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Barking at the Knot

Barking at the Knot

Understanding the hidden history of animal services

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  • “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
  • 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.

    Audrey Lodato

    October 7, 2025
    1890s, Animal Welfare
    1895, 1896, animal shelters, Animal Welfare, animal-rescue, animals, Annual Report, ASPCA, Brooklyn, Cats, dogs, history, Humane Movement, hydrophobia, Killing of pets, Manhattan, New York City, pets, Rabies, Victorian america, Victorian New York
  • 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.

    Audrey Lodato

    October 2, 2025
    1870s, 1880s, 1890s, Animal Welfare
    animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, anime, ASPCA, books, Cats, Children, Dear Letterbox, dogs, featured, history, horses, John P. Haines, Kids, Kittens, life, New York City, Our Animal Friends, strays, the humane movement, writing
  • 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.

    Audrey Lodato

    September 17, 2025
    1890s, Animal Welfare
    #HenryBergh #ASPCAHistory #AmericanHumane #19thCenturyActivism #VictorianEra #AnimalWelfarePioneers #HumaneMovement, animal control, animal shelter history, animal shelters, Animal Welfare, animal welfare history, animals, ASPCA, Brooklyn, Cats, dog, dogs, Henry Bergh, history, hydrophobia, john p haines, New York City, pets, pound, Pounds, Rabies, stray dog, strays
  • “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…

    Audrey Lodato

    September 8, 2025
    Animal Welfare
    animal control, animal shelter history, animal shelters, Animal Welfare, animals, ASPCA, dog days of summer, dogs, Early medicine, Early sheltering, health, Henry Bergh, history, Humane Movement, hydrophobia, John P. Haines, New York City, pets, Rabies, strays
  • 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.

    Audrey Lodato

    September 3, 2025
    1970s, 1980s, Animal Welfare
    1970s, 1980s, advocacy, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, ASPCA, Cats, dog, dogs, history, Humane Movement, hydrophobia, in the name of Mercy, Massachusetts, No kill, pets, Rabies
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