When Mrs. Harry Ulysses Kibbe and several other visionary society women organized the Bide-A-Wee home for animals in 1903, the women relied on paid subscriptions from generous New Yorkers to achieve their mission to care for friendless animals. One of their first fundraisers was a Christmas tea at the Hotel Savoy on Fifth Avenue.
Over the years, a Christmas feast for animals became a tradition at the Bide-a-Wee home. Neighborhood children who had shown kindness during the year by bringing stray cats and dogs to the home were also invited to partake in the festivities.
