Spread the Word

Puppies at a mill awaiting their freedom. 

The Truth behind Pet Shop Purebreds

By: Kayla Burgess

 Have you ever heard of a puppy mill? Have you ever seen one? No? That is because the breeders behind these awful places don’t want anyone to know about them, or what goes on there. Puppy farms, as they are sometimes called, are positioned all across Canada. They breed far too many dogs creating a countless amount of puppies. There is no veterinarian care involved in these processes as the breeders simply want to make a profit, not spend it, even to better the health of their animals. In order to keep costs low there are multiple dogs per cage, and those cages are rarely cleaned leaving the animals stuck in unsanitary environments,  not to mention the abuse and neglect they are forced to endure in these places. Yet even with all of these horrific actions displayed on these forgiving creatures puppy mills are still legal all throughout the many provinces.

Every puppy mill is different though they all have the same thought in mind, money.  Once a female goes into a mill, it is most likely that they will not be coming back out. As to those breeders females are the money makers, the more puppies they produce the more puppies they can sell. When the number of babies per littler start to deteriorate the mothers are euthanized. This is because in the eyes of those people they are only commodities. Many mills attempt different methods in order to save space, time and money.  Each cage has multiple dogs in them, and none of the cages used are humane enough even for one. Stuffed in tiny rabbit cages stacked on top of each other for their entire lives, or in a muddy chicken pen so small that the mothers end up walking on their own litter until they are either sold or killed. These pens are used to save money as they are much cheaper than professional dog kennels. Certain breeders choose to keep their dogs outside requiring the dogs to overcome the both the boiling summers and the harsh winters each year, many dogs end up dying due to this cruelty. I find it ironic how many of the farms or mills that are investigated own acres of land far out into the country side, yet they keep these animals cooped up in cages, never letting them feel the touch grass on their paws.

Legal, when you hear of things being legal you think of safety. Not puppy mills. It may be hard to believe but these horrid places are allowed to be in our world. These environments are run by sick people so blinded by their greed for money that they ignore the animals’ rights to a safe, loving and healthy life. These dogs are considered cash crops to these breeders and in the eyes of the law they are live stock, or property not a living organism. Specifically in Canada there are no laws to prevent puppy mills, what little laws we do have in place, the mill owners can easily pay their fines and return to their work.  Disciplinary actions for cruelty to animals varying between each province, in Manitoba the fine for the first offence, is no more then $10 000, imprisonment of up to 6 months or both. The second offense has a fine of $20 000 or imprisonment of up to a year or possibly both. These laws and punishments were last updated in 2009, and there are no mandates in place to change the laws. The inhumanity presented towards these animals are uncalled for, and their needs to be and change with harsher action taken place to put a crack down on to puppy mills and the terrible crimes committed there.

 These places may be legal, but as humane people we know that they are wrong and need to be put to an end.  Puppy farms are active everywhere due to us unknowingly supporting them. You’re probably thinking, “I would never support such a sickening place” though the truth is that you may, even without realizing. If you've even bought a puppy from a pet store; or if you have ever had an online breeder deliver to you its almost guaranteed that the puppy came from a place much like this. There are a few tips that you can follow to ensure you are not contributing to a mill in anyway. Skipping the pet shops is the best way to do this. If you wish to add a member to your family adopting from a local shelter is a great choice, not only is it certain that you are not supporting commercial breeding but you will get knowledge on the animal’s history as well. Knowing where a pet came from can greatly assist with training. Also when buying from a breeder, make sure they are licensed, a good breeder will allow you to see the area where the puppies are kept and raised as well as the mother. If when you ask it see either of those important facets and they deny you access, your red flags should be going off take it as a sign that it is time to turn to another breeding.  The same rules apply when buying off on online website such as Kijiji, make sure to visit the mother and where the puppy grew up. Knowledge is the best defense; inform yourself and others of these facts and precautions to help put an end to animal cruelty and puppy mills everywhere.

