Culminating Blog Reflection

          Over the course of my capstone project, I have learned a lot about dogs in general and how the environment effects them. Visiting a senior rescue dog center has changed my perspective on dogs and what i want to pursue in the future. My communications stills have improved over this semester with talking to adults to friendly neighbors around Muttville. It has been a roller-coaster with working along with senior dogs  because when i go in every week, i don't know what to expect.  Collaborating with senior dogs and other volunteers made up most of my Capstone project. My mentor leaded me along the way and taught me different tasks to accomplish everyday. I was thrilled to complete all of the tasks she told me to do and achieving it was the greatest the part. Completing all aspects of the capstone project was a big accomplishment for me and I have gained an unbelievable experience along the way.
          I have gained an insight on what i may want to pursue in the future. Personally, I was in love with the thought of taking care of dogs and all but after the capstone project, i feel that it takes a lot of work to take care of one. Although I am more focused on environmental issues, i feel that the animal field is more of what i am passionate about. Learning about the behavior of these animals makes me want to explore more on how they act and how we could improve their behavior. Socially, i learned that it takes more than just talking to animals, it's more of relating to them and how you act upon them. There has been many tasks that i was uncomfortable with doing, but i managed to succeed in accomplishing it. Intellectually, it was a great experience with the senior dogs and the bond that i have with them grew closer and closer. I never expected that these dogs could be so collaborative and loving. Because of their background and what they've been through i learned about each and every dog individually.
          One of the challenges that i have encountered was feeding the dogs with my own bare hands. I am hygrophobia  which means i am disgusted with anything that has to do with liquids of moisture. It was one of the day where i volunteered and my mentor needed help with feeding because there were more dogs than usual and i had to overcome my fear. I took the chicken dog food and put my hands out to feed a dog and it just kept licking my hand until the food was gone. Of course i was shivering after but then again after a little while i got over it and continued to feed them. The toughest situation that i went through with a dog was then i took it out for a walk and it got out of the leash. The very moment it ran off and hid under the car, i felt that my job at volunteering was over and it was all my fault. Critical thinking was used when i was getting the dog to come out of under the car. I thought of using treats and hooking on the leash with a hook that i brought with me. Muttville helped me overcome my fears and achieving challenges that i didn't expect i would do. I am proud of myself for all of the work that I've done for me senior capstone project.

Capstone Project: Day 11

Time spent: 4 hours
Total time: 29 hours

Today at Muttville, there were several dogs that were new. Most of them were friendly, but some were very nervous and always barking at each other when they didn't know what was going on. I noticed that the dogs always seek for attention and want them from volunteers, or just people in general. The minute i walked in, all of the dogs would come running to you and they're panting and jumping on you like they've known you for the longest time. I had a lot of duties today that required walking dogs, putting in laundry, folding laundry, finding harness for the dogs, feeding, and washing them. Going to Muttville makes me realize that these senior dogs that were abandoned are just regular dogs and they've been through so much. The conditions of these dogs are not bad but most of them has some sort of health issue or physically, they've been hurt. A poodle named Lucy, that i spend half of my day with didn't have a left eye. Other dogs have 2 eyes but this one wasn't the same as the others. Surprisingly, Lucy is more active and actually knows more than the other dogs. It was an interesting day playing with these dogs and also feeding them. Washing a dog is the hardest part because all they do is want to do is run out of the tub or keep moving. Next time i volunteer, i want to actually was a dog that is calm, learn more about each dog, and also make them feel like home. Also, I want to learn more about the health issues of these dogs, and see what I could do to help them recover from their past.

