In June of 1904, in the midst of a round of slanderous newspaper articles (covered in part one of this story) surrounding John P. Haines, the A.S.P.C.A. Board of Managers issues a statement in the periodical of the organization, Our Animal Friends. The statement, signed by John Mason Knox, the treasurer of the board of managers, replies professionally and factually to the accusations the Henry Bergh Humane Society has brought forth about the effectiveness of the A.S.P.C.A. and the questions about it’s finances. It was reprinted in parts by the newspapers of the city – most notably in The Brooklyn Eagle, which noted that they received an advanced copy of Our Animal Friends and posted it almost in it’s entirety.

If you’ve ever chosen to issue a public reply to accusations made against your organization, you’ll be able to relate to this piece. It’s quite long, so I’ll keep my bit quite short, but I think it’s notable that they replied in their periodical and on their own terms, in a way they could continually point to when inquiries are made. Enjoy. -Audrey