Monday, May 16, 2016
Monday, May 9, 2016
An Amazing Paper on Animal Over Population; Thanks, Andy!!
Pet
Overpopulation
Andrew Parker
Kaplan University
Pet Overpopulation
We arrived back at my friend’s
house at about 2 am on a Monday morning, our normal 6-hour journey had taken
almost 8-hours because of the snowy weather.
Often we would visit friends in Kansas
City in late January because everyone was so busy over
the holidays it was easier for our friends to celebrate a late holiday with us.
He unpacked and we said goodbye, with a few inches of snow on the ground, I
preferred to drive the gravel roads home the highways tended to be more
slippery. It was not to cold but it was
windy and I was glad I was familiar with the road, because the wind whipped the
snow making it harder to see so I just stayed in the middle and watched for the
light poles and road markers to keep centered.
They were only 3 stop signs on the side roads back to my place, it
normally took 20 minutes, tonight it was going to take longer, I was in no
hurry and had not come this far to have problems. As I neared the second stop sign, I saw the
familiar bus stop on the corner, as I slowly drove past the bus stop I saw what
looked like a big box with something sticking out of the end. I slowly drove past and up the hill and
watched the object in my rear view mirror, curiosity had got the best of me and
when I came to another road I pulled a U turn to go back and check it out.
I parked near the bus stop and walked
over to the box, I thought I heard something and told myself it was probably
just sounds from the wind. It appeared
to be a metal or plastic crate sticking out of the back of the box, it was
jammed so I yanked hard on the crate while trying to hold the box, it came
loose and needless to say I was lucky not to end up at the bottom of a
ditch. It was wrapped in what looked
like a plastic sheet with a blanket or rug under the plastic, I removed the
ropes that held it in place and heard what I thought were little barks. In the sparse light of the streetlamp I saw
at least 4 little faces and more commotion within, I grabbed the handles and
pulled it over to my car. Raised my
trunk and grabbed a flashlight, 6 puppies in total, kind of looked like little
shepherds, but I was not sure. They were shivering a bit but looked no worse
for wear, there was some dog food and two empty bowls in the bottom of the
crate so I grabbed the blanket and plastic and put it over my backseat and
grabbed 2 or 3 pups at a time and put them in the car. Driving back was pretty strange realizing I
had 6 puppies with me, the only thing I could think was someone abandoned them
there knowing that kids would be coming to the bus stop that morning for school
and would find the pups. As a Dog owner
and animal lover this left a lasting impression on me, my dog at home was in
for quite a surprise. I did keep one
male and my friend I traveled with took a puppy and he was able to get rid of
one other to friends. I was so touched I
would have kept them all if it was possible.
Based on my experience I strongly believe: A free
spay/neuter program should be provided to all pet owners, the goal is to
decrease the amount of unwanted births and raise the animal’s quality of life
and reduce costs for all in the community.
The
focus will be in three main areas, controlling and regulating the population,
increasing quality of life for the animal, and reducing costs for all. #1
Controlling
and regulating the massive numbers of unwanted and abandoned animals
and reducing the amount of unplanned births.
The sheer amount of animals far exceeds the ability to properly care for
them and provide them with a good quality of life. The real problem is supply and demand, it is
a numbers game that the animals are sorely losing, The American Humane
Association, previously the American Humane Society states: “Animal shelters
both public and private, are faced with an incredible burden: What to do with
the overpopulation of dogs and cats that they cannot find homes for.” (AHA,
2013). Approximately 3 million animals a
year are destroyed because of the lack of proper homes and the space and
resources to properly house and care for the animals. ASPCA figures show animal homelessness is a
serious issue, “Each year almost 7.6 million animals enter animal shelters
nationwide and nearly 3 million don’t make it out”. (ASPCA, 2016). They also state: “Only 10% of animals who
enter shelters are spayed or neutered.” (ASPACA, 2016.) This seems like an awfully low number based
on the sheer amounts of animals that are abandoned or stuck in the shelter
system as a last resort for a good life.
#2 Increasing
life quality for animals should be the priority of any health related
program, the large amount of suffering that the animals experience could be
greatly reduced. There are also many
health benefits pets of both sexes can acquire through proper sterilization and
also more control for pet owners and less stray pets causing a nuisance in
public. Both
females and males benefit from being sterilizes, less hormones effect both
sexes and make them easier to control, can also reduce marking and spraying and
can lessen aggressiveness. It can
provide your pets, cats or dogs, a healthier, longer life with reductions in
some cancer and other infections. Three main
reasons to Spay/Neuter: Reducing the
huge overpopulation of dogs and cats, millions of unwanted animals, there just
is not enough homes for these animals, Spay/Neuter
can increase the quality and length of your pet’s life, Sterilizing your pets will make them
easier to control and reduce the problems caused by running free. The goal is to reduce the suffering of dogs
and cats by reducing the sheer number of unwanted animals. Many dogs and cats are destroyed yearly
because of the lack of good owners and proper homes for them, it is strictly a
numbers game and the animals are sadly losing.