Capstone Project: Day 10

Time spent: 2 hours
Total time: 25 hours

Today at Muttville, I feel in love with Connor, an Eskimo mix who is at least 10 years old. Out of all of the days that i have been volunteering here, I able to spend quality time with individual dogs. Because there were only a few dogs today, it was easy spending time with them but Connor was the one dog that I couldn't put down. It wasn't the lightest dog to carry but it was a peaceful and loving dog that is very sweet. My day at Muttvile consisted of walking Connor and Colby, a Labrador retriever. Other than spending time with Connor, I was able to learn about the dogs that have been abandoned by previous owner or found on streets. A Pomeranian name Prince was found on the side of a freeway spray painted purple. Not only was it abused but it was also set on fire or fire crackers on the back. You could see only skin on the back of the dog and still some purple around the paws that couldn't be washed off fully. I felt bad for the Prince because how could someone just do that to a dog and just abandon it like that. But due to the trauma he had, Prince had to stay in a room, away from the other dogs to calm down and I couldn't play with it. After, I went to the laundry room to load up batches of blankets to wash and dry. It was my job to fold all of the laundry and take it back to the storage room to stock on the clean laundry.The next time i volunteer, i want to see how Prince is doing and work with other dogs that have been through a lot. And also to hopefully help them feel like they're home and in a safe place.

Theme in 1984

A theme in 1984 is "Too much authority causes people to revolt, too little causes chaos". This theme exists because it causes the up rise of Winston trying to rebel against authority and he is revolting against it. ”He had given a quick glance up and down the street and then had slipped inside and bought the book for two dollars fifty. At the time he was not conscious of wanting it for any particular purpose. He had carried it guiltily home in his briefcase." This shows the theme because Winston enjoys small acts of rebellion to begin with, as he frequents ordinary shops in the parole district and purchases items from the past. The second quotation, “And what he wanted, more even than to be loved, was to break down that wall of virtue, even if it were only once in his whole life. The sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion. Desire was thought crime”. This quotation is basically stating that Winston views sex as an essentially politically rebellious act. The authority that is being used in 1984 reflects on how the actions of Winston and Julia take, causing them to revolt and too little to cause chaos is nothing is being done. 

Capstone Project: Day 9

Time spent: 4 hours 

Total time: 23 hours

Today at Muttville, there were so many dogs with different sizes and all very excited. The first thing that i notice when i see the dogs are the conditions that they're in. For instance, there was one dog named Gigi, a spaniel mix has a huge cut on the face, reason of that is because she was found on the side of the road. And also a Pomeranian Mia, only has one eye and i wasn't able to find out the reason behind it. But of all the dogs, they're not in the best condition. I walked Kevin, a Dachshund and all it wanted to do was play with the rubber light bulb. I have never played with a dog at Muttville that is so obedient and energetic. Usually the most energy that i get from a dog is the minute i walk in and when a dog wants attention. But Kevin was different, all he wanted was to play fetch with the toy and run back to you after. Kevin might be the sweetest dog but when it came to playing with the other dogs, he wasn't the nicest. Majority of the day, i had to split him with up with the rest of the dogs because he kept barking and starting fights with the others. At around 5, it was dinner time with the dogs and i got to feed the dogs and split up the dogs by what they eat. Lisa, the one who is in charge of Muttville that day taught me how to was a dog. It was very interesting watching it because i always wondered how to and the outcome of washing the dog was seeing the dirty water and how much dogs don't like being washed. It took a lot of work, from warming the water up, to rinsing the dog, putting shampoo, cleaning, then taking it to the fan room and then brushing it till it was dry. I look forward to learning more about the dogs health next time i go there and meeting the veterinarian that is in charge every Saturday. 

Capstone Project: Day 8

Time spent: 3 Hours
Total time: 19 Hours

Today at Muttville, there were a lot of new dogs that were mostly small and medium sized. The loft that the dogs are in is starting to change because many supplies have been brought in and also the layout of the loft looks different from the first time i went there. I feel that every time i go to Muttville, i get attached to a dog easily and I have one dog in particular that i spend my hours with. Blarney is a terrier mix that is 14 years old. He is such a sweet and welcoming dog, I walked in and Blarney ran to me and started jumping and whimpering when he saw me. I automatically knew that this was the dog that i had to take for a walk and get to know more. Blarney is a fast runner and likes to keep at a steady pace when he walks. It wasn't as difficult as walking this other dogs because he doesn't tug or walk really slow. After walking Blarney I washed the water bowls and refilled them with clean water. There is a room full of harness's that needs to be sorted out so i spend a rough 30 minutes sorting it out. Lastly, i went down to the laundry room, took out the clean blankets and loaded another batch of blankets. Muttville only gets the laundry room on Wednesday because they share it with the Family rescue dog center and the ASPCA. I look forward to learning more about the adoption part of Muttville and seeing more dogs come in. It is fascinating to learn about the history of the dogs, so I would like to learn more about the background of a dog next time. 

