The Anti-Cruelty Society

Last updated
The Anti-Cruelty Society
Formation1899
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois, USA
Website anticruelty.org

The Anti-Cruelty Society is an animal welfare organization and animal shelter in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The Anti-Cruelty Society (SPCA of Illinois) is a private, not-for-profit humane society that does not receive government assistance. It is one of the largest such organizations in the United States. The organization offers adoption, veterinarian, and training services. [1]

Contents

It was founded on January 19, 1899, by a group of Chicago residents who had concerns about the treatment of the city's animals, from stray cats and dogs, to workhorses, to livestock. [2] The Anti-Cruelty Society exists to prevent cruelty to animals and to advance humane education. Their mission is building a community of caring by helping pets and educating people. [3] [4] [5]

The Anti-Cruelty Society changed its policies to align with the no kill movement, in 2004, turning strays over to Chicago Animal Care and Control. [6]

History

1899-1911

Rosa Fay Thomas founded the Anti-Cruelty Society on January 19, 1899 in Chicago and was elected first acting president, upon the belief that society had an obligation to care and raise awareness for animals living in cruel conditions. [7] Its first shelter for small animals opened in 1904. The Anti-Cruelty Society’s first campaign to eliminate animal mistreatment/provide better care for animals involved improving the living and working conditions of workhorses in the city of Chicago in 1905. Early goals of the foundation concentrated on endeavors for workhorses, livestock, and small animals. For a short time, in addition to animal welfare, the Anti-Cruelty Society focused its efforts on child welfare cases. In 1906, the State of Illinois allotted a charter to the Anti-Cruelty Society to ensure the welfare of both animal and child welfare. During this time, the Anti-Cruelty Society implemented its first humane education movement to provide basic access to literature and lectures.

1911-1949

The demand for services provided by the Anti-Cruelty Society grew exponentially during the Great Depression.

The Anti-cruelty society runs only through the funds that are donated to them. [8] The Anti-cruelty society started after Rosa saw the mistreatment of horses. One of their first acts of business was putting up drinking fountains for the horses. [9]

1950-2000

In 1976 the Anti-Cruelty Society began the volunteer program that is still open available today. [10]

The Anti-Cruelty Society's Mobile Vaccination Clinic began in 1986 offering free exams and vaccinations for cats and dogs to the disadvantaged neighborhoods in Chicago. [11]

2001-2010

As of 2004 the Anti-Cruelty Society stopped accepting stray dogs and cats into their shelters.

As of 2010 The Anti-Cruelty Society has been using the services provided by Pet Point Data Management System, run by PetHealth. They provide inventory on adoptable cats and dogs which can help keep track of animal populations and facilitates the adoption processes. This service is provided for free to non-profit animal organizations and when an animal is adopted they provide a trackable chip. [12]

2011-2020

In 2014, Chicago's Alderman passed the Anti-Puppy Mill Ordinance 49-1, which did not allow dogs, cats and other animals to be sheltered if they came from large-scale breeding operations. This helps to prevent the animals that are in current shelters to be forgotten about; sales on animals made by breeders often get sold in pet shops which leaves animals in shelters, who are usually mixed breeds and older to be overlooked. [13]

In the pandemic of 2020, with a grant from PetSmart Charities, the Anti-Cruelty Society offered supplies of pet food to families affected by Covid-19. [14] The Anti-cruelty Society also expanded the "Friends Who Care" program to help pet owners receive veterinarian services for their pets. [14]

Before Illinois' stay-at-home order in March 2020, the Anti-Cruelty Society urged people to Foster animals because of an influx of pets and a limit of space in the shelters. [15]

Services

Adoption

The Anti-Cruelty Society has a yearly event, "Clear The Shelters", where the adoption fees are waived and all their pets are up to date in vaccines. [16]

With the Covid-19 pandemic being expanded through the end of April 2020 the Anti-Cruelty Society moved their adoption services online. [17]

Clinic

The Anti-Cruelty Society's spay/neuter clinic—one of the highest volume spay/neuter clinics in the country—performed over 12,000 surgeries. The Society also found new homes for nearly 6,000 animals.

