Drafts

Imagine a world without man’s best friend by your side, without the warm welcome wag and a sloppy kiss every time you walk through the door.  The happiness brought to this world by our canine friends will vanish if we sit back and allow this devastating retrovirus to diminish the world’s dog population.  With our meager supply of vaccine, we are able to save one mother and her litter of puppies. It would be nearly impossible for me to choose just one breed, but with a limited amount of vaccine, I would choose the Labrador Retriever.

The Labrador is the one the most intelligent breeds on dogs on the planet. Their good temperament and ability to learn quickly has proved them to be extremely versatile dogs. They have an incredible sense of smell, and throughout history have been used for hunting and tracking. Labradors are also known to have the largest litters among any other breed, lending the vaccinated pregnant mother the highest chance to produce the most puppies.

A world without the presence of dogs is a scary thought. Having spent the last twelve years of my life with a black lab, their sweet and loving temperament is evident to me. While I have spent time with many other breeds of dogs, none are quite like the Labrador. While my family has chosen the Labrador as our companion and best friend, many others have done the same for their shining qualities and lovable spirit. Chosen by the disabled for their utility as a service dog, and chosen by hunters for their adept sense of smell, and chosen by police for their prowess in detection, I can confidently say I’m not alone in choosing the Labrador given a dire situation where only one breed could be saved.

Even though Labradors have proved their worth to the world through their ability to help mankind, their steady temperament cannot be understated. A world without dogs is one in which I never hope to imagine, but with the ability to save one breed it would have to be the kindest, sweetest, and most caring breed around. Whether I am sick, tired, or lonely, my black lab Maddie has always been by my side, looking after me. Only being able to choose one breed to save is a devastating decision, but I am certain that my life would not be the same without my Lab, and I wouldn’t want others to not have the chance to miss out on one of the most lovable and loyal breeds around due to the new retrovirus.

It would make sense to vaccinate golden retrievers because they are one of the most common household breeds. They are easy to train and always compatible with strangers. Golden retrievers have a great sense of safety, and always protect their owners. For example, some golden retrievers notice when humans need help when swimming and jump in after them to save them from drowning. Their protective and intelligent qualities make them a smart breed to vaccinate to benefit this planet. Additionally, golden retrievers usually have litter sizes ranging from four to twelve puppies. As they are great breeders, the population size of these dogs would flourish due to reproduction.

            While it is unfortunate that dog breeds are being wiped out due to a retrovirus, it is important to distinguish reasons to save one breed over another. The great qualities and characteristics of golden retrievers makes them a great choice to vaccinate. 

Under the assumption that only one pregnant dog and her puppies of a specific breed can be saved from the retrovirus, the ideal candidate would be the Siberian Husky. A loyal and loving breed, that has the capacity for utility. As someone who studies biology and knows a good amount about canines, I believe Huskies are an excellent candidate.

Huskies are a breed that is most closely related to their ancestor and therefore would be the best choice for the repopulation. This is because it would allow for a similar genetic divergence overtime. After many years, the diversity of dog breeds that was available would have the potential to return to what it once was. Furthermore, Huskies are not only friendly dogs, but they also can serve a purpose. They traditionally are known as a working breed because they can pull sleds carrying goods and people in places that do not have roads. Running long distances is an easy feat for a Husky and gives them a purpose beyond being a loving companion. This shows that they are a dependable and capable breed.

Of all of the breeds of dogs that I have interacted with, Huskies have stood out to me. They are extremely well-mannered and reserved. They emit a sense of pride in the way that they hold themselves, yet display real affection for their owner. Since they are a dog that traditionally lives in a pack, they are well equipped to live with humans and become a member of their pack. In addition, their thick coat of fur allows for them to live in a wide variety of environments; many environments that other domesticated dogs could not survive in. With all of these things in mind, I believe that Huskies would be an excellent candidate to save from the devastating retrovirus.

Cite: https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/siberian-husky/

The species that should be saved is the golden retriever. This is because the golden retriever is the one of the best dog breeds out there due to its nice fur and usefulness in disability patients, along with other benefits. According to AKC.org, The American Kennel Club, golden retrievers are “friendly, intelligent, and devoted”. It is famous for its dense golden fur, which everyone loves to pet. In addition to these benefits, golden retrievers are one of the healthiest dogs, and can survive various health crisis (if saved by the scientists’ vaccines), such as the flu. 

Golden retrievers are relatively easy to train. They can be used in patients that have disabilities such as blindness, or patients who need guide dogs. Why would you not save this breed? There are plenty of other reasons that include being a man’s best friend, as well as being relatively easy to take care of. 

While persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are strictly controlled and monitored now thanks to the Stockholm Convention (2001), the prevalence of POPs in the environment is still a huge factor. Perflourooctanoic Acid (PFOA) is one of the most abundant POPs due to its half life of a couple eons. PFOA is a known carcinogen used in numerous household products like Tupperware, water proofed clothing, household cleaners, and even microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and butcher’s paper. We as humans are exposed to PFOAs on a regular basis and don’t even realize it. Over 99% of American individuals have traces of PFOAs in their blood and therefore have a higher predisposition to forms of cancer like liver cancer and leukemia. PFOA can take decades to be excreted from the human body; most people have it in their systems their entire lives due to the prevalence in the environment. Yet, the majority of the public is not informed about the carcinogenic elements of PFOA which can prove to be detrimental to their bodies.

