Running Head: OVERPOPULATION OF ANIMALS AND ENGINEERING 1

Overpopulation of Animals and Engineering

Joshua Miranda

University of Texas at El Paso

December 14, 2017

OVERPOPULATION OF ANIMALS AND ENGINEERING 2

Overpopulation of Animals and Engineering

Overpopulation of animals has affected humans in a positive and negative way.

Communities began to practice new methods to find the solution of animal overpopulation. Some

methods involve the use of mechanical engineering to help animals survive outside their natural

habitat or to benefit humanity. With this new technology, humans and other species need to

adapt more quickly to the new environment. At the University of Texas at El Paso, there is no

need for adaptation to the new technology and the overpopulation of animals has no effect to the

campus or its community.

How do humans and other species affect each other?

Humans and other species have collaborated with one another on positive and negative

ways. When a human has an animal in an academic environment, their academic performance

increases. According to Gee, Fine, and McCardle (2017), the presence of an animal in a

classroom or an academic environment helps students learn. A study was made on a college

during final exams where three groups of students were placed in different conditions to test their

emotions. The first group interacted with animals, the second only saw pictures of animals, and

the last group was placed in a waiting list to be with the animals. The results of this experiment

were that the group of students who interacted with the animals were significantly less anxious

and irritable than the other two groups (p. 50). With these results there could be a prediction that

interacting with live animals can help a student academically by helping them be more relax

when going to class.

On the other hand, when a human practice trap-neuter-release (TNR), the chances of

helping stray animals decreases. Nachminovitch (2017) claims that when humans try to help a

stray animal, they decrease the opportunity of the animal to survive in the streets. In addition,
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humans have the risk of being infected by diseases the animal may carry. A study made by

Katarzyna and Joanna (2017), found out that [Out] of the 163 fecal samples [of stray animals],

37.4% were positive for the presence of at least one species of intestinal parasite (p. 40). During

this experiment, there were found a total of 8 species of intestinal parasites were identified

microscopically in cat feaces and 6 in dog feaces, which can result in a large probability that a

human can become the new host for these parasites. Under the list created by Hines (2017) there

were at least six diseases that match with the experiments that can be transmitted to humans.

With these being said, Nachminovitchs claim about humans contracting animal diseases when

they practice TNR, can be supported with the evidence of the study made by Katarzyna and

Joanna, to demonstrate that this practice contains risk involves to every human who decides to

use it.

Communities dealing with overpopulation of animals

Cities or communities deal with the issue of stray animals differently. More precisely, the

city of El Paso, Texas and its community aim for a no-kill society. According to the survey made

by Olmedo, Camacho, and Caire (2008), the citizens of El Paso have decided that animal shelters

should be larger to maintain more stray animals and set up more adopting events to give the

animals a home. If animals are safe and kept out of the streets, this community is willing to have

an increase in their taxes to

develop a No-Kill program

where all stray animals can be

taken care off (p. 8). Figure 1

demonstrate the percentages of

Figure 1; Pie chart demonstrating the percentages of residents of El Paso who
residents who agree to pay support the No-Kill option for stray animals. (Olmedo. 2008. p.8)
OVERPOPULATION OF ANIMALS AND ENGINEERING 4

more in taxes to help with the No-Kill policy, as well as those who would like to help with this

policy without paying taxes. With this claim, the University of Texas at El Paso has joined the

non-kill society by helping stray cats around their campus. Watters (2013) supports this

argument in his article by contributing to the no-kill society. The author states how a university

group practice TNR on stray cats around his campus and, sometimes adoption occur. Their

actions have been acknowledged by the El Paso Environmental Service Department and they

have been requesting grants to big companies such as PetSmart to help the stray animals around

the city (para. 12). In his article, Watters mentions that they provide a humane solution to the

cat population rather than using the catch-kill technique which shows that the community is

willing to protect all stray animals before going to the El Paso Animal Services (para. 4).

