Barking at the Knot

Barking at the Knot

Understanding the hidden history of animal services

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  • The Resignation of John P. Haines: The Henry Bergh Humane Society, Part Five

    The conclusion of the tale of the Henry Bergh Humane Society – John P. Haines resigns amid pressure from the press and advocates.

    Audrey Lodato

    December 9, 2025
    1900s, Animal Welfare
    1904, 1905, 1906, advocacy, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, ASPCA, dogs, Gilded Age, health, history, Hiumane Movement, Humane reform, Muckracking, politics, print media, The Henry Bergh Humane Society, The Reformers Association ASPCA, writing
  • Plans for Aggressive Work Well Developed: The Henry Bergh Humane Society, Part Three

    With an agenda set for work and a plan to bring a bill forward to challenge the A.S.P.C.A.’s right to be the sole provider of services in New York, The Henry Bergh Humane Society sets a path for it’s future.

    Audrey Lodato

    November 20, 2025
    1900s, Animal Welfare
    1900s, advocacy, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, articles, ASPCA, christianity, dogs, Early ASPCA History, history, Humane Movement, Muckraking, New York City, pets, politics, Rabies, The ASPCA, the Henry Bergh Society, writing
  • S.P.C.A. Votes Confidence in President J.P. Haines: The Henry Bergh Society part 2

    If you’ve ever made a public statement as a result of accusations made against your organization, you may appreciate the statement the ASPCA made in support of John P. Haines in 1904.

    Audrey Lodato

    November 14, 2025
    1900s, Animal Welfare
    advocacy, Angry Advocates, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, ASPCA, dogs, history, hydrophobia, John P. Haines, New York City, pets, Rabies, The Henry Bergh Humane Society
  • “Those Dissatisfied with the Conduct of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals”: The Henry Bergh Society, Part One

    Advocacy can get ugly. Read about the Henry Bergh Humane Society and their efforts to oust A.S.P.C.A. President John P. Haines from his post in the early 1900s.

    Audrey Lodato

    November 12, 2025
    1900s, Animal Welfare
    animal control, Animal Welfare, animal welfare history, animals, ASPCA, bible, books, Cats, christianity, dogs, genealogy, Henry Bergh, history, Humane Law, Humane Movement, hydrophobia, Investigative journalism, Muckracking, New York City, pets, The Henry Bergh Humane Society
  • Sarah Edwards and The Midnight Band of Mercy

    In 1893, a group of well meaning cat ladies set upon Manhattan, chloroforming thousands of stray cats to death. This is the story of Sarah Edwards and the Midnight Bands of Mercy.

    Audrey Lodato

    November 5, 2025
    1890s, 1900s, Animal Welfare
    animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, Bands of Mercy, Cats, dogs, George Angell, history, Humane Movement, Kittens, Manhattan, Midnight Band of Mercy, Midnight Bands of MErcy, New York City, print media, Rabies, Sarah Edwards, Stray cats, strays
  • Number of Dogs Removed: 201

    The history of intakes as a measure of a shelter’s success continues to influence the way we perceive the most important functions of animal services.

    Audrey Lodato

    October 22, 2025
    1900s, Animal Welfare
    ACOs, advocacy, american history, Animal Advocacy, animal control, Animal Rights History, animal shelter, animal shelter history, Animal sheltering, animal shelters, Animal Welfare, animal welfare history, animal-rights, animals, ASPCA, barking-at-the-knot, books, Cats, Compassionate animal care, Cruelis, Cruelism, cruelty, dog, dog catcher, Dog catchers, dogs, Early animal welfare movement, Ethics, Euthanasia, evolution, health, Henry Bergh, historical policy, history, History of Animal Welfare, Humane education, Humane exhibits., Humane Movement, hydrophobia, Impeachment, industrial revolution, John P. Haines, leaders, level setting, Livesaving, mandatory impoundment, Mercy to Animals, Morals, municipal shelter, New York City, new york times, news, newspapers, Periodicals, pets, philosophy, pound, Printing Press, Progress, public private partnerships, Rabies, Raising the bar, shelter intake, Shelter Reform, Social media, societal change, societal expectations, storytelling, strays, the future, the humane movement, The Importance of Level Setting in Animal Welfare, writing
  • President’s Report, Women’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

    The topics covered in the President’s report of the Women’s SPCA in 1909 covered all manner of topics – A paper on hydrophobia, a committee comprised of women overseeing animal control officers in Philadelphia, the management of bequests, and a very dark cartoon.

    Audrey Lodato

    September 24, 2025
    1900s, Animal Welfare
    1910, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, Anti-vivisection, Caroline Earle White, dogs, Edwardian, Edwardian History, Guilded Age, history, Humane Movement, hydrophobia, Pennsylvania, Periodical, pets, The journal of Zoophily, Women, Zoophily
  • Dog Attacks Man with Bomb (or How Storytelling Shaped the Humane Movement)

    One tactic used to endear people to animals in encouragement for more humane treatment was to demonstrate their similarities to people by telling stories about them acting similarly. Particularly, that the benefits of kind treatment often resulted in demonstrations of extreme loyalty and heroism. Check out a few of my favorite examples.

    Audrey Lodato

    June 23, 2025
    1900s, Animal Welfare
    american history, animal control, animal shelters, Animal Welfare, animals, books, Culture, dogs, history, horses, Humane Movement, Livesaving, Periodicals, pets, stories, storytelling, writing

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