Happy National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month! We all know that most cities have multiple animal rescues and even rescues that are just for a certain dog breed, but what many people don’t know is how it all started. The very first dog shelter was founded 189 years ago in Britain by a few philanthropists. Following the beginning of the dog shelters came the start of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1824. Finally, after a long road with trying to get the community to agree with the mission of the SPCA, the now famous animal shelter grew in popularity. Queen Victoria became a part of that mission in 1840, allowing the society to be renamed the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She loved dogs so much that she owned 35 Pomeranian at one time!
Eventually the United States was introduced to the ASPCA in 1866 and everything started speeding up from there. In Pennsylvania, three years later, one of the first animal shelters was created – the Women’s SPA of Pennsylvania. In 1877, after the introduction of the ASPCA, came the formation of the American Humane Society and other animal rescue organization. Finally, laws were in place to keep our furry friends safe!