Archive for the ‘Animal Stories’ Category

In the summer of 1931, the Lions Club of New York attempted to purchase an 8-month-old, 125-pound lion cub from the Central Park Zoo. Their intention was to take the cub to the club’s monthly luncheon at the Hotel McAlpin and to the Lions International convention in Toronto. Lots of luck with that…

Rough Rider, a “spotlessly white and clean” billy goat, about 3 years old, showed up in Sheepshead Bay in 1900. For the next year, he ate his way through gardens and clotheslines along Sheepshead Bay Road.

Join me and the Brooklyn Historical Society as we travel back in time to explore the history of Brooklyn via amazing stories about Brooklyn cats, dogs, horses, and other animals that made the newspaper headlines in the late 1800s and early 1900s. July 1, 2020, 7-8 p.m. (ET). Free. Register today.

During the 1916 polio epidemic, 80,000 New York City pets died in the ASPCA gas chambers because people were misinformed and thought that pets caused polio. Now, COVID is causing similar irrational fears among pet owners, who worry their cats and dogs could spread the virus.

This is a tragic story that involves injury and cruelty and death–both human and feline. But it is an important story to tell, because it is part of our history. In fact, it is a major part of the ASPCA’s 150-year history in New York.