The following is a brief chronological history of events of the present James A. Brennan Memorial Humane Society from 1909 to 1981.Sources of this information have included legal documents from the law office of Robert Maider, Esq., Gloversville, personal interviews and newspaper articles from the Leader Herald. (Whenever these latter sources have been quoted, the date of the article has been noted at the beginning of the paragraph. Some of the articles have been quoted verbatim while others have been paraphrased).
The James A. Brennan Memorial Humane Society is the direct descendant of three organizations that date back nearly one hundred years. The first branch organization was the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society for Children and Animals. Their offices were in Albany and Troy, and it is their logo of a little girl sitting on the steps with her arm around a dog and cat that is presently painted on our sign at the Shelter on Nine Mile Tree Road. This Society also had branches in Warren County (Glens Falls), Greene County (Town of Catskill), Franklin County (Malone), and Schoharie County (Cobleskill).
The second ancestor of the JABMHS was the Fulton County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. There is a letter in the law office of Robert L. Maider in Gloversville, dated 1895, stating that Ernest Merrit (Meritt?) was the President, and the Board of Directors included 18 members.
The third branch organization was the Fulton County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, directed by MF Button.
In a legal document dated April 23, 1909, these three organizations petitioned the court for an order of consolidation. They felt that by consolidating, they would be able to cooperate more effectively to do the work for which they were originally created. The law firm of Robert L. Maider, Gloversville, has a special file that contains the original announcements for a special meeting of the Fulton County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to be held April 22, 1909, for the purpose of discussing this consolidation.
After the consolidation, the newly formed organization was called the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society and included 30 members on the Board of Directors. Its first annual meeting was held on the first Tuesday after the first day of January 1909. In a motion adopted June 14, 1944, ratified February 13, 1945, and amended January 15, 1947, the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society eventually reduced its number of directors ìt not less than 15 and not more than 21.
The MHRHS started operating at the Phelps Street location, Gloversville, in 1949 (1950?). The Leader Herald (9/8/50) had this to say about the new society:
"Formal dedication of the Humane Society's new shelter on Phelps Street will take place at 4 pm. Mayor Robert Ramsey of Gloversville and Harvey Mansfield of Johnstown will officially cut the ribbon to open the kennels. Fulton County Judge, Arthur Aulisi, County Board of Supervisors, and officials from the county branch of the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society will participate. Joseph R. Younglove is President of the Humane Society Branch. Carver B. Pryne, superintendent of the local branch, worked on construction of the kennels. Mayor Ramsey, our city and the county as a whole, may take pride in the advancement being made by the Humane Society."
The Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society had its general headquarters in Albany. It operated the facility on Phelps Street for 23 years, from 1949 until 1972. On December 28, 1972, the acting president, Milford Becker, announced that the MHRHS would officially close its doors due to financial losses. By January 1, 1973, it was no longer operational.
In an undated letter, the former General Manager of the MHRHS, Thomas Barnes, stated:
"As General Manager of the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society, I have been asked to set up a Board of Directors of local residents from Fulton County and start a fund-raising drive for the purpose of purchasing this facility on Phelps Street for a Fulton County Humane Society, which will be the new name. The goal of the Fund Drive is $150,000. The price includes purchase of the land, new kennel, crematory, additional personnel and a new ambulance. I will be contacting all businesses and individuals in the area for their support. "
A new organization was formed to replace the now defunct Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society. It was called the Fulton County Humane Society/Humane Society of Fulton County, Inc. It was formed "not for pecuniary profit or financial gain, and no part of the assets, income or profit of the corporation is distributable to its members, directors or officers." Its incorporation was approved by the Honorable William J. Crangle on October 16, 1972 and included 15 elected board members:
Edith Lashway - President, Ms. Abraham Levin, Katherine Carlson, Jack Reyome, Dorothy Hayes, James Draffen, William Kessler, Richard Hood, Robert Maider, Louis Castiglione, Richard Shire, Ruth Robertson, Geraldine Becker, Thomas Barnes, Anita Barnes
The new corporation had its own charter and by-laws. There were some initial problems with the startup because the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society couldn't find the original charter and this charter was necessary for the new organization. It had to be presented to the New York State Supreme Court in order to establish its non-profit status.
