Research Log #1 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: 10 February 2021

Name: Joshua Arcayena
Central Question: Can people afford to keep providing for their pets during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic?
Thesis: Although there is a lot of people hurting financially to take care of their pets, many businesses and programs
are willing to help families in need. Therefore, pets can have a better life when being surrendered, given the help
they need or being adopted to a home that is willing to help.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and
who benefits? (Use three sources.)

Excerpts:

Early in the article, Reeder explains how a man couldn’t take care of his three dogs: “When their owner lost his
business and his home due to the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns, he could no longer afford to care for them. He’d
tried about a month to figure out a way to keep them but realized he didn’t have a choice.”

Reeder also explained that Alice Mayn, founder of Lily’s Legacy, explained, “Those dogs were his life. He’d done a
really, really good job with them but he had to give them up.”

American Society for the Prevention to Animals releasing data stating that “4.2 million pets will enter poverty in the
next six months as a result of the COVID-19 CRISIS.” They continued, “The total number of animals living in
poverty could rise to more than 24.4 million dogs, cats, horses, and other animals.”

Commentary and Analysis:

The beginning of this article describes how a specific older man was struggling to provide for himself and
three other dogs. He talked about how the coronavirus affected him and how it led to a struggle in maintaining to keep
his farm running because of shutdowns in many states. He started to become low on funds to pay for his necessities
and could not take care of his dogs anymore. This clearly shows that it is hard to afford necessities for pets during this
time.
The article also talks about how pets or dogs in this case helps people stay calm in many events. Many people
who own pets see them as best friends and have a strong connection. Although people love their pets unconditionally,
the article also talks about the data for animals to enter poverty in the next few months, according to the American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty. This is very sad but there is another way to help animals. Lily's Legacy Senior
Dog Sanctuary in Petaluma, California, due to economic hardships, is adopting dogs for owners who cannot take care
of their pets anymore, then adopt the animals to others who can take care of these loved animals. Alice Mayn, who is
the founder of the sanctuary, is concerned that more animals will be surrendered during the pandemic and will be
adopting more animals to help them find a better home.
This article shows that many associations are willing to take in animals for care and give them the things they
need to survive. It is unfortunate to lose a best friend due to this ongoing pandemic but there are going to be many
cases where people can't afford to own a pet anymore. Some associations and states are giving families money to pay
for themselves but sometimes that is not enough for their animals. We need more people that can help animals directly
with food, or more veterinarians giving cheaper prices or free shots, but that most likely won’t happen. So, we need
more who can donate and help animals live a better life.

MLA Work Cited:

Reeder, Jen. “Americans Are Starting to Give up Their Pets Because of COVID-19 Hardships”, TODAY, 2 Oct. 2020,
www.today.com/pets. Accessed. 10 Feb. 2020.

This is a reputable and reliable article because USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, and more
through award-winning journalism who double-check their work to make sure they are giving accurate facts to society.

Research Log #2 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: 18 February 2021
Name: Joshua Arcayena
Central Question: Can people afford to keep providing for their pets during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic?
Thesis: Although there is a lot of people hurting financially to take care of their pets, many businesses and programs
are willing to help families in need. Therefore, pets can have a better life when being surrendered, given the help
they need or being adopted to a home that is willing to help.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)

Excerpts:

Alyssa Ball explains what to do when you cannot take care of your pet. She said that the first option should be, asking
family members for assistance: “Family members are often happy to dive in and help you care for your animals at
home. And they often do a great job because they have spent time in your home many times and are already familiar
with your pet's routines and special needs.”

At the end of her article, Ball explains the bottom line: “ If you are struggling to provide adequate care for your
pet, it is time to seek assistance.” She continued, “Whether you have a dog, a cat, a bird, or a goldfish, we
look forward to helping you and your pet stay healthy!”

Commentary and Analysis:

This article gives ideas and helps those who think they cannot take care of their pets anymore. She explains
that there are about 85 million Americans who own a pet, and I am one of those millions of people. When I think about
this and those who currently can’t take care of their pets, I get extremely sad. As a pet owner, I would do anything in
my power to provide for my pets. I also understand that it is hard and witness many families struggling during this
time to provide to put food on the table every day for themselves. So, what if you do not have enough money to
provide for your pets?
In the article, “What To Do When You Can’t Take Care of Your Pet Anymore”, Alyssa Ball gives many
suggestions on how to help yourself and your pet in choosing the right thing to do when you think you cannot help
your pets anymore. Sometimes people even start forgetting about their pet, do not give them exercise, unable to take
their pet to the vet, or cannot keep them groomed and up to date on shots. Ball gives specific details to those who need
Maintenance for their pets. She gives ideas like asking family members for assistance, contacts a pet sitting service or
caregiver, and also considers putting their pets up for adoption.
 I think these are all great ideas for those who are thinking about wanting the best for their pet in times like
these. Anyone can leave their pet on the street to survive on its own, but I think Alyssa Ball goes into more detail
about finding the best thing to help your pet be in a better environment.

