Humane Society Anniversary Day

A small group of like-minded people concerned with animal welfare founded the Humane Society on Nov. 22, 1954. In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952, Dr. Albert Schweitzer noted that “compassion, in which ethics takes root, does not assume its true proportions until it embraces not only man but every living being.” This is the principle on which journalist Fred Myers and three others founded the Humane Society in Washington D.C. on this date in 1954. They wanted to address what they perceived as cruelties to animals on national scale, and to resolve animal welfare problems by applying strategies beyond the ability of local organizations.

American Humane — the country's first national humane organization — was founded on October 9 in Cleveland, Ohio, by local humane society representatives from around the United States. The new organization's first goal was to secure humane treatment for working animals and livestock in transit.

Humane Society International was founded in 1991 with its headquarters located in Washington, D.C. Humane Society Anniversary Day is a day that celebrates the establishment of the organization. Humane Society Anniversary Day is an annual event and always takes place every year on November 22.