Greetings! Welcome to the March edition of Dr. Pet Mom’s Delightful Pet Menagerie (DPM) Newsletter. We celebrate Women’s History Month in March to recognize women’s contributions to history, culture and society. Let’s meet 12 wonderful women dedicated to saving animals. Enjoy!
Caroline Earle White: America’s First Animal Shelter
Caroline Earle White was a writer and avid philanthropist from Philadelphia. In the 1900s, she was active in the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, at the time, the first organization of its kind in the world. Earle White created the Women’s Humane Society and opened the first animal shelter in America, the Morris Animal Refuge.
Ruth Harrison: Consumer Awareness: Farm Animals
Ruth Harrison longed to be an actress in England. But when she learned how veal was made, the experience changed her life forever.
In 1964, Harrison published her exposé Animal Machines, on livestock breeding and animal machines. She worked to educate consumers about where their food was coming from.
Harrison developed the basic standards of treatment for farm animals in Europe at the European Convention for the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes.
Biruté Galdikas: Saving Wild Orangutans
Dr. Biruté Galdikas studied the natural habitat of Bornean and Sumatran orangutan species. For over 40 years she researched these intelligent animals and in 1986 founded the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI).
Galdikas is the expert on the Bornean and Sumatran orangutan species. OFI promotes educational programs around the world, supports research on orangutans and forests, and brings awareness about orangutans everywhere.
Jennifer Smith: Adopting Abused Animals
Jennifer Smith saw many abused animals put to sleep. She made it her life’s work to “ensure that these animals got the very best medical care as well as unconditional love.”
Noah’s Arks Rescue began over nine years ago to encourage adoption of abused animals. Noah’s Arks Rescue specializes in emergency medical, surgical and rehabilitation for abused animals.
Theresa Strader: Saving Puppy Mill Survivors
Theresa Strader rescued a lovely Italian Greyhound named Lily from the puppy mill industry. Lily was the reason Strader started the National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR). Lily was a puppy mill dog for seven years before Theresa found her.
Since 2007, over 18,000 puppy mill survivors were rescued by Strader and her team of volunteers.
NMDR also supports fostering, adoption, and volunteering. NMDR’s long-term goal: To end the cruelty of the commercial dog breeding also known as puppy mills.
Sangduen “Lek” Chailert: “Elephant Whisperer”
In 1995, Sangduen Chailert created the Elephant Nature Foundation, (ENP) sanctuary for Asian elephants. After she witnessed the abuse of these magnificent animals, Chailert dedicated her life to help elephants live free and happy.
ENP is located in Northern Thailand. ENP is known as the first ethical elephant sanctuary established in Asia that provides a loving home for over 100 elephants.
These elephants were rescued by the Save Elephant Foundation. They were saved from elephant riding, street begging and circus shows where these intelligent animals suffered psychological and physical injuries.
Now, senior, crippled, blind, and orphaned elephants enjoy peaceful lives in the natural surroundings of the Elephant Nature Foundation sanctuary.
Jamila Anahata: Holistic Life Coach
Jamila Anahata struggled through a personal journey toward good health. A life of the Standard American Diet and eating animal products was the basis of her health problems since childhood.
Anahata created The Soulful Veganista to help people find the healer in themselves. She believes we can “decolonize our lives through a conscious lifestyle.”
A conscious lifestyle includes holistic living, veganism, wellness and believing in self healing. Anahata supports people through social media, holistic lifestyle coaching, and hosting local events.
Christine Stevens: The Animal Welfare Institute
In 1952, Christine Stevens started the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) focused on reducing suffering of animals inflicted by humans.
Stevens used AWI’s legislative unit, Society for Animal Protective Legislation to pass the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958 and the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966. Each Act was developed to regulate treatment of animals.
Anything to reduce suffering of animals is a good thing. Learn about the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) efforts to end the outdated use of animals in research and to promote non-animal alternatives for research. The Beagle Freedom Project is one example.
I won’t talk about “humane animal slaughter” – what people eat is a personal choice. Plant-based or flexitarian choices are other options.
Lisa Feria: Stray Dog Capital
Lisa Feria is on a mission to change the supply chain for food-related products and services. Stray Dog Capital is a venture capital firm to help early-stage businesses in the beverage, food and biotech industries find healthy, humane and sustainable practices for the future.
Feria is a chemical engineer and spent a lot of time in the world of food. Originally from Puerto Rico, she landed in the US working for General Mills and Proctor & Gamble.
She understood the negative impacts of the traditional food system, one of the most polluting and destructive markets in our world. Feria wanted to make a change in the food system.
Feria invests in the plant-based market, cellular agriculture, food technology and companies focused on healthy and humane food supply chains.
Harriet Hemenway: Massachusetts Audubon Society
Back in the late 1800s, birds were killed for their feathers to decorate women’s hats. Socialite Harriet Hemenway was stunned at the staggering rate of birds killed for their feathers.
Hemenway and her cousin started a campaign to persuade ladies of high society to avoid feathers on their hats. The boycott was a big success as hundreds of women gave up their fancy feathered hats.
Her campaign launched the Massachusetts Audubon Society, developed to “further the protection of birds” and “to discourage the buying and wearing of the feathers of wild birds.”
After the boycott, many local Audubon chapters emerged, along with the first federal law to protect wild animals, called the Lacey Act in 1900.
And establishing bird reservations in Florida was the foundation for the National Wildlife Refuge System and the current Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Leela Hazzah: Lion Guardian
Dr. Leela Hazzah grew up in Egypt where lions were extinct. But her father told her stories about listening to roaring lions from the roofs of their home.
Hazzah was inspired and devoted her life to lion conservation because she wanted to hear lions roar.
Her conservation biology studies brought her to East Africa to learn why Maasai were killing lions. Hazzah’s interest lead to the creation of the Lion Guardians in 2007, a conservation organization to find and create long-term solutions for people and lions to live side by side.
Hazzah works with Maasai partners to protect lions in Kenya and Tanzania and to educate locals on the benefits of the large predators.
Listen to the video about saving lions in East Africa.
Velma Johnston: “Wild Horse Annie”
Nicknamed “Wild Horse Annie”, Velma Johnston started protecting wild horses and burros in 1950.
One day, she spotted a truck full of horses on its way to a slaughterhouse dripping with blood. Johnston started to spread the word throughout Nevada, about the injustices horses were suffering.
Johnston’s hard work led to the passage of the Wild Horse Annie Act in 1959, which banned using motorized vehicles to hunt wild horses and donkeys on public lands.
Knowing that many horses and burros were still unprotected. Johnston worked harder to push for legislation called the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.
Closing Thoughts…
I hope you celebrated Women’s History Month in your community. I love these examples of how one person can make a difference. When you save one life, you save their world.
Thank you ladies, for saving the animals!
Thanks for stopping by!
Dr. Pet Mom
“The message is simple: Love and conserve wildlife.”
–Steve Irwin
“Keep rescuing animals. You may lose your mind, but you will surely find your soul.”
–Unknown
2024 Book Update
March is here and spring is in the air! And just when I thought I was ready to publish my “short” ebook, I discovered it’s too short!
Now I’m revising to add more chapters to my Dr. Pet Mom’s Delightful Pet Menagerie (DPM) Newsletter book. The writing journey continues and your patience is appreciated!
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
–Frederick Douglass
Women who made a difference…thanks for sharing Dr. Pet Mom! I was not aware of all of these heroines and their wonderful works.
Thanks for your comments, Lou. Yes, I appreciate all they do for the animals!