To: English 1311 Students
From: Juan M. Rodriguez
Date: September 10, 2010
Subject: The Humane Society of El Paso
There are hundreds of animals in El Paso that have been abandoned on the streets, leaving them stray and without a home. We are all witness with encountering at least one stray dog or cat, whether we are driving through our neighborhood or entering a supermarket. It is sad to know that most of these animals were once loved, once had a home…once had an owner that cared for them. Unfortunately, the verdict for most stray dogs and cats is death….either from starvation, hit-and-run drivers, or disease and sicknesses. Our community has to realize that it is despicable to have a lot of animals without shelter or care. We must also understand that our morals must take action and help our animals of the world. Furthermore, every animal has the right to be adopted from people that are considerate and mature enough to handle the responsibilities of a pet.
The Humane Society of El Paso, or the (HSEP), portrays devotion and care to stray animals that can have the chance to be loved, or loved once again. Their main priority is to not leave any animal left in the streets; therefore, they take any dog or cat, despite the condition that they are in. Whether one is too skinny or has a limping leg, this agency gives the time and care to nurture any animal that is in need of aid. Here, veterinary and kennel technicians dedicate to stop the neglect, the abuse, the cruelty to animals and commit in preparing these animals for adoption. This animal shelter is open 7 days a week: Monday thru Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday thru Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This gives an advantage to an eager pet adopter by going at a reasonable time throughout the week. They are located in the Northeast right on 4991 Fred Wilson. Once a guest enters the animal shelter, they take notice that every animal is placed in clean cages, with identification cards stating the sex, age, shots received and history of the animal. An animal in this shelter receives their vaccination according to their age. This benefits its health because one animal could have heartworms or feline leukemia, therefore, decreasing the possibility of having these diseases. Before any of the adoption process begins, these animals must get spayed or neutered. Yes, to some people, this may seem cruel to do these types of procedures to animals. However, it is best for our community and for the animals themselves. This will reduce the overpopulation of stray dogs and cats, meaning that the suffering of many animals will decrease. A person could also become a foster parent, where they open their home to sick animals and care for them for certain of time. According to their president, Flo Buchmueller, The Humane Society of El Paso strictly promotes the stop of animal cruelty and responsible pet ownership. Therefore, this agency not only provides aid to animals but they also offer what they call Humane Education. These are presentations for kids and adults, where one will learn to be benevolent and more compassionate to animals. This Humane Education is divided into age groups, which gives the opportunity for anybody to attend these presentations. Topics for these classes range from bite prevention from your pets to spaying and neutering information. The Humane Society is also in connection with every veterinarian in El Paso, from the lower valley to the west side of town. These veterinarians are like resources to this agency, meaning that they work together and follow the same mission statement of stopping animal cruelty and enforce the importance of pet ownership.
Keeping in contact with the community is a vital importance for the Humane Society of El Paso. From flyers to ads on the newspaper, the Humane Society does anything to support what they believe in, and guarantees that it will substantially benefit our community. One way of communicating to society is the commercials on TV. Yes, we are all victims of watching one of those commercials that show slow-motion pictures of pets that survived animal abuse and other eager animals waiting to be adopted by someone. A good use of pathos is depicted through these commercials because every TV watcher stops and sighs to these adorable videos of these animals. Another main genre that the Humane Society uses is their website. Nowadays, everybody is online via the internet; therefore, one could even adopt a pet by going to their website and pick one of the animals through every animal profile that they have. Registration forms are also available for the people who are interested in becoming foster parents or volunteers for the animals. The Humane Society of El Paso also has a facebook, MySpace and twitter profiles for the people that obtain these social networks. They also have events for the community, like Dog Swim day and a Benefit Art Sale. They have other types of events where this agency brings animals ready for adoption, like the Mission Chevrolet Off-Site Adoption event. A certain amount of sponsors help the Humane Society of El Paso, especially KVIA (ABC 7). Any news watcher could receive more information by going to KVIA’s website, where it could also show you events that have ABC 7 and HSEP linked together. Lastly, one could always go to the actual shelter located at 4991 Fred Wilson, where one could get as much information as possible about this agency. What get most people’s attention are the actual pictures and videos of the animals from these genres, giving the audience an urge to visit the animal shelter or get involved with their activities. Their utilization of genres will thus alleviate their chance for their message of stopping animal abuse to be revealed.
In conclusion, the Humane Society of El Paso beholds the qualities of taking care of stray animals, and animals that survived neglect and abuse. Our community must understand how it is important to eliminate animal abuse and reconstruct the responsibilities of pet ownership from society.
