Annotated Bibliography Assignment

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Helen Borges

Annotated Bibliography

Fincke, S. (2009). The dog whisperer: inside puppy mills. In National Geographic Channel.

Retrieved from http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dog-

whisperer/3736/Overview11#tab-Videos/06654_00  

Page/Section from a Website. According to the National Geographic Channel website,

puppy mills are producing millions of puppies yearly. Even more sad news, is that these dogs

are sent directly to retail pet stores, and some are even sold directly to the public by

individuals through classified ads. The website also states that pet stores aren’t required to tell

their customers that their puppies come from a puppy mills, so people might be indirectly

supporting puppy mills. Although most puppy mills are examined and have to be licensed by

the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are ways to get around with still having bad living

conditions for dogs. The places the dogs are kept in are often dirty and unsanitary, and usually

in small wooden boxes or wired cages. Other harsh conditions in puppy mills include

underfeeding and proper care, so that results to health issues with the puppies that are born in

puppy mills. In final analysis, puppy mills are started to often go unfixed, and still go on in

existence.

This website would help my speech because it supports my idea of where not to get your

new pet dog from, which are local retail pet stores, and classified ads. However, this source

lacks the objectivity, which gives my speech a persuasive vibe instead of an informative one.

This source, although, does give very clear material about the conditions of puppy mills and

the reason to avoid supporting them. The content is also verifiable because it’s published on

the website, and can be easily traced back through by accessing the National Geographic

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Channel website, or through the Dog Whisperer television episodes. The material is competent

because the National Geographic Channel is a well know organization for its factual

information. The source is, as mentioned earlier, not objective, but the supporting material is

relevant.

Millan, C. (2010). Before you adopt. In Cesar’s Way. Retrieved from

http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/yournewdog/ Before-You-Adopt

Page/Section from a Website. This website talks about the significant steps to take

before adopting a pet. The website Cesar’sWay.com suggests taking your family and your kids

into mind and the routine and schedule everyone has. The next step focuses on analyzing

yourself, and what conditions do you function in. The article gives an example of looking at

the state of your closet, and checking whether it is organized and neat. Another step is figuring

out your schedule and the timeliness to see whether you’re cut out to take responsibility of a

pet. The next step calls for a consideration of your neighborhood and if it will be a good

environment for your new dog. Then, the site suggests that you pick a dog with an energy level

that is equal or lower than yours, as well as informing you not to narrow only down to the

breed, but also to think about the characteristics of the breed. The site goes on to talk about

fostering a dog to test out the waters and is also a good way to see if you can handle the

responsibility. The website than advises not to overlook older dogs, because an older dog

might be a match for you if you’re not the type to exercise too much or have any kids around.

Ultimately the piece ends with a step to enjoy the process because they can bring you a long

time of joy and completion.

Yes, I can definitely use this source to support my speech because it helps aid my main

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point of the importance of researching the right type of dog for you. This source is clear and it

does help my ideas in my speech by supporting the process of getting a new dog. The material

is competent because it comes from the well-known dog trainer Cesar Millan, who has years of

experience with dogs. The source however is not objective, because it includes opinions such

as advising people to look into senior dogs. The supporting material is very relevant because it

provides steps to adopting a new dog, which is similar to my own topic on getting a new pet

dog.

Palika, L. (2009, July 14). Put him to work: harness your siberian husky’s drive by

participating in an activity. Training Secrets for Siberian Huskies. 17, 76-83.

Magazine. The magazine article titled “Put Him to Work: Harness your Siberian

Husky’s drive by participating in an activity” in the magazine Training Secrets for Siberian

Huskies discusses the great active life a husky dog needs. Author Liz Palika explains the

energetic characteristic of a Husky and how they were bred to “run more than 60 miles a day.”

Palika then suggest that husky owners first get their dog checked by a veterinarian to see if

their pet is healthy and fit for any activities. Several of the suggestions include checking for

hip dysplsia and slowly building up muscles in your dog. The last part of Palika’s article

describes choosing a sport, and how it should be enjoyable and tailored to your personal

preference and slowly introducing it to your dog. An advice given by Palika is to mix up the

textures of which your and your dog walks on, but be careful for hot asphalt. She then

concludes with a quote from a husky experienced owner Theresa Przybylski advice that states,

“Be patient with yourself as well as with your dog.”

This source will be helpful to include in my speech because it’s siding with my

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statement that huskies are active dogs that will suit an active lifestyle a person might want.