Capstone Project: Day 7

Time spent: 3 Hr 15 min
Total time:  16 Hours

It has been over a week since I have visited Muttville. When to Muttville on Wednesday and yesterday as well to visit the dogs. On Wednesday, there were so many dogs that you couldn't even walk around the place without being licked or jumped on by the dogs. Usually, more dogs mean that we have more cleaning and walking to do. It was interesting to see that a lot of dogs were just neutered or just came back from being shaved down. It makes me sad sometimes when i see a dog with stitches on  the bottom of the stomach and the dogs with cones around the neck so that they can't lick themselves after the surgery. Dogs like that can't be carried or touched because they are in a fragile stage and it isn't comfortable for them to be held around with. I walked a dog named Maxwell and I can say that this is the most obedient, caring, and sweetest dog that i ever encountered. Putting on a harness was so easy and Maxwell stood still, even when other dogs were barking and calling for attention, he didn't seem to mind. Taking Maxwell on walks along Alabama street was wonderful, he is indeed friendly and such a good dog overall. I had a great time walking Maxwell and taking care of it the whole day. After walking dogs, I went to an cleaned the dog bowls that were just fed to the dogs for dinner time. Changing the water of the mop is part of out duty too and it is part of the Muttville volunteering process to do so.

Welcome to Oceania.

In the land of Oceania, where it was once called England is now run by a totalitarian government. What seems to be Winston Smith's biggest conflict so far is the telescreen, which is always showing propaganda while the Thought Police monitor actions of the citizens. It is the fact that he is an insignificant official in the party and he is consistently being watched and what is conflicting him is that he can't write in his journal feeling safe. He is just a normal man who wants to write down his feelings into a diary that he just purchased. Writing down the words, "Down with Big Brother"over and over in his journal, he soon realized that he just committed a thought-crime.  This affects the way Winston expresses himself and how he thinks because he is being watched while he is committing a crime. It may be scary and a bit risky, but rebellious towards his hatred with the party oppression. Lastly, the dream that Winston had about being with his mom on a sinking ship, which he feels that it is his fault for his mother's disappearance in a political purge that happened twenty years ago. And then another dream about a rebellious girl that runs to Winston which is an act of freedom. His conflict is that the dreams, the notebook, and the telescreen, is ways the government works that bothers Winston and his own beliefs. The fact that he can't do certain things without being watched or told to do, makes him want to believe that freedom is possible and he could dream about what could, would or will happen.

Stranger Than Fiction

       What it means to be an author and narrator is simple. Authors tend to speak as if the story has already happened and factors of what happened along with the story and is one who writes the story. A narrator is the one who is telling the story as a third person and understands everything that is going on, and is the voice of the story. The differences that i see between these those two is that one is the one who writes the story and the other is the third person who sees what is going on. For example, Caroline was the one who is writing the book. She doesn't know that she is narrating Harold's life which is the difference.
       The role that i played in writing my research paper was how i didn't tell a story but state facts about it. I narrated it by the way the research platform that i created myself. I didn't include anything about my life and my experiences to the paper but i talked about the different effects that would happen. Yes i gave information about the expense that would happen to a group of people if a change didn't occur. It did make a big impact to the people that will read it because it influences them as well and it isn't just a problem, it is an issue that needs to be solved immediately.