See also

Related Research Articles

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty. Based in New York City since its inception in 1866, the organization's mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet adoption</span> Adoption of pets that have been abandoned by previous owners

Pet adoption is the process of transferring responsibility for a pet that was previously owned by another party. Common sources for adoptable pets are animal shelters, rescue groups, or other pet owners. Some organizations give adopters ownership of the pet, while others use a guardianship model wherein the organization retains some control over the animal's future use or care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal shelter</span> Place where stray animals are housed

An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals – mostly dogs and cats – are housed. The word "pound" has its origins in the animal pounds of agricultural communities, where stray livestock would be penned or impounded until they were claimed by their owners.

An animal rescue group or animal rescue organization is a group dedicated to pet adoption. These groups take unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray pets and attempt to find suitable homes for them. Many rescue groups are created by and run by volunteers, who take animals into their homes and care for them — including training, playing, handling medical issues, and solving behaviour problems — until a suitable permanent home can be found.

In some countries there is an overpopulation of pets such as cats, dogs, and exotic animals. In the United States, six to eight million animals are brought to shelters each year, of which an estimated three to four million are subsequently euthanized, including 2.7 million considered healthy and adoptable. Euthanasia numbers have declined since the 1970s, when U.S. shelters euthanized an estimated 12 to 20 million animals. Most humane societies, animal shelters and rescue groups urge animal caregivers to have their animals spayed or neutered to prevent the births of unwanted and accidental litters that could contribute to this dynamic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong)</span> Charity

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a registered charity to promote animal welfare in Hong Kong, with outreach services to China.

A no-kill shelter is an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals based on time limits or capacity, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals, animals suffering poor quality of life, or those considered dangerous to public safety. A no-kill shelter uses many strategies to promote shelter animals; to expanding its resources using volunteers, housing and medical protocols; and to work actively to lower the number of homeless animals entering the shelter system. Up to ten percent of animals could be killed in a no-kill shelter and still be considered a no-kill shelter.

The Blue Cross of India (BCI) is an animal welfare charity based in Chennai, India. It was established in 1959 by Captain V. Sundaram, his wife Usha and their three children, in Chennai. The society was formally registered in 1964 under the Societies Registration Act. The nine signatories to the Articles and Memorandum of Association were Captain V. Sundaram, Usha Sundaram, S. Chinny Krishna, Suresh Sundaram, S. Vijayalakshmi, D. Daivasigamony, Kamakshi Krishnamoorthi, Sundari Nataraj and T. V. Chandrasekhar. It is now one of the country's largest animal welfare organisations. It runs several animal welfare programs including animal rights awareness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Animal Welfare Society</span> Organization

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is a volunteer-based, non-government organization whose goal is to prevent animal cruelty through education, animal sheltering and advocacy, based in Quezon City, Philippines. It was founded in 1954 by Muriel Jay. PAWS believes that the creation of a more peaceful society starts with the widening of mankind's circle of compassion which includes animals, thereby envisions a nation that respects animals, practices responsible pet ownership and protects wildlife. The volunteer-based organization rehabilitates these animals in the hope of finding them new homes and a second chance at a good life. PAWS does not take in pets of other people, but only victims of cruelty or neglect where the animal offenders are charged with violation of the Animal Welfare Act in court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MSPCA-Angell</span>

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center (MSPCA-Angell) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with its main headquarters on South Huntington Avenue in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1868, and is the second-oldest humane society in the United States. "MSPCA-Angell" was adopted as the society's identity in 2003, and indicates the names of its two closely related predecessor organizations: Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Angell Animal Medical Center. The organization provides direct care to thousands of homeless, injured, and abused animals each year, and provides animal adoption, a veterinary hospital, advocacy, and humane law enforcement.

The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) is a non-profit organization in the United States dedicated to promoting animal welfare and animal husbandry practices, strengthening the human-animal bond, and safeguarding the rights of responsible animal owners and professionals through research, public education and public policy. The NAIA mission is "to promote the welfare of animals."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compassion and Responsibility for Animals</span> Organization in the Philippines

Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) is a registered non-profit, non-government animal welfare organization in the Philippines. It was founded in 2000 by a group of animal lovers determined to help the plight of animals in the Philippines. The current president of CARA is Nancy Cu-Unjieng.

Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP), formerly known as the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, known commonly as Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center (ARL), is an animal welfare organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1909. The ARL is a non-profit organization that offers various services to support both animals and pet owners alike. It is the only animal shelter in the Pittsburgh area that accepts both domestic animals and wildlife. The agency's shelter and clinic are located in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood, while its wildlife rehabilitation center and boarding kennels are a few miles away in Verona, Pennsylvania. The organization maintains a contract with the city of Pittsburgh and accepts all stray pets that are apprehended by the Animal Control unit.

