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Our History
The first anti-cruelty laws were passed in England in 1822. An affluent Russian, Henry Bergh, had studied the accomplishments of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and when he immigrated to the United States he established the first American humane society in 1866. That organization is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in New York City.
Today all humane societies are independent and autonomous from one another as well as from any national or international organizations such as the American Humane Association (AHA) or the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
The San Diego Humane Society and SPCA was organized on March 10, 1880 and is the oldest and largest humane society in San Diego County. We are also one of the county’s first nonprofit organizations. The founding fathers were George W. Marston and George W. Hazzard. Records dated June 9, 1880 indicate the first fine was levied by the Humane Society for $2.00 against “Mr. Collins’ boy for overriding a colt”. The founding fathers were serious and ambitious about tackling cruelty. Within four months of organizing the Humane Society there was an arrest and trial for animal cruelty. Unfortunately details of that case are lost to history.
Between 1914 and 1951 the Humane Society occupied a number of sites. In 1934 it signed a contract with the City of San Diego to run the shelter, (then called "the pound"), under the supervision of the county department of health. The contract continued until July of 1943. Since that time the Humane Society has handled only owner-relinquished animals.
On July 27, 1951 the first animals were moved to a site on Sherman Street. The site was leased from the City of San Diego and had formerly been used as a milk plant. The only remaining structure from that time is the old customer service areas and the Senior Director’s office. Between 1958 and 1974 various expansions and additions were made to accommodate expanding staff, services and numbers of animals. In 2000 the 49-year lease with the city expired and the Board of Trustees purchased the Sherman Street facility.
In 1988, four acres were purchased in Poway and a facility constructed to house and rehabilitate abused and neglected large animals as well as providing safe housing for large groups of animals evacuated during natural disasters such as the Tijuana Floods in 1993. After the Cedar Fires in 2003, when the facility had to be evacuated, the Humane Society determined that its large animal rescue was more effective as a mobile operation, so in 2005 the organization sold the Poway facility.
Three areas of unique interest are the Humane Society’s Investigations Department, the volunteer Animal Rescue Reserve and the Glorious Antiques store. The humane officers in the Investigations Department are empowered by state law to enforce the laws regarding animals and have full arrest powers. Although we can and do take cases of misdemeanor and felony animal abuse to the courts, the officers also educate pet owners as to the laws regarding pet ownership.
Former director Bill Virden, as a consequence of a disastrous fire, formed the Animal Rescue Reserve (ARR) in 1970. At that time, many animals died and others became separated from their owners and were never reunited. The chaos of the situation made it clear that a more structured method of evacuating animals and providing temporary housing was needed. The ARR was the first of its kind in the country and has provided a model for other societies to follow The volunteers are skilled in communication systems as well as the physical skills needed to handle themselves and animals in stressful, dangerous situations. Today these volunteers assist in a variety of rescues, from a kitten stuck inside a wall to a horse trapped in a well.
Long-time supporters and volunteers, Betsy Hillyer and Sheila Vardaman, conceived Glorious Antiques in 1974. Formerly located on Girard Avenue in La Jolla, the store sold antiques, china, furniture, art and jewelry. Some items were donated and others were on consignment. Over the last 32 years this unique store has produced substantial income and good will for the Humane Society. However, the store was closed in 2006 so that the organization could focus on other initiatives.
Twenty-five years ago, because of the volume of animals coming to the shelter, the concentration of labor and resources was on reducing the unwanted animal population by euthanasia. The limited resources also meant that animals chosen for adoption were given little medical attention and were not spayed or neutered. There was no veterinary staff and vaccinations were rare.
Today, increased public awareness of the importance of reducing the number of unwanted animals, the value of spaying and neutering as well as legislation requiring sterilization have reduced the numbers of animals coming into the shelter and the Humane Society is able to provide many more services to both the animals and the community.
All dogs and cats 8 weeks of age and older are spayed or neutered before adoption. They also receive vaccinations, are micro-chipped and receive expert medical care to treat medical conditions that could slow the adoption process. The Humane Society now has 24/7 medical care available to its animals, the Public Relations & Marketing department works in a variety of ways to showcase the animals in the media and the development of a Behavior & Training Department has increased our ability to evaluate and assist many animals with minor behavior problems and improve their adoptability. Training classes and seminars help to ensure that adopted animals stay in their new homes.
As the Humane Society expanded its role in the community and sought to increase the number of adoptions, it became clear that Sherman St. could no longer meet the needs and goals of the organization.
The Humane Society began looking for a new site in about 1997. In 1999 officials of the City and County of San Diego asked the Humane Society to consider building a new facility adjacent to the proposed County Animal Services facility on Gaines Street. The proposal included the purchase of 2 acres from the city and the construction of a 4,000-sq. ft. facility.
When the sale was finalized, construction began on the Department of Animal Services facility. After a year-long delay caused by a fire just before opening, the Department opened its doors in 2002. The Humane Society began demolition of the old Department of Animal Services (DAS) structures and moved to its new quarters on the site in September of 2003.
The new location is called the San Diego Campus for Animal Care and includes both the County of San Diego, Department of Animal Services and the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA. The development of this joint complex allows for greater efficiencies through coordination of function and services by the Humane Society and DAS. This unique approach to plan and develop comprehensive animal care and public services is the first of its kind and serves as a model for other communities across the country. The Humane Society and the Department of Animal Services developed a Joint Operating Agreement to lay the groundwork for the efficient and humane handling of animals relinquished to them. In addition the move to larger, more modern facilities has allowed the Humane Society to:
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House more animals in healthy, state-of-the-art facilities and to provide attractive and comfortable habitats for them as they become adoptable. -
Expand the community programs to support current and future pet-owners -
Reduce the relinquishment of pets by providing many more high quality training classes and behavior consultations -
Expand the veterinary staff to provide expert medical care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for animals in our care. -
Develop a resource center and destination for the community for any of their animal related activities -
Provide spay/neuter services to the Department of Animal Services to continue to reduce the population of unwanted animals
The future is bright for the San Diego Humane Society and for the people and animals of San Diego County!
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