Capstone Project: Day 6

Time spent: 3 hours
Total time: 15 hr and 45 min

Today at Muttville, there were not many dogs. Strangely, there were only the small breed dogs and no medium sized dogs or anything. It was a very peaceful day but we managed to take all of the dogs out for a walk and surprisingly all of the dogs were in a mood for a walk and didn't stop. Now that Muttville was not as occupied, we were able to clean most of the areas of where the dogs lived and also find the right size harness for dogs. Because when these dogs are adopted or fostered, they will need the right size for the dog they are taking home and it is more convenient to send home a dog with the right harness and supplies to taker care of a dog. Today was more of a clean up day because i spent majority of time time in the kitchen watching all of the water bowls in hot water and the dishes from cooking the food. I wasn't able to interact with dogs as much as I did from my previous visits but it was a fun experience. What i found pretty interested was how one Pomeranian wasn't neutered and the other dogs would keep bothering it because there was something interesting going on apparently and it had a distinct smell to it. Also, the Pomeranian/terrier mix that i was playing with was around 12 years old and i noticed that the breath wasn't the best smelling thing. Apparently one of the volunteers pointed out that when dogs get to a certain age, their teeth rot and it starts to smell, so you would need to have it taken to the vet to have it cleaned. Overall, I had a fun and interesting day at Mutville, but i hope that there could be more dogs, not that i don't want them to be adopted or anything but it would be nice to have more dogs for the others to play with.

Capstone Project: Day 5

Time spent: 2 Hours
Total time: 12 hr 45 min

On Saturday, Muttville was hosting a Senior Rescue dog event where dogs were being adopted and fostered. By the time I arrived, I was just helping to clean out the left over food and setting everything back in place. The place was pretty hectic, dogs were barking and whining. So I decided to take one of the dogs, Arnie, a Pomeranian. The moment we stepped out of the room and to the stairs, i noticed that Arnie didn't want to leave the doggy loft. I was tugging the leash a little but he stood there and had its feed glued to the ground. The only was was to carry him down and out to Alabama street. I put down Arnie when we got out of the building and it walked a few steps, then instantly ran back to front entrance of Muttville. So, I carried Arnie half a block and put it down, it made its way back to the entrance. This shows that the dog didn't want to leave the home that it's been situated in. Because Arnie had a rough past and wasn't sheltered, it was important to him that he knew his way back home and didn't want to leave it. Even though it was frustrating to walk Arnie, I learned a lot about this dog and in general, the feelings of a dog. They don't want to be separated from home they they're finally comfortable with and they will know its' way back home. When we got back to Muttville, there were two new dogs that were new and the founder of Muttville, Sherri that was there also. We helped name the two new senior dogs and welcomed them to the family.

Capstone Project: Day 4

Time Spent: 1 hr 45 min
Total Time: 10 hr 45 min

Today at Muttville I have seen many unfamiliar faces. I feel that every time I volunteer, there are always different types of dogs coming in and out. For example, there were only about seven dogs today and before there were more than 10 the last time I was there. I noticed that there was one black Labrador that was very old looking but had a lot of enthusiasm and was always seeking for attention. It was funny because all of the other dogs were busy doing their own thing but this lab was the oldest one of them all. Proves that no matter what age a dog is, it is still the same as a younger dog in the inside. There are different conditions with each dog. One Pomeranian was told that he couldn't be carried by the stomach but only the chest due to stomach issues. It was difficult having to balance between different dogs and what I have to be aware of.  I walked about 3 dogs today and  the small dogs tend to walk on their own pace and the German Shepard likes to walk in a fast speed. Not all dogs are the same but these dogs can't control the way they are and it is depressing to know that they are abandoned dogs. Because of the way they were left leaves them to the way they are now.

Capstone Project: Day 1,2,3

Time Spent: 3 Hours 

Total time: 9 Hours 

This is the third time that I have been volunteering at Mutville, Senior Rescue Dog center but my first time blogging. The first time walking in to the building, there were gates and doors to be sure that dogs get in one by one safely. Caroline is the lady that introduced me to all of the dogs and how the whole building works. It is very interesting to know that most of the food and supplies were either donated or sponsored by local companies. It was scary at first when you see the dogs because they're not just normal aged dogs, they're seven years and older which means that I have to nourish them more and each dog has different needs. The very first task was feeding the dogs their home cooked food by had because some dogs don't just like eating their own plate of food but it is best feeding dogs when they don't seen like they want to eat. The dogs wanted attention they sometimes tend to act like humans. These dogs aren't just regular dogs, I noticed that each individual dog has their own story. They were either abandoned by their owners or found on the streets. One dog sunshine, likes to cry, howl and whimper a lot. We don't know what the cause is but even if you're next to her, she still does the same. I learned about each dog through my three hours of volunteering and I spent a great amount of time with them, hoping to make them feel like home.