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A Shelter for Animals – The First Annual Report
Five months after the opening of the Shelter for Animals in Brooklyn, the ASPCA issued their thirtieth annual report. It contained some of the first ever intake and outcome data for shelters.
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Dear Letter-Box
Dear Letter-Box was a column featured in the ASPCA’s monthly periodical, “Our Animal Friends.” This column featured letters from children, and provides a glimpse into how children perceived both pets and the humane movement.
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A Shelter for Animals
In 1895, the ASPCA had taken over animal control for the city of New York. This cemented a path for a more humane model of public – private partnership. Tour their shelter via a New York Times article.
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“Madness of Dog Days” or Newspaper Hydrophobia
“Dog Days” is a term that refers to the period of time in the summer between July and August when it was assumed that rabies was most prevalent in dogs (and in cities.) While it might not be surprising to see an article debating this fact published by the APSCA, you WILL be surprised to…
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Early No Kill
Early no kill language first showed up in the media in the 1970s. How its use evolved is important to our perception of the no kill movement today.
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Statistics Related to the Cruelty Practiced Upon Animals or Happy Birthday Henry Bergh
On a stormy night in 1865, Henry Bergh gave a speech in Clinton Hall in New York City that set the stage for the formation of the ASPCA. Find out what he talked about.
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An Unfortunate Series of Events (or Why We Impound Every Stray)
Before a treatment for rabies, all stray dogs were widely regarded to be dangerous. Learn how the industrial revolution and tenement housing influenced how we chose to impound dogs, and how that effects us today.
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The Humane Movement at the Centennial Exposition
The Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia was one of the hallmark moments of Victorian America, and the Humane Movement showed up to gain support. Find out what they exhibited.
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“Mercy to Animals Means Mercy to Mankind.”
Of all the founders of the animal welfare movement, none were so colorful in their public application of the first anti-cruelty laws as Henry Bergh, the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York. Fairly, he had a right to be colorful with the law; He is the…
Barking at the Knot
Understanding the hidden history of animal services
Barking at the Knot 