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How One Potentially Rabid Cow Story Went Viral in 1865, Pun Definitely Intended.
A cow bitten by a dog seven years ago causes six children to die after drinking her milk. Was she rabid? Find out why this story went viral in 1865.
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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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Doing the Right Thing Before Summer Vacation
The 1920s and 1930s shifted the way animals entered shelters. Instead of it just being all strays that were picked up, now owner surrenders were on the rise. Learn about why.
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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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“Efforts Increase To Save Unlicensed Dogs”
This week in Barking at the Knot, I’m offering a complete reprinting of a New York Times article from 1984 which takes a look at the state of animal shelters on Long Island. This piece gives a thorough snapshot of one location during a pivotal point in time in animal shelters, 1984.
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The Battle of Island City Homes
This week in Barking at the Knot, we have a guest post from fellow animal welfare worker and history lover Cole Wakefield. Cole is the Executive Director at Good Shepherd Humane Society and the Managing Advisor for Rural Humane. Hear about how some young boys fought to save their dog in Galveston, Texas in 1957.
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How the Early Humane Movement Set a Precedent For Killing Animals
Today, I am bringing you a brief article from the January 1915 edition of The National Humane Review, which was the monthly periodical of the American Humane Association. I recently attended a gathering where someone asked why killing animals in shelters continues to be an acceptable solution for population control. I answered that question by…
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“Automatic Electric Cage”
The humane movement never began with the intention to provide live outcomes. It began with the intention to provide humane death.
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How Corruption of Children Contributed to the Advent of Paid Animal Control Officers
Our first dog catchers were children catching strays for a 50 cent rabies bounty. Did this corrupt their morals?
