Murzin,+Mallory+A.

For my unfamiliar genre paper I am thinking of doing a magazine article. I thought a lot about what I wanted to do and once I looked over some of the examples and ideas on E-reserves I decided that I would like to do this. I am familiar with magazine articles because I have read many of them throughout my life, but I have never actually written one. I think it would be interesting to see how to construct an article that gives information to readers while trying to hold their interest so they will continue to read your articles. I am not sure what type of topic I want to focus on yet for my article. I don't know if I want to include an interview in my article or just present information. I believe writing a magazine article will be more challenging than I think, and I am ready for that. I think this will be a good experience and I think I will learn a lot from it, not only about writing but also myself as a writer.

Hi Mallory: It would probably help to consider what magazine would print this article, because there are as many kinds as there are magazines from Celebrity to Sports to Home Decorating to Political to Nature to. . . . . you get the idea. Bill

How to Write an Article for a Pet Magazine

To begin writing for a pet magazine, the writer should first decided on what type of animal he or she would like to focus on. After deciding what animal the article will highlight, the writer should choose a particular magazine to write for. This will help the writer decide on the topic, tone, style and audience he or she will be writing for. The style of the article will be based on what topic the writer decides to write about. For example, if the topic is about how to care for a particular pet, the writer may want to use an informative and instructional style of writing. If the writer is focusing on writing about a personal experience involving pets, he or she may want to use a more down-to-earth and intimate style of writing. The audience in which the article is focused on will be determined on which type of animal is being written about. Once the writer has decided which animal he or she will write about, then the writer should choose a magazine in a market that focuses primarily on that particular animal. For example, the magazine //Cat Fancy// would be an ideal magazine to write for if the writer is focusing their articles primarily on cats. There are many different magazines that focus on specific animals and breeds within those species. The structure of the article can be set up in various different ways. Most magazines will give specific guidelines based on their particular magazine. This may include a set amount of words the article must meet or a certain amount of visuals/graphics that must be included or not included in the article. The best thing for writers to do when they are unsure about how to structure their article is to check out some published articles in the pet magazine they are interested in writing for. This will help the writer analyze and determine what type of structure the publishers and editors are looking for in their articles. It is also a good idea for the writer to know what types of articles most pet magazines are looking for. Moira Allen lists the ten hottest topics in pet magazines and what readers are looking for, in her article, “How to Write for Pet Magazines.” The top ten hottest topics include, health, basic care, training, environment, equipment, activities, breed profiles, pets and people, and personal experiences. Allen also tells writers that these topics are not the only topics writers should write about. She does advice writers to stay away from talking about their own pets and including personal stories about their pets though. She explains that readers often do not want to read entirely about someone else’s pet, they would rather learn more about taking care of their own pet or relating stories to their pets instead. Allen also states to keep in mind that “editors want to promote responsible and compassionate pet care”. She also explains that this can mean and include different things for different magazines.

Annotated Bibliography Allen, Moira. "HOW TO WRITE FOR PET MAGAZINES." //WRITING CAREER : WRITING CAREERS : Careers for Writers and Freelance Writers//. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.[] This article gives all the information new writers need to know about writing articles for pet magazines. The article is written by Moira Allen who has experience in writing articles for pet magazines. She gives advice on what topics readers are interested in, what they are not interested in, and how to define your market. This article is a great guide for beginning writers who want a career in writing articles about animals.

Milner, Kelly. "Writing for Pet Magazines: An Interview with Moira Allen." //Writer's Market// (2002). //Welcome to [|Writing-World.com]!// Web. 09 Oct. 2010. [] This article is an interview with Moira Allen who writes for pet magazines. It includes great questions about how to begin writing for pet magazines for new writers. It includes answers to questions from what to expect from this type of writing, to what to avoid when writing about pets for pet lovers.

"Write for Print Magazines - Tips for Beginning Your Writing Career." //The Adventurous Writer - Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen//. 21 Dec. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. [] This article breaks down magazine article writing into six steps. The author includes personal advice that she received from publishers and what they are looking for in your article and writing. Her advice is broken down and easy to understand so that anyone can begin their article writing career.

Whalin, Terry W. "The Basics of Magazine Article Writing." //Right Writing Home Page//. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. [] This article explains not only how to create a magazine article but also how to submit it to an actual magazine company to be published. This article is does a great job at outlining step by step of how to begin your article and what to include in it.

_

// CRITTERS FOR CARE? // //The growing world of Animal Assisted Therapy// // __ //

//Walking into the rehabilitation facility next to St. Mary’s hospital, in Livonia Michigan, seems like the last place to encounter critters and pets. The colorful walls line the entrance to the lunchroom and activity center down one way and the other way is an entrance to patient’s rooms and quarters. The atmosphere is quiet and dark in the evening hours as you venture towards the patient’s rooms. As you walk slowly around the winding hallways in the facility, you notice a small shadow lurking across the hall. You snap your head to follow it and began walking quicker to catch a glimpse of the mysterious shadow. As you inquire about the strange shadow to one of the night nurses, she laughs and says, “honey, that’s just one of the cat’s from up front that roams around here!” You are at a loss for words. Even though you have always been quite fond of cats, at this moment you find it slightly inappropriate to accept that cats are roaming around the hospital, finding a place to curl up where ever and with whomever they want. As you leave the facility that evening, you began to notice the furry and feathery surroundings more than when you entered earlier in the evening. Down each hallway is a cage of birds, fish or hamsters lining the walls for observation. Chairs and magazines are placed strategically near the cages and tanks. You cannot help wondering if you are in a pet store or a hospital.// //Little did you know that the animals were part of a program that many hospitals around the world have adopted into their facilities, called Animal Assisted Therapy or AAT. AAT is becoming more and more popular in the hospital setting and has begun to draw attention to the benefits it has on individuals. One might wonder at this point what exactly is Animal Assisted Therapy and how is it incorporated into the medical field? The Humane Society explains AAT in a basic definition, describing it as, “a goal-directed intervention in which an animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical health-care treatment process.” These animals are placed and incorporated into a medical facility, or hospital, where they can assist and aid in the treatment and care of patients under the supervision of an AAT supervisor or trained professional.//

