dogs’
length of stay in the shelter and adoption success (Gunter, Barber, and Wynne, 2016).” (entry 6)
In a sense, she is saying that the stigma’s that come with pitbulls and their looks make people
lean away from adopting them and adopting a so to speak cute puppy instead.

All of these articles, in the end, made valid points and brought various different
perspectives to the table.
Section 4, Conclusion
This research will bring the various aspects of animal adoption to light. When it comes to
adoption there are various different issues and underlying issues such as animal overpopulation,
breed, euthanasia rates, age, geographical location, legislation, emotionevoking tactics, just to
name a few of the things the different sources in this paper each focused in on. Thankfully the
animal euthanasia rate in the U.S. is dropping according to multiple sources but that animal
overpopulation is still a growing issue. One of the sources highlighted how the percentage of
people who adopt their pet although it’s increasing is still less than those who are getting their
pets from breeders. This is impart due to the geographical location because depending on where
the potential adopter lives they may be limited to certain breeds within the animal shelters. For
Instance in Arizona specifically Maricopa county in entry six it was found that the top two
highest breeds found in the animal shelters were pitbulls and chihuahuas. Another factor that
plays a role is the age of the animal and for most potential adopters they’d prefer and younger pet
so this with the combination of the desire to own a specific breed cause the adoption issue and is
partially why the rate of adoption is less than the rate of those that buy from breeders. This is just
one underlying issue when it comes to problems animal shelters are facing when it comes to
finding ways to solve this problem and increase the adoption rate. Overall the adoption issue is
still a problem that many need to come together and continue to look at to find a solution.

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