The North Carolina Animal Protection Act aims to protect pets and their owners in North Carolina. This legislation models the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and can be found in the North Carolina General Statutes under Chapter 19A: Protection Of Animals, Article 3, consisting of six articles.

The Richmond SPCA is an idependent non-profit animal shelter in Richmond, Virginia founded in 1891.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soi Dog Foundation</span> Thai nonprofit organisation

The Soi Dog Foundation is a nonprofit organisation for the welfare of stray dogs and cats. Its headquarters is in Phuket, Thailand, and it is a legally registered nonprofit organisation in Thailand, the US, Canada, Australia, France, UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Its primary goal is to care for homeless and abused dogs in Thailand. It was established by British couple John and Gill Dalley with the help of Margot Homburg Park in Phuket in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead Dog Beach</span> Beach in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico

Dead Dog Beach is a beach within the municipality of Yabucoa in southeastern Puerto Rico. Its nickname derives from it being a dumping ground for stray animals, mainly dogs that the inhabitants of Yabucoa could no longer afford. Most dumped animals were not spayed or neutered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PAWS Chicago</span> Non-profit animal shelter organization

PAWS Chicago is a non-profit animal shelter organization based in Chicago, Illinois. The organization was co-founded in 1997 by Paula Fasseas and her daughter Alexis Fasseas. The duo aspired to create an organization that focused on discovering solutions to end the euthanasia of homeless pets.

The Sato Project is an animal rescue and protection organization founded in 2011 by British-born Christina Beckles. It works to rescue abused and abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico, educating the public and advocating for abused and abandoned dogs. "Sato" is the Spanish word used in Puerto Rico and Cuba for referring to stray dogs or cats. Many of the project's missions have involved airlifting dogs before and after natural disasters, including Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the earthquakes that struck Puerto Rico in 2019 and 2020. "Spayathon" is a spaying and neutering program, attended by Sato Project and other animal rights organizations in Puerto Rico, which has had an impact on the stray dog population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal welfare and rights in Goa</span>

Animal welfare and rights in Goa refers to campaigns undertaken in the region of Goa, on the west coast of India, which has been on the rise in recent years. Goa is a popular tourist destination, visited by those from abroad and the rest of India, and concerns over animal rights has been built up both by local and visitor campaigns over the same.

References

  1. ↑ "The Anti-Cruelty Society | Home".
  2. ↑ The Anti-Cruelty Society: History of The Anti-Cruelty Society
  3. ↑ "Animal Protection - Ga Dept of Agriculture". Agr.georgia.gov. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ "County Animal Shelters". Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  5. ↑ Diamond, Wendy (13 May 2007). "America's Foreclosed Pets". The Huffington Post. Cleveland. p. 1. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  6. ↑ reporter, H. Gregory Meyer, Tribune staff. "Strays no longer welcome at Anti-Cruelty Society". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-02-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Rose Fay Thomas". Glessner House. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  8. ↑ "The Anti Cruelty Society - True Chicago History!" . Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  9. ↑ reporter, H. Gregory Meyer, Tribune staff. "Strays no longer welcome at Anti-Cruelty Society". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "Eisenhower students volunteer at Anti-Cruelty Society". Oak Lawn, IL Patch. 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  11. ↑ Writer, Mary Daniels, Tribune Staff. "FREE EXAMS, SHOTS FOR PETS". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Weng, Hsin-Yi; Hart, Lynette A. (2012-01-01). "Impact of the Economic Recession on Companion Animal Relinquishment, Adoption, and Euthanasia: A Chicago Animal Shelter's Experience". Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 15 (1): 80–90. doi:10.1080/10888705.2012.624908. ISSN   1088-8705. PMID   22233217. S2CID   826486.
  13. ↑ Dardick, Mitch Smith and Hal. "Chicago aldermen pass anti-puppy mill ordinance 49-1". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  14. 1 2 "Anti-Cruelty Society offering food, provisions to pet owners in need during pandemic". WGN-TV. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  15. ↑ "Chicago Animal Shelters in Need of Space Plead with Public to Foster". WTTW News. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  16. ↑ "Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society Prepares For 'Clear the Shelters'". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  17. ↑ "Chicago Animal Shelters Take Adoptions Online During Pandemic". WTTW News. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.