New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1868)

AUTHOR: Bergh, Henry

KEYWORDS: animals, animal welfare

SUMMARY (Ridvan Askin, edited Deborah Madsen)

In this letter, Bergh briefly outlines the achievements of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in its first two years of existence. After asserting that “no institution in this State ever effected the conspicuous reforms that this has done, in so short a space of time,” he mentions the following points:

cruelty towards animals has become the exception rather than the norm in New York City
the Society has thus contributed to keeping violence in general in check and to fostering self-control
the Society is popular, as judged by the funds it raises
the Society has, by and large, become an important “element of order and good government”
animals are treated with “mercy and consideration” (1).

The fight for “the rights of God's inferior creatures” has to go on, however, “until the thoughtless, the cruel, and the indifferent shall recognize the truth that Heaven has not given to mankind two hearts; one compassionate to its own race – the other cruel to the lower animals; but that the quality of mercy is not partial and is alike the inheritance of every living thing” (1).