Zoos are a recreational phenomenon all around the world. Families bring their children for a fun day at the zoo, but much of the public is blind to the truths behind zoos and the harms that they may cause. URF Maggie Holloway used to work at a zoo herself, and she revealed her experiences working there. The zoo she worked at specifically achieved the AZA certification, which is very hard to achieve because it entails meeting very high expectations and guidelines related to animal welfare. In this situation, it would seem acceptable for zoos to exist since the animals are being treated respectfully, however, there are also situations where this is not the case. In our discussion, two other fellows and I discussed the implications from purposely breeding animals in zoos. Breeding animals with recessive traits can create genetic abnormalities, which is very dangerous for the animals and leads to them needing to be put down. However, Maggie shed a light on the fact that there are certain zoos, such as the one she worked at, that safely breed animals and look into their genetic composition before proceeding. Animal welfare is a very controversial topic, and you can always discuss both sides. Being informed on the issue is the first step to understanding, and I am very glad I got to hear about the issue from Maggie herself, as she is very knowledgeable and passionate about this topic.