MLA Work Cited:

Ball, Alyssa. “What To Do When You Can't Take Care of Your Pet Anymore”, Caring Senior Service, 30 May 2019,
www.caringseniorservice.com/blog. Accessed.18 Feb. 2020

This is a reputable and reliable article because Caring Senior Service is a National company, has many website
reviews, and has many social media platforms.

Research Log #3 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: 18 February 2021
Name: Joshua Arcayena
Central Question: Can people afford to keep providing for their pets during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic?
Thesis: Although there is a lot of people hurting financially to take care of their pets, many businesses and programs
are willing to help families in need. Therefore, pets can have a better life when being surrendered, given the help
they need or being adopted to a home that is willing to help.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)

Excerpts:
Du Fan described walking into a house with cats and said, “You would see that there is no pet food, the cat litter box
would be full, so the cat had no place to poop.” He also explained when he finished helping that the “dog or cat had
been saved from death because of efforts.”

Du Fan also said they receive “a lot of messages at our platform asking if we could go and feed pets.” He added the
“owners were worried these animals would die at home.”

Commentary and Analysis:

This was a great descriptive video because Da Fan, President of Wuhan Small Animals Protection Association,
runs an animal welfare group in Wuhan China. He wanted to help because from 2019 to current, the world had its first
coronavirus lockdown that was implemented in his hometown.
He received many calls and messages asking for help to feed people's pets because owners were not in Wuhan
at the time and could not take care of their pets. Fan and his team then went door-to-door and broke in to reach
trapped cats and dogs. The group saved more than 10,000 pets from 5,000 households. During this time, they did not
only save the animals. While helping the owner with the animals in need, they also helped the whole compound by
maintaining hygiene. Unfortunately, their project was cut short in 2021, after 2 weeks when an even stricter lockdown
was enforced.
 This showed Fan’s compassion for animals and the care his team had to go door-to-door helping owners care
for their pet in desperate times. This is related to me because I have a lot of compassion for animals, and they should
be treated equally like humans as they have a heart and mind of their own and need to be taken care of the correct way.

MLA Work Cited:

Fan, Du. “How an Animal Rescuer Saved 10,000 Starving Pets During Wuhan’s Covid-19 Lockdown”, South China
Morning Post, 25 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC5VwCwnMQw. Accessed.18 Feb. 2020

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was regarded relatively as the most credible paid newspaper in Hong
Kong so many reporters get facts and make sure what they are posting is correct.

Research Log #4 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: 25 February 2021
Name: Joshua Arcayena
Central Question: Can people afford to keep providing for their pets during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic?
Thesis: Although there is a lot of people hurting financially to take care of their pets, many businesses and programs
are willing to help families in need. Therefore, pets can have a better life when being surrendered, given the help
they need or being adopted to a home that is willing to help.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do?
(Use one source.)

Excerpts:
According to Wall Street Journal, there were 1,000 dog and cat owners surveyed in October by Banfield Pet Hospital.
Banfield Pet Hospital said that there are “hospitals in 42 states, 42% said their pets had gained weight during the
quarantine, up from 33% in May.”

Commentary and Analysis:

In this article, I realized that people are not only struggling to pay for their pet's needs but also may not have the
energy to exercise their pets as well. Melissa Marion, a pet owner, talked about how her dogs' harness does not fit her
dog anymore. Marion said, “with everyone at home, baking banana bread and feeding him table scraps, we could
barely strap it on.” A lot of people are struggling with overeating and weight gain during this on-going pandemic, and
many people's pets are going in that same direction.
As for myself, I noticed that I gained a few pounds because there have been many lockdowns and different routines
that I had to get used to. Many other people have this same problem. While some people are taking their dogs for more
walks, some people are isolated at home who are feeding their pets too many snacks and meals, but not giving them
enough exercise.
I can relate because I am home more now than usual with no sports to be attending in the afternoon. I sometimes feed
my dog, Max, when I am feeding myself but let him eat a little of what I have. I do take him for walks or runs every
day. My group and I could give more information to people on pet nutrition or even offer to walk people's pets during
this time to keep them from becoming obese.

MLA Work Cited:

Tergesen, Anne. “Is Your Dog Fat? Blame Covid.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 4 Mar. 2021,
www.wsj.com/articles/covid-pandemic-pets-dogs-cats-gain-weight-11614729385.

This is a reputable and reliable article because the Wall Street Journal has been a trusted name since 1889 for
unparalleled analysis and unique reporting informing decisions that drive the world forward.

