Barking at the Knot

Barking at the Knot

Understanding the hidden history of animal services

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  • Animals in the Service of Man: A Humane Education Video from 1944

    Animals in the Service of Man was an educational video for children produced by the American Humane Association and shown as part of the humane ed curriculum in the 1940s.

    Audrey Lodato

    January 13, 2026
    1940s, Animal Welfare
    28 hour law, 36 hour law, AHA, animal control, Animal Education, Animal rights, animal shelters, Animal Welfare, animals, Animals in the Service of Man, ASPCA, beef industry, cats cows, Cattle, Children and pets, dog, Dog bathing, dogs, George Woolsey, health, history, Humane Ed, Humane education, hydrophobia, Old moves, Old movies, pets, Rabies, teaching, World War Two, writing
  • 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
  • “Lay Low and Say Nuffin’”: The Henry Bergh Humane Society, Part Four

    A bill is introduced in Albany to give the Henry Bergh Humane Society the legal right to enforce the law in New York City. Opinions in the papers heat up.

    Audrey Lodato

    November 26, 2025
    1910s, Animal Welfare
    A.S.P.C.A., Albany, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, ASPCA, Barking at the Knot, Cats, dogs, Gilded Age, history, horses, Humane Movement, hydrophobia, John P. Haines, Muckracking, news, pets, politics, Rabies, The Henry Bergh Humane Society, The Newspapers, 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
  • The Poster Primer

    In 1924, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in conjunction with the New York Women’s League for Animals, held a poster contest for children to promote kindness to animals. While contests like this were common, the preservation of the posters themselves were not. However, the winning posters from this particular batch…

    Audrey Lodato

    October 29, 2025
    1920s, Animal Welfare
    animal control, animal services, Animal Welfare, animals, ASPCA, Board of Education, Cats, Children’s Art, dogs, history, horses, Humane education, Humane Movement, Humane Society, hydrophobia, New York City, New York Women’s League for Animals, pets, Poster Contest, Poster Primer, Rabies, 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
  • Elsie Booth: No Dog Secured For Bone Grafting

    In 1897, a small child permanently disfigured by a fall set off a debate about vivisection in the New York Tribune when doctors wanted to use dog bones from a shelter dog to repair her legs.

    Audrey Lodato

    October 15, 2025
    1890s, Animal Welfare
    American Anti-Vivisection Society, American Humane Association, animal control, Animal rights, animal shelters, Animal Welfare, animal welfare history, animals, Anti-vivisection, ASPCA, Caroline Earle White, Cats, dogs, experimentation, history, hydrophobia, mary Frances Lovell, New York Tribune, PSPCA, Rabies, shelter animals, Shelter pets, the humane movement, Vivisection, WBPSPCA
  • Animals Make The Papers – Odd Stories from 1896

    Strange and unusual stories from the papers of 1896

    Audrey Lodato

    October 10, 2025
    1890s, Animal Welfare
    animal control, ASPCA, Bears, Biting, bonus content, Cats, dogs, history, hydrophobia, Justice, newspapers, pets, Rabies, Strange content, Vivisection
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