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The Arsenic Club: Blackmail and Horse Poisoners, Part 1
What did early cruelty investigations look like? Here’s one: A gang of horse poisoners going by the name The Arsenic Club set a reign of terror on the east side of Manhattan in 1909, killing more than 500 horses in just three months.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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.
Barking at the Knot
Understanding the hidden history of animal services
Barking at the Knot 