homework help please

[Egghead_Jr]

Depending on length of paper a topic could be as simple as whether to heat or not heat chicken coops in winter. It's a controversial issue with two well defined belief systems and a cost aspect. Sure it's not headline news or the knee jerk topic of the month but many times these seemingly mundane issues make for better papers. For greater emotional depth (not a paper requirement) you could write on battery chickens. The cost aspect here is final product at market. This topic has much written on it with Europe ahead of us in banning them which leads well for inductive reasoning for either side of argument.

Another chicken related topic that came to mind is commercial organic eggs. Federal minimums are so slight that truly ethical minded people would be appalled as to treatment of market "Organic" for twice the price. Outdoor time is chicken optional so a mere tiny "sunning" deck makes the grade. Here the argument would not be about organic vs. non organic rather if federal guidelines meets consumers belief in what is organic or not.

 

[bluesub]

Maybe you could do dolphins at sea life parks/aquariums. There are a few rehab places in California that rehabilitate seals and sea lions... Marine Mammal Center, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Marine Mammal Care Center are just a few.

 

[lovesduckies]

there are lots of things! thanks everyone. i just need to pick something i feel strongly about and something i can read a lot about so i can make a good argument. Debi, i did try google and it wasn't helping so i came here. either i suck at googling stuff or google isn't helpful with animal stuff

i figured coming here was a good idea because i assume most of us here love animals and know what's going in the animal world.

 

[Kassaundra]

Caponizing, raising cornish cross (aka frankenchickens)

 

[spiritdance]

dubbing chickens, docking dog ears/tails, docking horse tails, etc.

 

[BrattishTaz]

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Cornish crosses would be a great topic. I have found that most people have never heard of them.

 

[lovesduckies]

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oh i don't like the docking ears and tails thing on dogs. poor babies and it doesn't look good...



are they still trying to ban muscovies? i haven't heard anything about that in awhile and that's something i really really care about because i have 3 and one of them is my best buddy in the whole world.

 

[Fenika]

Re: Wild animals at zoos.

You have a things here and would need to narrow your focus. Many zoo animals are kept for good (imo) reasons: Captive breeding (for more zoos or to release to the wild), as a home/sanctuary for animals who couldn't survive in the wild, etc.

Many zoos belong to a worldwide or national zoo program, such as the association of aquariums and zoos (or w/e. aaz). Many small/private zoos do not, and only fall within the minimal local regulations (sometimes this is the USDA). And I stress minimal. I've worked for small zoo very briefly. It was dire.

If you read some articles about zoos, private zoos, sanctuaries, etc, you could pick a specific topic that catches your interest. Like I said, the incident (suicide/release) in Ohio was big news recently. You can address the minimal laws that allow these animals to be kept. Safety to public, care of animals, etc.

 

[Peaches Lee]

To breed animals or to NOT breed animals...and you could bring in the "designer dog" trends, breeding approvals, health testing vs. people that believe in mixed breeding (or whatever it is that anti-breeding people stand for, sorry I don't know much about that). Hope this helps.

I think the horse slaughter one is a very controversial hot topic as well.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

A puppy mill is an operation where dogs are kept in squalid, cruel conditions for breeding purposes. The dogs are often confined to cages their entire miserable lives and are over-bred and probably in-bred. Puppy mills are associated with the Amish although I don't believe they are limited to that group. Any puppy you purchase in a pet shop is suspect for coming from a puppy mill.

Re the horses in NYC. I live there part-time and walk by the horses that line Central Park South frequently. They do not look mistreated. What tourist would ride in a carriage being drawn by a decrepit or ill horse? I know one just died recently but that doesn't prove maltreatment - I've had beloved, well-cared-for pets die suddenly.

One argument I've heard in favor of the carriage horses is that if weren't pulling carriages they'd be processed for dog food. A walk in Central Park seems like the better option. Worst thing I've seen happen to them there is the pigeons that perch on their feed buckets and help themselves to the horses' food. It's possible I'm misinformed but Alec Baldwin et al have been trying to ban the horses for years and have been unable to come up with solid evidence proving that the animals are mistreated.