Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-15
HOMES FOR ANIMALS
By Frederic j. Haskin

| Horse harness and blanket are care
fully examined, and advice given where
needed. Each member is entitled to
free veterinary service and in cold
weather, If he cannot afford blanket
for his horse, one is loaned him. The
more prosperous are barred from this
club, the very poor who need help be-
ing the more desired. Those ignorant
of the proper care of a horse are given
careful and kindly instruction, and
| friendly rivalry in showing the best
horse or rig is soon engendered. For
| the accommodation of the men of this
club a stable, costing several thousand
dollars, was built, and the horses thus
assured a good oversight in the matter
of prompt feeding and watering. Read
ing and rest rooms and shower baths
for the men were built in connection
with the stables.
Work horse parades have done much
to increase kindness and care among
the draft animals, prizes being offered
and pride stimulated in this way. Bos-
ton held the first work horse parade in
May, 1903. New York, Chicago, Phila-
delphia, Burlington, Columbus, SPRING
field, Kansas City, Toronto and Pasa-
dena followed in rapid succession.
Homes for small animals are begin
ming to appear here and there, where
ever benevolent folks have grown to a
practical interest in the work One Of
the foremost of these Is the Bide-A-
Wee Home in New York City where,
since its inception in June, 1908, about
5000 animals have been received and
cared for. The home does not make a
business of destroying animals need
lessly, it is only when a cat or dog has
been brought in hopelessly sick or in
jured that it is mercifully put to death
by an approved method of painless
asphyxiation. Homes are found for
the animals as soon as possible and
more than three-fourths are placed ev-
cry year in homes where 1t is known
they will receive good treatment. A
temporary home in the country has
been provided for the animals and
hopes for permanent one are enter
tanned.
One feature of the association main
tanning the Bide-aWee home is that
of sending out printed matter asking
owners of cats and dogs to exercise
more thoughtfulness in their care and
ask especial consideration from the peo-
pie who are In the habit of going away
from their city homes every year, leav-
ing their cats at the mercy of the
street. 1t is recalled that on Long
island not SO many years ago a pack
of dogs belonging to summer residents
and abandoned by them when return
ing to the city grew so wild and so fe-
rocious from hunger that they terror
lied a small town for a while and at
tackled several people. 1t is to help
prevent such heartlessness on the part
of the owners and such suffering on the
part of the small animals that associa-
tons are aiming.
The anti-rabies crusade in Baltimore
last year brought about the establish
ment of an animal refuge in that city,
it being asserted that through the dras-
tic laws enacted dogs were being hunt
ed to death and the S. P. c. A. depart
ment was not able to cope with the sit
uation. A refuge was opened for dogs
and cats, and in the time that has
passed since then over $50 dogs and
many cats have been placed in good
homes. No animals are put to death
unless hopelessly i'll or unless they hap
pen to be the newborn puppies and
kittens. There are now about seventy
very happy dogs in the home, and If
homes are found for these and the new
masters do not find them satisfactory
pets they are under contract to return
them to the refuge. No animals are
given to animal trainers or to hospi-
| tails.
The Baltimore work is conducted in
the heart of the poor quarters Of the
city, and 1t is later expected to add
horse rescue work to that already pelng
done. This refuge does what many prl-
waite homes and hospitals for small ami
mails are doing-boards pets for own
ers who are leaving the city.
Under the auspices of the Anti-Cruel-
ty society of Chicago, one of the two
humane societies of that city, refuge
for small animals has been opened ana,
on an average, a hundred animals a
month have been cared for since It's be-
ginning a little over q year ago. -Four
years ago the refuge had been opened
as an annex to a private hospital Tor
dogs and cats, but was abandoned after
two years experience, until reorganlzed
under its present management. Like
other homes spoken of, it places its
pensioners out as pets as soon as pos
sible in good private homes and kills
only those that are hopeless cases.
At Brighton, near Boston, is the FL
len M. Clifford Sheltering Home for An
imals, founded by a citizen or new
Haven, Conn, whose name 1t bears.
and being opened for the protection of
sick and homeless cats and dogs. A
large house for the superintendent,
with kennels and runs for the cats and
dogs. are the features of the farm, and
the population averages fifty dogs ana
100 cats a month. A special feature OF
the work there IS to restore iost ooss
and cats to their owners, as well as
place the strays in homes Of guaran-
teed excellence. The work abroad has
interested Americans of note the Paris
home, the Refuge des Chiens, under
Nine. de Herpent being largely sup
ported by James Gordon Bennett or
New York. Many men and women
have made a life work of caring Tor
defenseless animals, the late George 7:
Angel of Boston having organized
bands of mercy throughout the coun-
try. For weeks after his death the
Boston work horses wore bits of black
on their brides, and at his funeral on
March % thirty work horses wearing
mourning rosettes on their brides were
in the procession.
Copyright 1903, by Frederic j. Haskin.)