While I do have an appreciation for
many animals, I cannot say that I love every animal on the planet, such as
spiders and snakes to name a few. Growing up, my sister and I had various pets
in the hopes that someday our parents would give us a dog. We started small,
with our pets ranging from crayfish and goldfish, and then there were hermit
crabs from the Jersey Shore, and eventually a bunny. My sister even had a
hamster, which I basically considered to be a rat. It is safe to say that we
had a range of pets, which my sister and I cherished. For as long as I can
remember, Kate and I would beg my parents for a dog, and finally, when I was in
the fifth grade of elementary school we got one. My love for animals, and
particularly for dogs, grew even deeper when my family and I got involved in an
organization called “Adopt-A-Lab”. Through this organization I became aware of
how many dogs are in need of rescue for various reasons. Some have been
neglected, abused or abandoned, and other just were too costly for their
families to afford. Adopt-A-Lab’s purpose is to place dogs in safe and
permanent homes as soon as possible. My mom, sister and I would spend our
Saturday mornings playing with the puppies and dogs, in hopes that at the end
of the day they would leave with an owner who could provide them with a home
and the love they needed. Oftentimes, dogs needed a temporary home and we would foster
them in our home for a few days or even weeks.
Aside
from my family’s involvement with an animal adoption organization, I do not
have a direct experience with the abandonment with pets; however I am aware
that it is a widespread issue in our country today. I understand that there are
many reasons for owners to abandon their pets, and there is not room in
shelters for all of these animals. Nevertheless, I believe it should be illegal
to abandon one’s pet. If an owner cannot afford their pet for financial or other
reasons, there should be a place where these animals can go in the United
States. Since there is not enough room in shelters, many animals in shelters
are being put to rest. According to one website, “Eight million dogs and cats
enter shelters in the U.S. each year, and more than half won’t make it out
alive”. While everyone might not feel as strongly about this issue as others, believing
that children in foster homes, poverty or unemployment is larger issues facing
our country. However, I believe there are ways to reduce the number of animals
abandoned or killed in the United States with a program similar to Adopt-A-Lab.
For my media I would like play some
type of video. I’m not exactly sure what I want to do yet, but I would like it
to be complex and confusing for the audience. The confusion the audience feels
can be linked to how the animals feel when they are abandoned or placed in poor
living conditions. Many homeless animals may feel fear and anxiety not knowing
why their lives are turning out the way they are, and I think it would be fascinating
if the audience had an opportunity to feel a sense of that trepidation and thus
to really consider the importance of my performance. I am considering showing a
video of a story about one specific animal or a video about multiple cases of
animals being abandoned – I am still trying to figure out which will touch the
audience more. In addition, I am going to write a piece of my own about how I
feel on the issue and combine it with a few statistics and another piece of
writing, maybe an article on this subject. I am going to combine the three
pieces in Cut n’ Mix and read it while the video is playing.
No comments:
Post a Comment