
"Why Puppy Mills Need To Be Stopped," is my Research Question for the upcoming paper. The reason I chose this topic is because of my interest and love of animals. I have grown up with dogs throughout my life. This has fueled my love and compassion for dogs and animals in general which urges me to stand up animals but more specifically puppy mill puppies. This research topic reflects my values because I believe strongly that people who mistreat animals need to be punished. I have always thought this way and I do not think it will ever change, considering I aspire to become a veterinarian. I hope that one day I can change the lives of animals for the better. I do not have personal experience with this topic except for the fact that it keeps me in complete shock that this can still exist today. I hope to gain more insight into the reasons people support or don't support puppy mills through research. 

The first source that I have found is called, "Detailed Discussion of Commercial Breeders and Puppy Mills" which came from Michigan State University. This article is a broad overview of the laws and justice system behind puppy mills. It talks about how the legal system is seriously lacking the authority to punish those who mill puppies. The terms that are used to define what is legal and illegal varies from state to state, which makes things a lot harder to follow through with arresting people. Most states that do have laws against puppy mills have ways that people can get around them. Some laws include making regulations about the space, food, temperatures, and shelters for the dogs, but there are no inspections to check if the owners are following through with these regulations. This allows people to get away with abusing the dogs. For this article the main values and interests it focuses on are getting justice for the puppies that have to live in the horrible conditions that some people provide for them. It serves to show people that even though there are laws that help to protect the puppies, the puppy mill owners can always find ways to get around them because they are not strict enough. This article seems to be very credible; it is from the Michigan State University College of Law. The primary source that they used is also cited which makes it more legitimate. I do not believe that there is much bias in this article because it seems to just be citing facts. There is not much room for the author to put in their opinion. 

 The second source I found is called, "Puppy Mill Closure: The Economic Impact on a Local Community". This article has one main point and that is to prove that puppy mills are not benefitting the local communities around it, but are in fact hurting them. The article describes many examples of when local puppy mills had to be shut down and how big of a toll that had on the surrounding community. It goes into a lot of detail about each case, explaining how expensive it is to remove the puppies and get them healthy again. A strong part of this article is that it includes a section called, "Why So Expensive?" and this is where it goes into detail to describe why it does cost so much money. This provides the reader with the answers to any lingering questions they might have about that aspect of the topic. The major value and interest at stake is the idea that people are not realizing that these puppy mills are hurting the town/community and if the did know, they would not allow them in their community in the first place. This source is credible because it was found on the humanesociety.org, which is a reliable organization. This organization does not have bias because once again, it is just trying to provide the reader with the facts.

The last source I found is called "A Closer Look At Puppy Mills", and was found on the ASPCA website. The main idea of this article is to inform the reader about what happens to the puppies when they are raised in a puppy mill. It includes information about diseases, behavioral problems, and how to avoid purchasing a puppy from a puppy mill. Some people might think that buying a puppy from a puppy mill is helping to save them from their misery but in reality, it is doing the exact opposite. Buying from a place that supports puppy mills is feeding the fire. It shows the people in charge of puppy mills that consumers are still buying these dogs. The only way to have this business shut down is to stop purchasing puppies from places that support such a cause. This article seeks to inform the reader of the horrible things that these puppies are put through when they live on puppy mills. It wants to evoke emotion in the audience so that they are pushed to take action. The credibility of this source is very good because it is from a source that is well known for helping animals in need. This source could be considered bias because it is against puppy mills but, once again, it is just stating facts that support their claim.

This research is not necessarily arguable. It is more that people either have a very strong opinion against puppy mills or they are not informed enough to have an opinion. I have found one source that says that puppy mills are good for the state of Missouri because they bring in revenue, but besides that article, there is nothing else that supports puppy mills. Other people's perspectives do not effect my own because I feel so strongly about this topic. I think that this business needs to be shut down immediately. I might want to revise my research question so that it is more arguable. 