A new retrovirus has the potential to kill off thousands of dogs breeds across the nation. It is our duty to determine which dog breed should be saved. I argue that a vaccine should be given to Golden Retrievers because these dogs are family favorites and should be saved for ethical, emotional and logical reasons. A high percentage of dog owning families have golden retrievers, making them an extremely popular breed. It would be a shame to kill off a breed that are such common household pet. Saving this breed would cause the least amount of people despair and mourning. Additionally, these dogs are considered fully grown at the age of one; it would make sense to save a breed that is full grown at an early age so that the virus isn’t killing off a high percentage of puppies.

            Additionally, golden retrievers are loveable, friendly, and cuddly making them a household favorite. Young kids think of their family’s pet golden retriever as another sibling, and it would be catastrophic to their emotional well-being to take away a piece of their family. Golden retrievers are loyal pets; it would be upsetting to put them in danger after seeing how loyal they are the their owners.

The future of domestic dogs is at serious risk due to an extremely aggressive new retrovirus. Despite scientists having found a vaccine that can cure the disease, it seems that there is only enough to cure one pregnant mother and her puppies. This poses an important ethical dilemma, since researchers are convinced that they must choose a breed of dog to be saved. Considering this from the Occidental point of view, dogs are our equals and our ethics tells us that the right thing to do would be saving all dogs regardless of their origin. Thus, making any decision that favors one specific dog would be unjust towards the rest.

We would need more information about the retroviral vaccine and pregnancy stage of the mother, but it seems that only her and her pups will survive and they will be the original ancestors of all future dogs to come. Considering this situation, the mother and her pups face a grim future, since the next reasonable step would be to exploit them by keeping them constantly pregnant via artificial insemination in order to increase the gene pool and avoid a genetic bottleneck that would only postpone the extinction of dogs for a few more generations. Thus, trying to save a specific dog breed would not be a good solution, since we would need as much genetic diversity as possible.

Another fact that we should take into consideration is that viruses evolve as well. Viruses are interested in their own survival, and must keep a balance between mortality and efficiency to infect other organisms. If a virus kills its host too soon, it will have less chances of coming into contact with other potential hosts to infect them and ensure its survival. That is the reason why it is possible that dogs and viruses may reach a balance between them and both will survive without human interference, the virus by becoming less virulent, and the dogs maybe by arising mutations that confer them more resistance. 

Still, if the virus maintains its virulence and dogs are doomed to go extinct unless a vaccinated pregnant dog saves them, I would choose a stray dog to be that savior. Stray dogs often have no definite breed, which would be important for avoiding genetic bottleneck. As well, stray dogs are often forgotten by society because people tend to prefer pure breeds.

By choosing a stray dog, the new generations of dogs would be composed of completely different and unique individuals. Humanity would amend all the damage it has caused on dog breeds via artificial selection, such as the respiratory distress that current pugs suffer on a daily basis. And hopefully people would no longer discriminate dogs by their appearance, and these kind animals would finally be treated as the companions that humans started domesticating thousands of years ago, instead of being used as symbols of status by some people.

We would need more information about the retroviral vaccine and pregnancy stage of the mother, but it seems that only her and her pups will survive and they will be the original ancestors of all future dogs to come. Considering this situation, the mother and her pups face a grim future, since the next reasonable step would be to exploit them by keeping them constantly pregnant via artificial insemination in order to increase the gene pool and avoid a genetic bottleneck that would only postpone the extinction of dogs for a few more generations. Thus, trying to save a specific dog breed would not be a good solution, since we would need as much genetic diversity as possible.

Unfortunately there is a new retrovirus which is devastating dog populations. As a dog lover and a biologist my best recommendation would be to save German Shepherds with our small supply of vaccine. It is of course a shame to let any dog breed suffer and die, though I truly believe the German shepherd is the best breed to save.

When someone thinks of a dog they want to have as part of their family, what traits come to mind first? For most, this would likely be loyalty, protective and affection. German Shepherds encompass these traits wonderfully. They are a loyal and protective dog and would make a good guard dog for any family. Not only that, but they are a very intelligent breed of dog. These dogs require relatively little maintenance when compared to other dogs. Overall, the German Shepherd has a great temperament and will make the an excellent addition to any family. I must reiterate, that it is terrible that this retrovirus is killing at such a rapid rate. The decision is not a simple one, but I believe German Shepherds are the best dog breed candidate to be saved.

As a former briard owner I can attest to their loving and caring nature. They are kind animals who typically are friendly and gentle, yet are protective of their owners in the face of danger. My dog Dusty was a beautiful dog, an amazing animal whose long hair gave him a goofy lovability that any person, dog person or not, could appreciate. While his time on Earth was cut short by a rare disease, there is not a day that goes by when I don’t think of Dusty or the joy he brought into my world. I know me and family would give anything to have our Dusty back, sadly we live in a world of absolutes. While his return is impossible maybe the survival of the briard would be enough to carry on Dusty’s legacy forever.