This article is clear and easily understandable. Since the article was published in a magazine

in 2009, it is easily verifiable. The material is competent because the writer Liz Palika’s

credentials include a certified dog trainer, certified animal behavior consultant and award-

winning writer. Her article was also printed in a magazine titled Training Secrets for Siberian

Huskies. The source is objective, because Palika includes several other people, who have

experience with huskies, tha tall acknowledge the high energy level in huskies. The supporting

material is relevant as I mentioned before, it supports my statement that the husky breed will

suit a person well if the enjoy the high paced lifestyle.

Tobar, H. (2011, October 10). An ailing dog's message: A shelter needs to be rescued; the San

Gabriel Valley Humane Society is facing very tough times. Los Angeles Times, pp. A2.

Newspaper. This newspaper article comes from the Los Angeles Times newspaper and

is written by Hector Tobar, who wrote about his adoption experience at the San Gabriel Valley

Humane Society animal shelter. Hector and his family adopted a husky and named her

Madame Josie, but their new dog had several health issues that they weren’t informed of when

they just got her. Hector’s wife took Madame Josie to a veterinarian, who suggested that they

take their new dog back to the shelter and have the shelter treat her back to health, If they

don’t, then paying to treat Madame Josie might costs the Tobar family “thousands of dollars.”

However, the Tobar family didn’t have the heart to take her back to the shelter, because the pen

that Madame Josie was in when they got her was in horrible condition. In Hector’s words, they

“realized [they] made the right choice,” due to a news story that aired on television of a recent

roof caving in at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society animal shelter during a terrible storm.

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Hector then went down to the shelter to talk to the board president of the SGV Humane Society

Pat Brayer, who confirmed the bad conditions of the shelter, and how the funds were

insufficient. However Brayer wasn’t going to give up on the shelter and according to Hector,

many donations were made to the shelter that aided them a lot. Although Brayer stated

“adopting an animal helps even more, because the strays keep coming.”

This newspaper article would help my speech because it supports my point to adopt

from shelters if possible. The material of this article is very clear about the bad conditions at

animal shelters, and in this case, the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society precisely. The

material is verifiable because it is in print in the Los Angeles Times newspaper of January 3rd,

2011. The source is also competent because its from a writer of the Los Angeles Times

newspaper, who wrote about his first hand experience with the adoption and his interview

with Pat Brayer, the board president of the SGV Humane Society. The source, however, is not

objective, because obviously there is some heartfelt for dogs, in Hector’s writing and

experience. He however, is informing the public about severity of the conditions of animal

shelters. The support material is very relevant, because it confirms my argument, that

potential pet owners should first look into their local animal shelter to possibly rescue a dog

from its poor living conditions.

Wang, G., (2011). Growing on me. Dog World, 96(8), 72. Retrieved from Academic Search

Complete. doi: 10.3390/ani5010001

Scholarly Journal. This article comes from a scholarly journal called the Dog World

and is about the author Grace Wang’s experience with adopting a new dog. She visited the

West LA shelter, in hope of finding a dog that was calm and not to energetic. She was looking

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for this particular type of dog with that characteristic because she currently has a pit bull dog

named Shanti. Grace rescued Shanti from the same West LA shelter. As she scanned through

the different dogs that were at the shelter, Grace encountered a pit bull dog that was white with

black spots. This female pit bull showed signs of enthusiasm and in Grace’s words,

“hyperactive.” Although an employee at the West LA shelter, suggested that the female pit

bull was a “good one.” However, in the end Grace adopted the pit bull that’s she now name

Stella, and later on found out that Stella was on the list to be put down. Down the road, Stella

graciously warmed up to Grace and they now have a great, heartfelt bond and connection.

The article by Grace Wong will be a helpful source to include in my speech, because it

points out that you too, can save a dog from the shelter. The supporting material of this

narrative is clear because she’s an average person like you and me that tells a personal story

about her adoption. She makes her point, that her new pet dog that she adopted from the West

LA shelter has a place in her heart, very clear when she titles her article “Growing on Me.”

This source is also verifiable, because it’s printed in Dog World magazine in the 8th issue of

the 96th volume on page 72. People, who also want to look into it further, can contact Grace

Wang of Santa Monica, California. The material is also competent due to the fact that Grace

has experience with her previous dog Shanti, and a magazine devoted to and posses the

expertise in dogs chose to publish her story. The supporting material is also relevant because

it’s a personal story of Grace’s experience at a shelter and how she saved a dogs live, which is

one of my main points.