Blog 14: Independent Component 1

Literal:

     (a) I, Briana Arreaga, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
     (b) I was able to complete my independent component through my mentorship at the Upland Animal Shelter.
     (c) Done
     (d) During my independent component I did the usual routine of checking on the dogs then cleaning anything that need to be done such as dishes, litter pans, and blankets. On occasions I sweep the halls. However I tried to focus more on helping the people that came through the shelter. I was able to show cats and dogs to the people who were interested. I answered all their questions to the best of my abilities; some of the questions they would ask is how big would a certain breed grow, aggression, personality, dog aggression, whether they are house broken or not, costs required to adopt the animal of their choice.

Interpretive:

A little guy that was giving me the puppy eyes to take him out. (I eventually gave in and took him out for a walk)

Near Christmas my shelter takes holiday pictures for owners who have dogs. In the background there is a Christmas tree and the doggies can sit on a bench like the one in the picture. Sometimes the owner/s can choose whether or not they want to join the picture with their pets. After several pictures they can choose which they like the best and have it printed out there and take home a Christmas picture!

A little puppy that was trembling of cold, so I gave him a blanket to help him stay warm.

A sweet pit-bull mix named Balto, was recently adopted but when I went back on Saturday he was being returned. I wish he could find a home already, it is not fair for all of these animals. I gave him some treats to cheer him up a little.

Applied:
     This component helped my understand the foundation of my topic better by allowing me to interact more with the people. Not only was I able to work on my communication skills but I noticed that I had to study a lot in order to answer any question they may ask me. In the beginning I was stumped when a man asked me which one is more aggressive a female pit-bull or a male pit-bull. This component helped me realized that I had to gain more knowledge on dog breeds as well as cat breeds. By knowing this information I would be able to present the animal better to them therefore allowing me to complete an adoption more fluidly.