DUBUQUE REGIONAL HUMANE SOCIETY

DUBUQUE REGIONAL HUMANE SOCIETY. Beginning in 1901 the Dubuque Benevolent and Humane Society worked to protect the rights of animals, primarily horses, as well as children. There were no government agencies that protected child welfare; horses were forced to do the work of modern tractors, trucks and cars. There were laws against cruelty and abuse for decades, but they were not enforced. Most people felt that how a person handled their children and animals was their own personal business.

In 1877, the American Humane Association was established. As the movement moved nationwide, an article in the Dubuque Daily Herald of February 24, 1882 stated,"Dubuque needs a society of this kind very badly…for the protection of the dumb brutes and the punishment of the human brutes!"

In February 1901, a group of volunteers wrote bylaws and formed a local humane society. The first official meeting of the Dubuque Benevolent and Humane Society was held on April 11, 1901 at the SECOND NATIONAL BANK in downtown Dubuque. An office was established in what became known as the Fischer Building. Money was raised through annual dues of $1 - $10, with a lifetime membership costing $25. (1)

Public education was a key element of the society's work. Pamphlets and calendars were handed out reminding farmers and teamsters of their responsibilities to their animals. Copies of "Black Beauty", the novel dealing with animal abuse, were even distributed. In July 1904 as a reminder to care for animals during hot weather, straw hats with holes cut out for the animal's ears were distributed for a second year at many local stores. (2)

The city provided the new society with some support. A member of the police force was designated to act as the humane officer to enforce anti-cruelty laws. Several years later, the society joined with the local board of education to pay for a combined truant and humane officer. In 1904, a humane officer was hired as the first full-time employee of the Society.

The humane officer became the alternative to the city dogcatcher, an employee of the city health department who looked for stray animals which ended up in the pound. The "pound" was a dark, basement coal room at DUBUQUE CITY HALL. Calls to the humane officer increased, leading to the establishment of a small animal shelter, one of the first of its kind in a city the size of Dubuque. Property at 2228 Jackson Street was rented. As it developed, the safe-house for lost and stray animals included a home for the caretaker, an outside run for the dogs, an adoption program and kennels for temporary pet lodging.

In the mid-1930s, humane officer Charles Arendt retired and the Society moved to seven acres of land outside the city limits in Center Grove Township. For a while, the shelter was operated out of a chicken coop. To cut costs, volunteers collected scraps from local restaurants and colleges to feed the animals. The new location allowed for a pet cemetery to be added to the traditional services established at Jackson Street. By the 1950s, the Society developed the shelter into what was considered to be a state-of-the-art humane facility.

Activity slowed in the latter part of the 1960s. Over the next twenty years, the board of directors went through two reorganizations. The first took place in 1969. The second, in 1988, revolutionized the shelter. Volunteers Barb Ellsworth, John Pernanoud, Dale Repass and Dr. James Stark organized the recruitment of a wide variety of community members to form a new and more active board of directors.

Over the years, the Little Shelter Farm property, as it had become known, had severely deteriorated and needed immediate attention. The board determined that a coordinator was needed to oversee the shelter and its expansion. Jane McCall was then hired as the first executive director.

McCall immediately began developing ideas and long-range plans for the shelter. Efforts to relocate the shelter began and in October 1992, the shelter moved to North Crescent Ridge Rd. A new facility was built 2.5 times larger than the old one to accommodate anticipated growth.

Within two years of moving to the new location, the number of animals cared for doubled. Fortunately, the number of adoptions also doubled. In 1996, a small remodeling project was completed. But the numbers increased faster than anticipated, so less than ten years after it first opened, the shelter underwent a major upgrade and doubled its number of kennels. It also created a new training center. By the end of 2000, the number of animals adopted and cared for tripled from 1992.

Through an outstanding public relations efforts, "Humane Jane" and the Dubuque Regional Humane Society became well-known in the tri-state area. A dedicated staff of thirteen operate the shelter in 2010 which is open to the public seven days a week. Through regular community outreach programs, including regular spots on local radio and TV, the adoption program has operated at record levels. Fund-raisers like "Strut Your Mutt" and "Dinner With The Stars" created positive awareness of the society's mission. The annual pet food drive and donations made by individuals and pet food manufacturers have almost eliminated all pet food costs.

Today's Society has contracts with many area cities and counties to provide humane services. In 1997, the shelter was chosen as one of the top six humane operations in the country. "Jane" has been a keynote speaker at national humane meetings and is one of a select group of trained FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Act) coordinators sent around the country to carry out animal rescue efforts following disasters.

In 2008 the shelter was expanding its operations to include even more activities. Plans included the development of a comprehensive off-site adoption program in Platteville, Galena, Guttenberg and Davenport. A Behavior Program was started. In 2008 an adoption facility was established at KENNEDY MALL.

In 2011, a one million dollar gift helped the Society purchase the Carlisle Investments Building at 4242 Chavenelle Road. The completed renovation at a cost of approximately $2 million was scheduled for completion to allow a June 2013 opening. After moving into the building, the location at 175 N. Crescent Ridge was to be sold.

The relocation to the new facility actually occurred in October, 2013. A "ribbon-chewing" ceremony" was scheduled for October 24th. (3) The center was named Kinsey's Campus in memory of a disaster response and rescue golden retriever named Kinsey. The dog's owner was Nan Stuart, head of the charitable Hadley & Marion Stuart Foundation which donated $2 million for the new facility. (4)

Kinsey's Campus offered a keycard access to a dog park for members, separate training and education areas, separate adoption area, resource center for children, and a larger veterinary area for care of the animals. (5)

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Source:

1. "Help Support the Dubuque Humane Society," Telegraph Herald, July 15, 1918, p. 8. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JhBeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=818NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1963,1403968&dq=humane+society+dubuque&hl=en

2. "Dubuque Horses Appear in New Hats," July 16, 1904, p. 16. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AhpFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=87oMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3668,696779&dq=humane+society+dubuque&hl=en

3. Yager, Alicia. "More Than a Doghouse: Critters Move to New Home," Telegraph Herald, Oct. 23, 2013, p. 1

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.