Eventually the legal problems were worked out, but the new organization was faced with the question of where to locate the new Shelter. The Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society wanted $28,000 for the property on Phelps Street. There was a 20-acre parcel of land (having been purchased in 1950, the other in 1960 at a total cost of $12,500).
On June 8, 1972, Donald Sawyer, a local real estate agent, appraised the property as follows:
$20,000 - Land (20 acres)
8,000 - Buildings
$28,000 - Total
The house that was located on the property was old and in need of extensive modernization according to Sawyer. He also stated that the pond was polluted and in need of attention.
The new Board considered purchasing the existing Shelter on Phelps Street but would have needed between $100,000 and $150,000 to purchase the property, repair what buildings were already there, and construct larger facilities. As a result, the new Board rejected the idea of purchasing the old Shelter because it would be too expensive.
Another alternative was to accept the offer put forth by the county. Fulton County offered the new Humane Society land on Bleeker Mountain Road, on the eastern edge of the Fulton County Infirmary. The proposed new Shelter, to be built on this site, would hold 100 animals. However, this site was rejected because of health regulations and the limited size of the property.
November 9, 1972
The Leader Herald ran a "plea" on behalf of the new Humane Society asking that someone donate land for the new Shelter. Finally, Crawford Argotsinger donated the land on Nine Mile Tree Road where the present shelter is today. It includes about five acres.
The county assured the new shelter that it would pre-finance the capital cost of building against a portion of its annual contribution for operating expenses. On January 2, 1973, Fulton County agreed to give $65,000 to the Humane Society to be divided as follows:
$45,000 to be paid in 1973 (pre-financing)
$ 2,000 to be paid every year for a period of ten years (county's contribution)
The fund raising with the general public was not going well because most people thought that the Humane Society was State-funded. Actually, it was privately owned. It was true that Fulton County did advance money to the new Shelter, but in return, the Shelter agreed to supply services to the county. The Humane Society also had an agreement with the Cities of Johnstown and Gloversville to provide services for which it would receive money. Thomas Barnes, General Manager, clarified that the new Shelter was in "no way" connected with Fulton County as a county agency. It was a non-profit organization that would receive 50% of its revenues from the county, cities and towns and the other 50% from donations and Community Chest. The City of Gloversville agreed to pay $6,000 and the City of Johnstown to pay $4,000 toward operating costs. It would be a real "community facility".
"Except for donations, the sole income of said corporation is derived from contractual payments by three municipalities (the County of Fulton, City of Gloversville, City of Johnstown, for services rendered. . . consisting solely of picking up sick, stray, injured or deal animals, providing a shelter for the same and putting the same out for adoption where possible . . ."
It was important to establish a new Shelter as quickly as possible because both the Cities of Johnstown and Gloversville were talking about passing leash laws. If these laws were passed, a new Shelter would be needed to take care of all the dogs that would inevitably be brought there.
May 20, 1972 - Leader Herald
Pat Levin, a member of the General Board of the Humane Society, spoke up at a hearing on the leash laws. She was opposed to their passage because she stated that the Humane Society would not be large enough to hold all the dogs. She said it would make the Humane Society "a butcher" since many of the dogs picked up would eventually have to be put to sleep.
However, it was the proposed passage of these leash laws that sparked the desire to complete the new Shelter. The new facility on Nine Mile Tree Road was started in November of 1972, and it was hoped that it would be completed by Christmas. Robert Gunneson of Johnstown was the contractor. The kennel alone would cost approximately $28,630 and when completed would hold 90 animals. It would be 36 feet wide and 52 feet long. There would be a mobile home (costing $10,000) for the Manager. It was planned to add a crematorium at a later date, but this plan never materialized.
November 21, 1972 - Leader Herald
Thomas Barnes, General Manager of the former Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society, was made Manager of the new Shelter. He said, "I am a one-man show". He helped with the construction, plus investigated pet shops, stables, dairy farms, etc., for animal abuse.