#3
Reducing
costs for the pet
owners and the community, also saving time and resources for families, local
pet health centers and city or county shelters and services. I believe by reducing the massive number of
animals that it would save money for owners by reducing problems related to
health and reproduction cycles and the better control the hormones at work on
both sides. The animal would be less
likely to wander and be injured or impounded or impregnated, better control
means less vet bills, less fines and fewer hours spent searching and desperate
to find your pet. It would reduce the
need for more shelters and city and county services and the great amount of
labor hours spent feeding, housing and caring for all the animals. And all the hours spent by animal control and
public and private volunteer agencies that provide some options for these desperate
pets. The ASPCA states, “A key to getting funding for spay/neuter programs from
sources such as city councils, county general funds, health departments, and
other government entities is meeting these agencies' needs and speaking
their "language." “By this we mean addressing issues that
concern these public organizations, such as: Cost savings to departments and taxpayers, Reducing animal-related
complaint calls to police and animal control, increasing Public safety and
health” (ASPCA, n.d.).
Certainly all pet owners have rights and
no one wants to force more laws and taxes on a public that is already
overregulated. It is an ethical choice
that we make as humans to help and assist these companion animals who cannot
help themselves. Reducing the vast
number of animals would reduce cruelty from abandonment, puppy and animal mills
and animal hoarding. The author states, "Pet
overpopulation is largely due to the infrequency of spaying and neutering done
by pet owners. When a cat or dog is not spayed or neutered, the number
of offspring it can produce is astonishing. According to ASPCA statistics,
a fertile dog produces a litter of 4 to 6 puppies on average, while a fertile
cat produces 1 to 2 litters of 4
to 6 kittens per year. (Torbett, 2014).
We certainly cannot stop all unwanted dogs and cats from being born or
eliminate all cruelty to our companion animals, but we need to be
proactive. To persuade people to realize
by simply having our animals sterilized we can all do our part, small as it may
be, to help reduce the vast numbers of animals and increase both the quality of
life for the animals and the people of the community.
References
ASPCA
(2016) http://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-
statistics (Retrieved April 21, 2016)
ASPCA. (n.d.). Cost Savings
from Publicly Funded Spay/Neuter Programs. Retrieved April 22,
2016, from
http://www.aspcapro.org/resource/spay-neuter-outreach-promotion-public-
funding-
starting-program/cost-savings-publicly-funded
Spaying
/ Neutering. (2013). Retrieved April 22, 2016, from
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care
Torbett,
E. (2014). "Spaying, neutering necessary for pets",
ProQuest Education Journal.
Kaplan Library, Publication: The
Daily Athenaeum, West
Virginia University,
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
New: An Informative Student Paper on Work Place Violence
Reducing
the Hazards of Workplace Violence
Andrea
Haferbier
Kaplan University
Reducing the Hazards of Workplace
Violence
Each
year there are over two million people who fall victim to workplace violence in
the United States.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries, of the 4,679 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in the United States
in 2014, there were 749 workplace homicides (United
States Department of Labor, 2015). Any act or threat of intimidation,
physical violence, harassment, or other threatening or disruptive behavior that
happens at a place of business is considered to be workplace violence (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, n.d.).
Workplace violence can strike anywhere and can happen to anyone. Even the most
respectful environment could experience incidents of workplace violence. It is
naive to think that it will not happen within our business. What policies and
procedures do we have in place to protect ourselves and our employees from
workplace violence? What would we do if an instance of workplace violence were
to occur at PFC? In my opinion, this is very worrisome especially given the
fact that Iowa
allows registered gun owners to conceal and carry weapons. The possibility that
any one of our employees could be carrying a concealed weapon at work is very
unsettling. Without posted signs and a specific policy in place which prohibits
carrying a weapon on our property, we are not taking a proactive stance towards
reducing the hazards of workplace violence. As a company, it is our responsibility to establish a
workplace violence policy and prevention program to ensure the safety of our
employees. In addition to establishing a zero tolerance policy for workplace
violence, it is also important to assemble an Emergency Management Team to
manage annual training, drills, and implementation of the program.
According to Corporal Cory Determan,
the type of workplace violence which is responsible for the majority of fatal
injuries is violence by strangers, which accounts for 75-90% of all workplace
violence occurrences. The stranger
enters the business with the intention of robbing it or conducting some other
criminal act and something goes wrong, leading him to act even more
irrationally (Determan, 2016).
Another
type of workplace violence is violence by customers or clients. The assailant
may be a current or former customer or client. In this instance, the violence
could be due to project delays, reporting issues, or even the disgruntled
consumer who is not receiving her rebate because the requirements were not met.
Violence
by coworkers is also a type of workplace violence. In this instance, the
employee may be experiencing psychological problems or suffering from family
stress. She could also be seeking revenge because she feels that she has been
treated unfairly, didn’t receive the raise or promotion that she thought that
they deserved, or because of criticism that she received regarding her
performance (Bruce & Nowlin, 2011).
