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in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est...
 was founded in 1868 and is the second oldest humane society in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
]] A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering
Suffering

Suffering, or pain, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical, or mental....
 due to cruelty
Cruelty

Cruelty can be described as indifference to suffering, and even positive pleasure in inflicting it. Sadism can also be related to this form of action or concept....
 or other reasons, although in many countries it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA's). In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 it may also be a society that provides a waterways rescue, prevention and recovery service, or that gives awards for the saving of human life.

United Kingdom
The first Humane societies were founded in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society

The Royal Humane Society was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering "first aid" in cases of drowning and for restoring life by artificial means to those drowned....
 in 1774, the Glasgow Humane Society in 1790 and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charitable organization in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. It is the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK....
 in 1824.

The Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society

The Royal Humane Society was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering "first aid" in cases of drowning and for restoring life by artificial means to those drowned....
 is a charity that grants awards for acts of bravery in the saving of human lives.






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in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est...
 was founded in 1868 and is the second oldest humane society in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
]] A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering
Suffering

Suffering, or pain, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical, or mental....
 due to cruelty
Cruelty

Cruelty can be described as indifference to suffering, and even positive pleasure in inflicting it. Sadism can also be related to this form of action or concept....
 or other reasons, although in many countries it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA's). In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 it may also be a society that provides a waterways rescue, prevention and recovery service, or that gives awards for the saving of human life.

United Kingdom


The first Humane societies were founded in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society

The Royal Humane Society was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering "first aid" in cases of drowning and for restoring life by artificial means to those drowned....
 in 1774, the Glasgow Humane Society in 1790 and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charitable organization in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. It is the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK....
 in 1824.

The Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society

The Royal Humane Society was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering "first aid" in cases of drowning and for restoring life by artificial means to those drowned....
 is a charity that grants awards for acts of bravery in the saving of human lives. Also for the restoration of life by resuscitation. Since its foundation the society has made more than 85,000 awards. The Glasgow Humane Society is a prevention, rescue and recovery group set up to cover the waterway
Waterway

A waterway is any navigable body of water. These include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
s of Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow

Greater Glasgow is the conurbation that includes and surrounds the city of Glasgow in the west of Scotland. It has a population of 1,199,629 at the 2001 census making it the largest urban area in Scotland and the fifth List of conurbations in the United Kingdom in the United Kingdom....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...


The main animal humane societies in the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 are the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charitable organization in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. It is the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK....
 (founded 1824) and its offshoots, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charitable trust to promote animal welfare in Scotland. It was founded in Edinburgh in 1839 and one of its first aims was to improve the welfare of cart-horses....
 (SSPCA) and the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA)
Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is an animal charity based and operating in Northern Ireland. The other SPCA societies operating in the United Kingdom are the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ....
. There is also the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), founded in 1917 to treat the sick and injured animals of the poor, and numerous other animal rescue charities for wildlife, working animals and domestic pets.

United States

The first SPCA in the USA was the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to animals. Their mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States."...
 (ASPCA), founded by Henry Bergh
Henry Bergh

Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in April, 1866, three days after the first effective legislation against animal cruelty in the United States was passed into law by the New York State Legislature....
 in New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
 in 1866. Two years later, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in Boston by a group that included George Thorndike Angell
George Thorndike Angell

George Thorndike Angell was an United States lawyer and philanthropist who advocated humane treatment of animals.He was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1846, studied law at the Harvard Law School, and in 1851 was admitted to the bar in Boston, Massachusetts, where he practiced for many years....
, John Quincy Adams II
John Quincy Adams II

John Quincy Adams II was an American lawyer and politician, the grandson of president John Quincy Adams, and the son of Charles Francis Adams, Sr.....
, Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, philosopher, poet, and leader of the transcendentalism movement in the early 19th century. His teachings directly influenced the growing New Thought movement of the mid 1800s....
, Henry Saltonstall
Boston Brahmin

Boston Brahmins, also called the First Families of Boston and cold roast Boston, are the class of New Englanders who claim hereditary and cultural descent from the England Protestants who founded the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and settled New England....
, and William Gordon Weld
William Gordon Weld

William Gordon Weld was a shipmaster and ship owner. He is notable as an ancestor of several famous Welds.Ancestry and early life...
. Examples of other national, nonsheltering humane animal societies include: The Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States

The Humane Society of the United States is a Washington, D.C-based animal welfare Interest group. The HSUS is one of the largest animal organizations in the world, with a 2006 budget of US$103 million....
, American Humane
American Humane Association

The American Humane Association is an organization founded in 1877 dedicated to the welfare of animals and children.The AHA's Film and Television Unit has monitored the welfare of animals during the production of films and television programs since 1940....
 which was founded in 1877 as a network of local organizations to prevent cruelty to children and animals. The sheltering humane societies include: Peninsula Humane Society
Peninsula Humane Society