December 27, 1972 - Leader Herald
Jack Reyome was elected President of the Board of Directors. He succeeded Mrs. Eva Jashaway. Thomas Barnes was officially named General Manager of the new shelter.
The new shelter actually became fully operational on February 1, 1973. A few of its operational policies included no charge for leaving animals at the Shelter and animals were kept for 30 days whenever possible. It was hoped that in the future, when space permitted, that privately-owned animals would be accepted for boarding. Adoption fees were $8 for puppies, $5 for full-grown dogs, and $2 for cats and kittens. When a pet owner showed proof of spaying to the Shelter, he would get a $3 refund on his donation/adoption fee from the Shelter. A person who did not want to spay a female cat or dog was supposedly refused adoption of a female pet. However, they were allowed to have a male animal instead.
Personnel problems seemed to plague the new facility. In April 1973, Thomas Barnes was let go as Manager and David Mannix replaced him (April 16, 1973). However, he left after working for only one month and was replaced by William VanBuren.
In June of 1973, a "scandal" disrupted the Shelter. Katherine Carlson, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Humane Society, wrote an editorial accusing the Shelter of cruelty by using a defective gas chamber to destroy the animals. She wrote in the Leader Herald:
"Few directors have the time to visit the Shelter and check on the operations and surely few would have the time or the stomach to check on that ghastly piece of equipment called the "gas chamber" which exterminates nearly 75% of all animals brought in. Due to the defectiveness of the chamber, the animals were literally tortured and the time period for them to take to be destroyed was lengthened from the standard five minutes to approximately 50 minutes. If you have any compassion for your cat or dog, do not bring it up to the Shelter, at least until we have an operable chamber."
Her editorial did a great deal of damage to the Shelter's image. As a result, an investigation was initiated. The Leader Herald followed up on the story by writing:
"Supervisor Ferguson from the Town of Northampton visited the Humane Society of Fulton County. There had been a published criticism of the gas chamber for disposing of the animals. Ferguson found nothing wrong at the Shelter but said the chamber, which cost $4,000, is useless because it was full of holes. At this time, the chamber was abandoned and a vet had been brought in to give shots to dispose of the animals. The vet was also teaching the Shelter attendant how to give the shots."
It is at this point in the Humane Society's history that Dr. James Brennan enters the picture. Three years later, in 1976, he was honored by the Humane Society and the community and given a plaque commending his services as "a friend of man and animals alike".
Near the end of June 1973, the leash law was passed in Gloversville. Any loose dogs were to be picked up and brought to the Shelter. To claim their dogs, owners had to pay a $5 redemption fee plus boarding costs, ranging from $2 - $3 a day, depending on the size of the dog.
November 27, 1973 Leader Herald
Approximately 250 animals are taken to the shelter every month. Gloversville leash laws account for the great increase in the number of animals, i.e., in October 1973, 345 animals were brought to the Shelter.
On January 7, 1974, Jack Reyome was re-elected President of the Humane Society.
Mrs. Levin, a Board member, spoke to the Rotary Club on January 16, 1974. She said that the new Shelter and Humane Society could have waited for the county or cities to build their own Shelter, but that the animals would have suffered in the meantime.
May 10, 1975 Leader Herald
At an open house at the Shelter, Elizabeth O'Neil, then 86 years old, was the special guest of honor. She was responsible for starting the first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in this area over 78 years ago. In 1898, when she was seven years old, she saw horses being beaten as they pulled coal trucks up North Main Street in Gloversville. She wrote to Henry Berg, who had established the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Boston in 1882, and asked him how she could protect the animals. He wrote back, telling her to get her classmates to promise to be kind to animals. Every child in her class signed the agreement and in return received a badge that said "Badge of Mercy, Glory to God" (they cost 2¢ apiece).
In 1979, Mrs. O'Neil is again mentioned attending an open house at the Shelter when she was 90 years old.
