page_title: J. J. Kelso
section_title: The Humane Society
hierarchical_section_title: J. J. Kelso / The Humane Society
caption_attribution_description: English: Toronto Humane Society's old building
context_page_description: John Joseph Kelso was a newspaper reporter and social crusader who immigrated to Canada from Ireland with his family in 1874 when he was ten years old. They suffered hardships of hunger and cold in their early years in Toronto and, throughout his life, this motivated Kelso's compassion towards the poor and unfortunate.
  While a reporter for the World and the Globe, Kelso founded the Toronto Humane Society in 1887 for the prevention of cruelty to children and animals, the Fresh Air Fund and the Santa Claus Fund in 1888 to provide excursions and cheer for poor women and children, and the Children's Aid Society in 1891.
context_section_description: He was now in the public eye. W.F. Maclean, editor of The World, had received a letter from John Kidston MacDonald, a prosperous dry goods merchant prominent in charitable activities, complaining about the lack of a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. This letter was sent to J.J. as something else for him to write about. He took the suggestion seriously. John J. Kelso published the letter in the newspaper and added his own personal comment; "Why," he asked, "don't we have a society for the prevention of cruelty?".
  In response, money started to roll in for the establishment of such an organisation. J.J., however, began to envision a society oriented towards the prevention of all types of cruelty, including children as well as animals. A personal experience strongly influenced him.
  Walking along Yonge Street late one night in November 1886, he came across two sobbing children, a brother and a sister. They told him that their father had promised them a severe beating unless they could beg at least 25 cents that night. So far their tally was only 15 cents. J.J. took pity on them and searched for three hours to find a charitable institution to take them in for the night. The parents were charged the next morning with neglect but the case was dismissed by the judge on the basis that there were insufficient grounds for prosecution .
  Shortly afterwards, the secretary of the Canadian Institute, where reform issues were often discussed, jocularly asked him to speak. J.J. took advantage of the opportunity and, on 19 February 1887, delivered a paper whose title was "The necessity of a society for the prevention of cruelty in Toronto". He called for a non-denominational humane society with a broad set of objectives to include both children and animals. His paper was received enthusiastically.
  Encouraged, J.J. began to set up such a humane society in 1887; for whom he became treasurer in 1918 a position he held until 1935. J.J. cooperated with the police towards the protection of both children and animals.
caption: Toronto Humane Society's old building
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