Engineering and Overpopulation of Animals

Advance technology is helping animals to increase their survival skills and adapt to the

new ecosystem they live in. Several engineers and doctors have contributed to develop artifacts

that are implanted in animals to improve their performance. One artifact discussed in the article

of Piotrowski, Hench, Allen, and Miller (1975) was made from bio-glass. The device was a

femoral bone that was going to replace the natural bone of a squirrel monkey to study the

performance of the original and the improved femoral. Through these mechanisms, the scientist

behind the studies found out that femurs containing bulk bio glass-ceramic implants showed

about a 25% difference in strength compared to the opposite bone (vol. 9). These results can

help squirrel monkeys survive in their environment and to adapt better to the changes in

technology. Having a prosthetic bone that increases the animals leg can help them in specific

ways. For example, a stronger leg can mean higher jumps, faster runs, or more strength. When an

animal needs to survive in their environment, all their body act as a tool for them and if one part
OVERPOPULATION OF ANIMALS AND ENGINEERING 5

is improved, then their probability to survive increases as well. Another way mechanical

engineering has a connection with overpopulation of animals is through viral vectors to make

transgenic animals. According to Robl (2007) the livestock that has been produce in viral vector

has been growing (p. 128). This process is limited to certain animals including cattle, pigs and

chickens. This information is useful to understand that the engineering procedure behind the

farm animal overpopulation is cause by the necessity of meat required by the human diet. By

producing large amounts of cattle, chicken, and pigs, farms stay in business and humanity is

being feed. Transgenic animals are still being improved over the years to avoid the

development of mutations in the animals genes and the development of viruses caused by the

viral vectors. The use of engineering in animals has cause overpopulation of livestock to feed

humans, while in other cases the use of engineering is to increase the performance of animals in

their environment. Engineering in animals can be either positive or negative depending on the

type of animal and their contribution to humanity.

The University of Texas at El Paso dealing with cat overpopulation

The University of Texas at El Paso has a community of stray cats living in campus. These

cats roam around campus without bothering any students or staff around. The University of

Texas at El Paso created a club called the TNR team, according to the author Watters (2013),

where they take care of these stray cats that live in campus (para.2). Under the same article there

is evidence that even students who dont like cats are not even bother by the presence of these

stray cats around their campus (para.8). In UTEP, there is no issue in the overpopulation of cats

affecting students or staff.

To conclude this research, the evidence provided has been enough to demonstrate that the

overpopulation of animals in El Paso, Texas and the University of Texas and El Paso has little to
OVERPOPULATION OF ANIMALS AND ENGINEERING 6

no affect to their daily life. This issue has only helped the community of El Paso to end animals

that have suffered for a long time. The community of stray cats in the University of Texas at El

Paso does not meet the criteria to where there is an overpopulation of animals at campus. In

general, overpopulation of animals only exists because humans continue to grow, and their needs

grow with them.

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References
Gee, N. R. (2017). How animals help students learn. [electronic resource] : Research and
practice for educators and mental-health professionals Taylor and Francis 2017-03-21
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ebookcentral.proquest.com.lib.utep.edu/lib/utep/detail.action?docID=4831475
Hines, R., Dr. (2017). Diseases We Catch from Our Pets Zoonotic Illnesses of Dogs Cats and
Other Pets. Retrieved November 12, 2017, from
http://www.2ndchance.info/zoonoses.htm
Katarzyna, S., & Joanna, B. (2017). Stray dogs and cats as potential sources of soil
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Medicine, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp 39-43 (2017), (1), 39. doi:10.5604/12321966.1234003
Nachminovitch, D. (2017, March 09). TNR Is Dangerous Both to Cats and to Other Animals.
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Olmedo, Carlos; Corral-Camacho, Guadalupe; and Caire, Mario E., "El Paso Animal Services
Survey: Support for a 'No Kill' Community" (2008). IPED Technical Reports. Paper 76.
http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/iped_techrep/76
Piotrowski, G., Hench, L. L., Allen, W. C., & Miller, G. J. (1975). Mechanical studies of the
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Robl, J. M., Wang, Z., Kasinathan, P., & Kuroiwa, Y. (2007). Transgenic animal production and
animal biotechnology doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.09.034
Watters, L., & A. (2013, October 22). Campus cats find support through community programs.
Retrieved October 12, 2017, from
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