Montgomery County Humane Society Records
Scope and Contents
The Montgomery County Humane Society Records detail the history of the Society including materials that mirror its transition from an organization that consisted of two major departments (the Children’s Department and Animal’s Department) to one which focused solely one department (the Animal’s Department). Within this collection are meeting minutes, case studies, newspaper clippings and newsletters, and photographs and videos.
Series I, Administrative Records, consists of materials that document the administrative history of the Society. Included in this series are the constitution and by-laws of the organization as well as meeting minutes of the Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees.
Series II, Financial Records, consists of monthly financial statements of the Society. In addition to these documents, there are also audits and reports.
Series III, Programs and Publicity Records, consists primarily of photocopies of articles relating to the work of the Humane Society in its endeavors to help animals. The articles are diverse in their focus. Some articles discuss animal cruelties and the methods in which some animals’ lives are terminated in shelters. Other articles were written for the purpose of encouraging pet adoption from humane shelters. There were other, more light-hearted and uplifting, articles about pets and their owners. In addition to the news clippings, there are some newsletters that the Society publishes titled “Animal Talk.” There are also Society reports of various events that it held.
Series IV, Construction Records, consist of materials related to the building of a new facility for the Humane Society. Included in this series are grant proposals, permits, plans, and periodic updates on the project.
Series V, Audio and Visual Material, consists of photos of shelter workers and volunteers and the events in which they participated to help benefit the animals within the shelter. There were also some photographs of animals at these various events. There are also several VHS tapes of various events hosted by the Humane Society.
Dates
- Creation: 1901-2002
Creator
- Humane Society of Greater Dayton (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on accessing material in this collection; however, due to preservation concerns, only reference copies of original videocassettes can be accessed in the reading room. Items without reference copies can be digitized at the request of a patron for the cost of creating a digital copy. Please provide us at least two weeks advance notice if you would like to request an audio or video reference copy. Call (937) 775-2092 or e-mail us at library-archives@wright.edu. Use of digitized content is subject to conditions governing use.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
The Montgomery County Humane Society was organized in 1901 as one of ten organizations affiliated with the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy of the Greater Dayton Association. It is a non-profit, tax deductible, incorporated, private organization, chartered by the state and empowered by the Ohio Revised Code to offer their services to the County Commissioners. The intent and purpose which brought the Society into being is the inculcation of humane principles towards all living creatures.
Originally the work of the society was divided into two departments, the Children’s Department and the Animal’s Department. The Society dealt with complaints related to violations of the law relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and children, abandonment, non-support or ill-treatment of a child by its parents, the employment of underage children in vocations injurious to health, life and morals, the neglect or refusal of an adult to support destitute parents, and paternity issues. Gradually, the majority of the other concerns were delegated to other departments so that today the Society has charge of animal control for the City of Dayton and Montgomery County, operates an animal shelter, and investigates complaints of cruelty to animals. Occasionally, the Society will cooperate with Family Services in investigating child-abuse complaints. The Humane Officers are law enforcement officers with full police powers, including concealed weapon bond and powers of arrest where animal law violators are concerned.
The general mission of the Society is the enforcement of state animal law in Montgomery County. The duties include:
1. Maintaining an animal shelter for lost, sick, injured, abandoned, stray, and unwanted animals.
2. Rescuing animals in distress.
3. Adoption of pets into new homes.
4. Providing quarantine kennels for animals suspected of rabies.
5. Teaching kindness towards all living creatures.
6. Providing euthanasia when necessary.
7. Representing the community at the legislative level in state and national humane activities.
The Society receives its income from three main sources:
1. A portion of dog license fees and fines distributed with the County, performed on a monthly basis from the Montgomery County Dog and Kennel Fund.
2. The Animal Shelter for services, covered by an agreement with the County, performed on privately owned animals.
3. The memberships and donations received from backers and supporters sympathetic to their cause.
There is an actual fourth source of income when the County Commissioners make an appropriation for the Human Society out of the County General Fund.
Extent
5.75 linear feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Montgomery County Humane Society Records detail the history of the Society including materials that mirror its transition from an organization that consisted of two major departments (the Children’s Department and Animal’s Department) to one which focused solely one department (the Animal’s Department). Within this collection are meeting minutes, case studies, newspaper clippings and newsletters, and photographs and videos. These materials provide insight into the ways in which the organization (today known as the Humane Society of Greater Dayton) provides humane treatment for the animals it houses and the ways in which it attempts to have each animal adopted.
Arrangement
The Montgomery County Humane Society Records are organized into five series:
- Series I: Administrative Records
- Series II: Financial Records
- Series III: Programs and Publicity Records
- Series IV: Construction Records
- Series V: Audio and Visual Material
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Included in this collection are 14 VHS tapes.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Montgomery County Humane Society Records were accessioned into Special Collections and Archives at Wright State University through the local records program of the Ohio Historical Society in April of 1978.
Accruals
Future additions to the collection are possible.
Processing Information
Two newspaper clipping scrapbooks with significant preservation issues were photocopied and the originals discarded due to their condition and to prevent potential harm to nearby materials. The clipping scrapbooks exhibited mold, dirt, brittle and acidic clippings and paper pages, and adhesive staining.
- Title
- Guide to the Montgomery County Humane Society Records (MS-101)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Ellen Guillemette
- Date
- 1980 June
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2005 March: Additions Processed by Patrick Maxton.
- 2012 April: Additions Processed by Patricia A. McEldowney.
- 2012 April: In April 2012, the Montgomery County Humane Society Records were reorganized in order to update the finding aid and the collection as well as to make the series more concise and therefore make the collection more accessible. The previous arrangement included eight series. During the revisions of the collection, these were reorganized into five series.
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092
library-archives@wright.edu