Research Log #5 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: 28 February 2021
Name: Joshua Arcayena
Central Question: Can people afford to keep providing for their pets during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic?
Thesis: Although there is a lot of people hurting financially to take care of their pets, many businesses and programs
are willing to help families in need. Therefore, pets can have a better life when being surrendered, given the help
they need or being adopted to a home that is willing to help.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and
who benefits? (Use three sources.)

Excerpts:

Crystal Armioia, from Valley Humane Society, said “as people got sick from the beginning, laid off most of my staff
because they’d come down with one thing or another.”

Nikki Reck, from Pima Animal Care Center, said “the pets that return from foster care are healthier, they’re happier,
they’re in a better mood, they're more playful.” She continues saying that Pima Animal Care Center's goal is to “keep
a pet with the owner that love’s in and out of the shelter we’re going to try and make that happen.”

Angel Ochoa, the pet owner of a dog named Mochi, describes how he would wake up every morning, look at the news,
and realized that everything that is happening is terrible. Then Ochoa described how he felt after rescuing Mochi,
“when we got the dog, I started to look up stuff you could do with a puppy.” In doing that research Ochoa said, “It
really broke up the monotony of how terrible things are now.”

Commentary and Analysis:

This documentary showed me the impact a pet can have on you. Two organizations from Arizona tell us about
how they have not shut down since this pandemic because they care so much about pets, making sure they are in good
health and being treated properly. Angel Ochoa and Sarianna, Mochi's Owners, talked about how adopting their puppy
made such a significant impact on their lives during this time. Mindi Feldstein, Bryce’s owner, described that she
always thought of seeing her dog as just an animal. Felstein then realized that Bryce is a dog but is more than just a pet
in her family. Pets can be an amazing addition to families especially during a time when everyone is stuck at home
together. Pets can bring a family together.
 Fostering or adoption could be hard at first. Pets have emotions just like humans and it can be hard because
animals need to build trust with their owners. People must put in time and love into their pets to start building a
connection with them. Owning a new pet is a companionship that takes time and improvement.
The treatment and feelings toward pets during the COVID-19 pandemic is an interesting look into human
behavior as the pandemic has many difficulties. I hope that many more people help support animal rescue facilities and
how we treat our pets in times of personal crisis. Pets are proving to be unexpected heroes during the pandemic
lockdowns as shown in the documentary.

MLA Work Cited:

Valacich, James, director. Pandemic Pets (Short Documentary). YouTube, YouTube, 1 Mar. 2021,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OGqijJi-ys.

This is a reputable and reliable documentary because it showed the interview of workers of the animal rescue
facilities and interviews of current adoption and foster pet owners.

Research Log #6 - Solutionary Project 2021

Date: 6 March 2021
Name: Joshua Arcayena
Central Question: Can people afford to keep providing for their pets during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic?
Thesis: Although there is a lot of people hurting financially to take care of their pets, many businesses and programs
are willing to help families in need. Therefore, pets can have a better life when being surrendered, given the help
they need or being adopted to a home that is willing to help.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source? #3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do?
(Use one source.)

Excerpts:

According to Animal Care Centers of NYC, “Pet owners who have died of the virus have left behind dogs, guinea pigs
and cats, at least one of which starved to death before anyone had checked the owner’s apartment.”

According to The New York Times, “animal specialists in full-body personal protective gear enter homes to feed, at no
charge, famished pets whose owners are hospitalized with the virus, or to take custody of pets belonging to patients
who do not return home.”

Commentary and Analysis:

New York City is still an ongoing hotspot since the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Coronavirus
took many lives in New York, but it has also affected people’s lives with their loved ones, and even those with pets.
According to Animal Care Centers of NYC, “Pet owners who have died of the virus have left behind dogs, guinea pigs
and cats, at least one of which starved to death before anyone had checked the owner’s apartment.” This is sad, and
something needs to be done.
Globally and in many states, pets are left alone because their owner cannot take care of them anymore for many
reasons. For example, some owners may be stuck in a hospital with no family or friends to contact to check in daily on
their pets. According to The New York Times, “animal specialists in full-body personal protective gear enter homes to
feed, at no charge, famished pets whose owners are hospitalized with the virus, or to take custody of pets belonging to
patients who do not return home.” Although this is a step to help others it sometimes can become too late for pets in
desperate need of care.
I think we can further help pet owners and pets' lives to ask the owner if there is any family or pets at home
that can no longer be taken care of. If there is no family to take care of the pet. I think the owner should give consent to
someone to enter his or her home to attend to the pet before it starves or something else bad happens.

MLA Work Cited:

Nir, Sarah Maslin. “The Pets Left Behind by Covid-19.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 June 2020,
www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/nyregion/coronavirus-pets.html.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it has an editorial staff of 1000 people, the smartest, best writers,
most persistent journalists in the United States