In June 1975, serious financial problems forced the Shelter to threaten that it would close its doors on August 15, 1975. Its operating budget was $30,000, but its income was only $20,000. The cost increases were due to higher prices for animal feed and chemicals. Donations were also down. The $20,000 income was divided accordingly:
$5,000
City of Johnstown
$6,000
City of Gloversville
Gloversville Community Chest
Johnstown Community Chest
Broadalbin
Caroga
200
Town of Johnstown
$12,750
The remaining $8,000 came from adoption fees and donations. Also, Fulton County did give its promised share of $2,000 in 1975.
The number of animals (usage) brought in from each municipality was broken down with 42.6% of the animals coming from the City of Gloversville, 14.5% from the City of Johnstown, and the remaining 42.8% coming from other villages.
Vice-President Pat Levin voiced the opinion that the towns, not just the Cities of Gloversville and Johnstown, should be forced to contribute to the upkeep of the Shelter. The duties of the Shelter at this time included handling stray animals, plus investigating complaints of cruelty and removing deal animals.
July 9, 1975 Leader Herald
The Gloversville Common Council approved an additional $4,270 in funding to keep the Shelter operational through 1975. Gloversville was now paying $10,270, while the City of Johnstown was paying $5,000. These two cities felt they had paid their fair share but that the towns were not "carrying their weight".
August 11, 1975 Leader Herald
The Fulton County Board of Supervisors was asked to appropriate $5,000 in additional money to pick up the Society's deficit. It was suggested that the county look into the possibility of it (the county) taking over the Shelter. However, the county wasn't interested in this proposal. It would mean an increase in taxes for all the citizens if it were to take over.
December 29, 1975 Leader Herald
At a meeting between the Fulton County Board of Supervisors and the Humane Society, the county was asked to give $7,800 toward the operation of the Shelter.
By January 1976, both the Cities of Johnstown and Gloversville were angered by this additional appropriation by the county. They said they were already paying more than their fair share and stated they wouldn't make any more payments until funding participation was guaranteed by the other municipalities utilizing the Shelter.
January 23, 1976 Leader Herald
The Shelter was in another financial mess again. The Shelter threatened to close on February 10, 1976. The county officials stated that the Shelter's financial problems were not the concern of the county government. The county stated that the Shelter was the concern of the local governmental bodies.
Jack Reyome was re-elected Present for 1976 and stated that the proposed budget for that year was $31,600.
In February 1976, the Cities of Gloversville and Johnstown agreed to pay their share only if they were the only municipalities allowed to use the Shelter. They felt that the other towns weren't paying their fair share toward the upkeep.
By April 1976, the Shelter's services were severely limited. Only those animals already at the Shelter would be taken care of. The shelter made it clear that no additional animals would be "picked up".
The Fulton County Board of Supervisors, under Anthony Buanno of Gloversville, "locked horns" with the Humane Society under Jack Reyome. Buanno charged the Board of Directors of the Shelter with "gross mismanagement" and asked the entire Board to resign. Jack Reyome's answer was "I'll resign if you do".
In an attempt to resolve this financial mess, the Board of the Humane Society decided to have individual contracts with any cities, villages or towns that were going to use the Shelter. Animals would only be accepted from those municipalities that signed these contracts and paid.
On May 5, 1976, the City of Gloversville signed a one-year contract retroactive to January 1, 1976.
This angered the other municipalities, especially Broadalbin. Supervisor Leslie from Broadalbin tried to bring all the animals from there to the Montgomery County Humane Society. Montgomery County's Humane Society Director called this turn of events a "range war" between the Fulton County Humane Society and the Fulton County Board of Supervisors.
By June 16, 1976, the Humane Society had contracts (based on usage) with the City of Johnstown, City of Gloversville, Towns of Bleeker and Northampton, Town of Johnstown, Village of Northville and one month later, Broadalbin signed.
David LaVada was elected the new President for 1977 and four more towns signed the contracts (Ephrata, Caroga, Perth and Stratford).
March 19, 1977 Leader Herald
The Shelter picked up not only cats and dogs, but also horses. By the end of 1977, the Shelter had handled 2,529 animal cases and investigated all kinds of cases of cruelty and neglect.