Pictures From : http://www.oasisanimalrescue.ca/in-the-news/puppy-mills-are-a-big-dirty-business-part-3/

Robert Munsch

Robert Munsch books bring back great memories from my elementary school years! from the teachers and librarians reading them to us with the many different voices, to when Robert Munsch himself came into my school and read to us. All in all he is an amazing author! I love when the kids I babysit ask me to read them one of his books, as it's my chance to make a fool out of myself, and make them laugh with my impression of the many different characters and voices written throughout these books! His books are so fun, for the kids and parents aswell 

Digital Footprint

Quick Write - Nature

http://wallike.com/sunset-landscape.html

The beauty that earth beholds is captivating. From the winding rivers, to the highest mountains. The exellence of our world is inspirational, this picture brings a quote to mind "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light." -Albus Dumbledore. On our worst days it may feel as if the whole human race is against you, like there is nothing you can do but crash. It's moments like those, when you have that storm cloud stuck above your head, that you need to stop and take a moment to look around. For beauty is everywhere, look around at the gorgeous blue sky, the warmth of the sun on your skin, the snow as the light makes it sparkle like a thousand tiny diamonds, look around and appreciate mother natures artwork. Life may be difficult from time to time, but on those tough days just remember to pause and take a minute or simply a second to  acknowledge our wonderful planet. 

Reading Survey

I've noticed quite a bit that both the books I chose to read and the way I would read has changed tremendously. The changes I've made as a reader disappoint me. In my elementary years I loved to read, everywhere and anywhere I went. I was a very thorough reader, I absorbed every word that was on the paper, making sure I knew what was going on, and if I didn't understand something I would reread. I always knew what was happening throughout the story. As I look back on the last few times I've read, I can see the gaping difference. I now skip over words and sentences, I don’t follow the story line well, and I speed read rather then slowly consuming each word. The most prominent switch to my reading habits is the fact that I had lost all of the enjoyment reading once gave me. So I knew an adjustment was greatly needed. Indeterminately I chose to take a break from reading, seeing as it used to be an escape, a way to forget for a moment, a way to become a different person and jump into a whole other world! Though my problems started to leak into those worlds, terrorizing them. The stress from high school, home, friends, work and the boyfriends had become so extensive that as I would read; my mind would start to drift towards those problems, those responsibilities. Taking a break would be my only option, until I got things under control.  Many issues have been put to rest, and I feel prepared to pick up a book again.

 Similar to many kids of this generation I have a smart phone, iPhone 5 to be exact; it is without a doubt my lifeline. I use it for absolutely everything and it goes everywhere with me. My schedule, to do lists, photos, and numbers, along with a large majority of my life is on this phone. I've got reminders set daily to make sure I take my iron supplements, and to remind me of when I work or when projects are due, not to mention that it is also my alarm clock in the mornings. Along with all of these things I have many apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all are my personal accounts that I very rarely use, and when they are used, it is it scroll through news feeds, never to post anything. Along with a cellular device, I have my own personal gateway laptop that I got as a Christmas present a few years ago, it is mainly used for school work, or playing games such as Sims 3. I've never considered myself to be one of those tech savvy types of people and throughout this course I’m looking forward to learning to build my own blog, and seeing how reading and technology come together,  I’m also curious on how twitter fits into creative writing and eager to find out the answer.

            As and ex-reader I have many goals set for myself throughout this semester, I would love to get back into my old joy of reading, as I mention in the paragraphs earlier, reading had lost its magic for me, I couldn't get into the books I would attempt reading, it had become another thing on my long list of to-dos.  As well as gain back my love of reading I want to put an end to my speed reading, and develop good habits. Such as thinking about what I’m reading, and coming up with predictions, and asking myself questions about why the antagonist or protagonist are acting the way they are.  I am also looking to expand my reading genres, towards books on skills, and novels with different perspectives other than first person, throughout this course I also hope to improve on my writing style,  wish to be able to write my thoughts down on paper with ease, and become more accustom to using more sophisticated words and writing technique.  I am very excited for this course and look forward to making a blog and incorporate technology into my writing. 

Quick Write - Memories

   Between juggling the hours of a job with school, homework from every class of the day, and parents constantly on you back telling you to improve your grades the stress of a 16 year old high school student tends to add up quickly. The last 2 years of high school are the most important, making it double the stress for those are the years we must plan our future. We need to take the right courses, get the best grade all for universities, and to get that career of our dreams. 

   Though parents seem to forget the stress that they were under while going through school, and they tend to add stress to their kids problems without realizing. I think the main reason for that is time. As parents they've been out of school for years which in that length of time they tend to forget everything that happened while they were in school. Another possible reason for their forgetfulness is the fact that as adults, they have there own stressors and problems to deal with. Such as paying the bills, getting a full time job, or tying to find a career, or making sure there is enough money to provide food for their kids along with a roof over their head. With all of these hardships that come with being an adult it's understandable that they would be able to forget the simple high school hassles. 

Quick Write- Which door?

The Harry Potter books and movies where so amazing and captivating that if I had the choice, the door into Hogwarts is the one I'd choose. Magic would be everywhere as I took my first steps inside.