SPCA International: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was organized in England in 1824 to bring an end to the abuse of carriage horses, the common mode of transport before the advent of automobiles.  Virtual beasts of burden, horses were often subjected to the most inhumane conditions, driven through freezing cold winters and stiflingly hot summers with little food, water, or rest.  With money their only concern, carriage drivers would frequently beat the horses if they refused to work or were unable to pull the heavy carriages.  Successful in passing laws that regulated the carriage-horse business, the SPCA then expanded its campaign against cruelty to animals to include dogs and other animals.  Brought to the United States, the first American SPCA (ASPCA) was started in 1866 in New York City, subsequently spawning the emergence of SPCAs all over the US, as well as the rest of  the world.  Read more . . .