The
last type of workplace violence is violence by personal relations. These
relationships could include a current or former spouse, lover, friend,
relative, or acquaintance. In instances like this the assailant will confront
the employee that they have had a personal relationship with, often being
motivated by difficulties in the relationship.
As
the illustrations have shown, there are many situations that could lead to
workplace violence by a coworker. It is imperative to be aware of the warning
signs. If any questionable behavior is exhibited, we must respond in an
empathetic, caring, and considerate manner while providing the employee with
the help required.
Corporal Cory Determan came to PFC
on March, 28 2016 to provide an assessment of our facility and conduct a
presentation with departmental managers in regards to an Active Shooter
situation. Corporal Determan is employed with the Camanche, Iowa
police department and provides active shooter training to each school within Clinton County. During the presentation we
watched the FBI video called “Run, Hide, Fight” and we also watched excerpts
from the Columbine
School shooting video.
The Columbine video was very disconcerting; however, Corporal Determan stated
that he includes this film in the training materials because he feels that it
is very important to understand that no matter how much training or preparation
a person has gone through, an active shooter situation is unpredictable. Each
person will handle the situation differently, often not as planned or as trained.
During
the presentation, he explained the
A.L.I.C.E. initiative. The acronym A.L.I.C.E. stands for alert, lockdown,
inform, counter, and evacuate. A.L.I.C.E. was first implemented after the 2012
shooting that occurred at Sandy
Hook Elementary School.
A.L.I.C.E. is now used as a training tool to inform and prepare individuals on
how to safely and effectively respond to an active shooter situation. The
A.L.I.C.E. initiative is an enhanced response to violent intruders and armed
aggressors and has been endorsed by the US Department of Education, US
Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret
Service, and many others in the private sector. The A.L.I.C.E. initiative
empowers staff to make decisions based upon the information available at their
immediate disposal, their personal abilities, and the number of employees in
their department. A.L.I.C.E. provides options for staff to think
unconventionally while creating a disadvantage for the aggressor and by helping
to ensure that the aggressor cannot predict a response. Each of these factors
enhance the chances of survival (Determan, 2016).
Once
a zero tolerance policy and prevention program against workplace violence has
been established, Corporal Determan will return to help provide training for
each employee. When employee training has been completed we will begin
preparing employees by creating live scenarios while practicing evacuation
procedures. Corporal Determan stated that by completing the live training it
will help to prepare employees for a variety of situations. After each
scenario, he will provide his feedback in regards to how employees handled
themselves. This feedback will provide the Emergency Management Team with
insight of areas that require improvement.
Developing
and implementing a workplace violence policy and prevention program sounds like
a rather large undertaking; however, with proper research and training we will be
able to create a comprehensive policy which includes all emergency procedures.
The top priority in developing and implementing the workplace violence policy
and prevention and program should be to establish a procedure for documenting
incidents of violence. All employees should be trained in this procedure and
feel empowered to report any concerns, incidents, or conduct that violate the
policy. Employees who file legitimate reports should not be subject to any
adverse action or retaliation under any circumstance. Implementation of the
reporting procedure, prevention strategies, and the policy should be provided
to all employees throughout the company. Another important factor is to
assemble an Emergency Management Team which should include a representative
from Human Resources as well as each of the department managers. The goal for
the Emergency Management Team will be to train annually in workplace violence
strategies and prevention, train PFC staff annually, conduct drills twice a
year which include evacuation and lockdown procedures, serve as the go-to team
for any staff member experiencing any form of workplace violence, assist staff
to safety in case of emergency, and serve as first responders in the event of
an emergency.
A
common misconception as it relates to disaster situations is that “one size
fits all”. This is far from the truth as each situation requires different
handling methods. The documented policy should clearly state that we maintain a
zero-tolerance for workplace violence of any kind. It should also clearly
define the disciplinary action that will be taken if an employee were to engage
in any conduct that violates the policy, emergency procedures, evacuation
procedures, and lockdown procedures. It should also direct how the Emergency
Management Team is to be assembled, who is responsible for immediate care, and
employee counseling. After all
documentation has been written and shared with employees, training sessions
should be scheduled, followed by implementation. By taking a proactive stance towards reducing
the hazards of workplace violence it shows that we are committed to maintaining
a safe, healthful, and efficient working environment where employees, visitors,
contractors, clients, and on-site vendors are free from the threat of workplace
violence.
References
Bruce, M. D., & Nowlin, W. A. (2011). Workplace Violence:
Awareness, Prevention, and Response. Public Personnel Management,
293-308.
Determan, C. C. (2016, March 28). Active Shooter Training.
(PFC, Interviewer)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Safety
And Health Topics - workplace violence. Retrieved from Occupational Safety
and Health Administration:
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/index.html
United States Department of Labor. (2015, September 17). Bureau
Of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from United States Department Of Labor Web
Site: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm#2014
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