//As part of her nursing requirements for graduation, Michelle Murzin was assigned to a group that looked into the world of AAT. This project not only opened her understanding to Animal Assisted Therapy, it also gave her a deeper appreciation to the animals we encounter on a regular basis everyday-//


 * //Pet RX: How did you come across this topic to research?//**

**//Michelle://** //We were all placed in groups in my nursing research class. The program our class was part of is called Problem Solving for Better Health. The Dreyfus Health Foundation came to our class and wanted us to participate in their program, which is the P.S.B.H. They wanted us to come up with a problem associated with health in individuals or groups. We then needed to research a specific topic. Our topic was using Animal Assisted therapy to see if it would decrease blood pressure in elderly residents living in a long-term health care facility.//

**//Pet RX: How would you define AAT?//**

//It can provide physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits to individuals.//
 * //Michelle://** //AAT is using different types of animals to therapeutically help people with various different problems: eg. Pain, relaxation, high blood pressure, ect.//


 * //Pet RX: So what did your group do, exactly?//**


 * //Michelle://** //Our group researched about animal assisted therapy and research that had been done about it. Then we started our own research by contacting a nursing home and finding a dog that worked as a therapy dog. Next we met with the nursing home owner to discuss our research and pick out residents to work with. We needed 20 residents for our research.//


 * //Pet RX: What qualified a resident for the research project? A raffle, name drawing….contest?//**


 * //Michelle//**: //(laughs) no it was a little more specific than that. To qualify for our project, residents had to be coherent and willing to work with the dogs. We asked the owner who he thought would be willing and able to participate in our research and project. 20 residents were chosen and then with their consent, we started our research. All the residents had the option to back out at any time still throughout the entire project.//


 * //Pet RX: So after residents were determined, what steps were taken next?//**


 * //Michelle://** //The group was then split into 2 groups of 10. 10 were going to have blood pressure readings before and// after therapy and participate with the dog by sitting, petting and watching the dog. //The other 10 had no participation with the dog and were not even in the room with the dog, they just had their blood pressure taken before and after we left.//

//We went twice to take readings and gather research from the residents with the dog. After our visits we had to compile our data and analyze it.//


 * //Pet RX: I would much rather be in the first group, being able to actually interact with the dog! What were the conclusions of the two groups?//**


 * //Michelle://** //We concluded that the dog visit did seem to help decrease blood pressure. Unfortunately I do not have the specific statistics from our research at this time, but overall I can conclude that the dog did lower blood pressure in residents.//


 * //Pet RX: So what does this mean for AAT?//**

**//Michelle//**//: Well further research needs to still be done to conclude an absolute confirmation on this topic, due to the fact that we had such a small group and short amount of research time. We are unable to say for certain that our findings are 100% accurate but based off of what we did find, there are some definite// conclusions to confirm that pet therapy can help decrease blood pressure in humans. I think that alone is a great achievement and find for AAT.


 * //Pet RX: Throughout the research, who was the star behind the therapy?//**

//and her trained black Labrador. They were both great.//
 * //Michelle//**: //Well we had the opportunity to work with an AAT trainer//


 * //Pet RX: Can any breed or animal work?//**


 * //Michelle//**//: Yeah! There are no specific breeds that we came across that work better than others. As long as the animal is certified, it is able to work as a therapy pet.//

**//Pet RX: Was there anything noticeable that you think the dog did specifically that helped lower the resident’s blood pressure?//**


 * //Michelle//**//: No nothing specifically was noticed, but there was a definite change in mood when the dog entered. The dog had majority of the residents smiling and a lot of them were reminiscing about when they had dogs or pets, bringing back happier moments in their lives.//


 * //Pet RX: Pets can sure do that! So for all our readers who are dying to know, do you believe after your research and experience with AAT that our pets at home can help lower our blood pressure?//**


 * //Michelle//**//: Yeah, I’d say so. I think just the added companionship helps people relax and relaxation really helps decrease blood pressure.//

//The gentle creatures that we call our pets have yet again astonished us with their amazing and unique abilities they possess. Whether it’s at the hospital or even at home, Animal Assisted Therapy has opened a new door for pet lovers and a new appreciation for our furry, feathered, scaly or even slimy friends! So if you ever encounter an animal friend in the hospital setting, do not be alarmed, they are on the job to heal!//

By Mallory Murzin-PetRX

Works Cited

"Animal-Assisted Therapy." //American Humane: Protecting Children and Animals Since// // 1877 // . Michigan Humane Society. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. []

Friedman, Carolyn. "15 Amazing Facts About Therapy Dogs." Web log post. //You're Feeding Me What?// Terri Oak. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. []

Murzin, Michelle. Registered Nurse, Oakland University Bachelors in Nursing, 2010.

"Pet Therapy." //Hospital of Saint Raphael - New Haven, CT//. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. []

"Therapy Dogs at Brodancroft." //Welcome to Brodancroft//. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. []