The Peninsula Humane Society is one of the largest humane organizations in the United States. Located in San Mateo County, California, it is a private non-profit charitable organization with approximately 50,000 members....
 and The Humane Society of Allen County. Many local humane societies were founded earlier, and are independent of these similarly named organizations, therefore, local humane groups called SPCA or Humane Society are not related to the national groups such as the Humane Society of the United States or the ASPCA. As of 2005, the Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
 Humane Society adopts the highest percentage of animals in the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 nationally with 96% for dog
Dog

The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties....
s and 80% for cat
Cat

The cat , also known as the Domestication cat or house cat to distinguish it from other Felinae and Felidae, is a small predationy carnivore species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes, scorpions, and other unwanted household pests....
s.

Purpose

National organizations primarily work on "big picture" approach including research, public education and assisting local shelters and rescue groups. Local groups primarily handle the actual care (housing, adoption, and euthanasia
Euthanasia

Euthanasia refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner. Many different forms of euthanasia can be distinguished, including euthanasia and human euthanasia, and within the latter, voluntary and involuntary euthanasia....
) of animals, but their programs may also include education and outreach to the public.

There are municipal and private run shelters. Not all local groups euthanize. Municipal shelters "must" accept all animals given up by the public, but private shelters are not required to do so, though some have a contract with their municipality that requires they do.

No kill policy

Some shelters refer to themselves as "no kill
No-kill Shelter

A no-kill shelter is an animal shelter where animals are only Animal euthanasia if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be suitable for adoption....
." However this does not necessarily mean that the problem of unwanted animals has been resolved in their community. Unless the whole community can claim that enough new good homes can be found for all the animals that are taken to shelters, "no kill" is a business choice of that particular shelter, as other shelters will likely pick up the rest of the unwanted animals in that community. Many shelters that use the terminology "no kill" actually do perform euthanasia, though usually in small numbers, and they claim only to euthanise animals that they determine are not appropriate for adoption.

Canada


The first SPCA in Canada was the Canadian SPCA founded in Montreal
Montreal

Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population....
 in 1869. The other societies developed on a regional basis and now 123 societies are represented at a federal level by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.

New Zealand


Early British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 settlers brought with them the laws of England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 and the English Protection of Animals Act of 1835 was adopted by New Zealand. This was replaced by New Zealand's own Protection of Animals Act in 1878 and the first SPCA was formed in Dunedin
Dunedin

Dunedin , Otepoti in Maori, is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the region of Otago. It is New Zealand's fifth largest city in population, the largest in size of council boundary area, and the hub of the sixth-largest urban area....
 in 1882 quickly followed by other societies. In 1933 all the societies amalgamated as a federation and this grew into the present day's Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a New Zealand charitable society who work to provide food and shelter for abandoned and neglected animals and to promote humane treatment of animals....
.

The Humane Society of New Zealand was established as a registered charity in 1975.

Australia


The first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), based on the British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charitable organization in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. It is the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK....
 (RSPCA), was set up in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)

File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....
 in 1871, followed by other SPCA's in Tasmania
Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and States and territories of Australia of the same name. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait....
 in 1872, New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
 in 1873, South Australia
South Australia

South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
 in 1875, Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
 in 1883 and Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
 in 1892, with the other territories following much later.

The SPCA's were given the Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant

Royal Warrants of Appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages....
 in 1956 and became known as the Royal Societies for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals, although they have no formal connection with the RSPCA UK. The national organisation RSPCA Australia
RSPCA Australia

RSPCA Australia is an Australian organisation that promotes animal welfare. It is funded in part by the Government of Australia but relies on corporate sponsorship, fundraising events and voluntary donations for its income....
 was formed in 1981 to give a national voice on policy matters and advise the federal government on animal welfare issues.

See also

  • Cruelty to animals
    Cruelty to animals

    Cruelty to animals refers to the infliction suffering or harm to animals as an end in and of itself. However, it has also been defined as causing harm for specific gain such as killing animals for food or fur use....
  • Rescue group
    Rescue group

    A rescue group or rescue organization is dedicated to pet adoption. These groups take unwanted, abandoned, abused, or feral pets and attempt to find suitable new homes for them....
  • Animal shelter
    Animal shelter

    An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. The animal is kept at the shelter until it is either reclaimed by an owner, adopted to a new owner or placed with another organization....
  • Animal welfare
    Animal welfare

    Animal welfare refers to the viewpoint that it is morally acceptable for humans to use nonhuman animals for food, in Animal testing, as clothing, and in entertainment, so long as unnecessary suffering is avoided....


External links