If you’ve missed the first few chapters of this story, you can find those installments here: first, second, and third.

After an aggressive announcement in June of 1904 to further an agenda encompassing the installation of horse and dog drinking fountains along with plans for a humane education campaign complete with contests, news of the Henry Bergh Humane Society and it’s “aggressive plans for work” fell strangely quiet in the papers. I can imagine that they were working quietly behind the scenes, deciding next steps.

While David Belais, the founder of the organization, had always said they intended to challenge the legal right of the A.S.P.C.A. to work as sole provider for enforcement of the animal protection laws, it wasn’t until January 26 of 1905 that it became clear what that might look like. Suddenly, news that a bill had been introduced by Senator Armstrong to establish that very thing made the papers. The article below indicates that they had indeed been advised by their legal counsel to “Like Bre’r rabbit, ‘lay low’ and ‘say nuffin” until the legislature convened at Albany, and then to endeavor to obtain the legal right to act.”

Leaning heavily on the language that the new Society wished only to augment and work alongside the old one, Belais and company portrayed a rational argument for their right to exist and a great optimism for the bill to be passed.

Meanwhile, a sudden flood of letters to the editor about the effectiveness of the A.S.P.C.A. blanketed the papers. They covered a multitude of inefficiencies. The story of a horse that had been injured on a bridge and laid in the cold for 8 hours before help arrived made several appearances. There were also a plethora of pleas begging for the passing of the bill.

Only one letter seemed to question the new society at all, written by an individual with the curious signatory of “Chesty.” This individual’s chief complaint was not in the formation and empowerment of an additional society, but with their chosen name, which they called “Sailing under false colors with the intention to deceive the public.”

By February 16, however, the bill had come to vote. Only two votes were passed at the hearing, effectively killing the bill, no pun intended.

The hearing was covered more thoroughly in the Democrat and Chronicle, and noted that representatives from both agencies, including John P. Haines himself, weighed in to the committee.

There was also this interesting piece of coverage…which I’ll just leave right here without comment.

An angry David Belais responded to the death of the bill, stating that they would not give up. “We are going to keep on till we succeed in obtaining the right we want. What are next step will be, we have not decided yet…but there will be a next step.”

Next week, I’ll take a break from this story to cover something that’s been weighing on my mind; madvertisting and sadvertisting. But don’t fret; The story of the Henry Bergh Humane Society will be back in force in just a few weeks, when David Belais and friends begin attacking the financial management of the A.S.P.C.A. in the papers and calling for John P. Haines to resign. It heats right back up. Have a happy holiday weekend.

-Audrey