Title: Racine County Humane Society Records
Inclusive Dates: 1935-1968

Creator:

• Racine County Humane Society (Wis.)

Call Number: Parkside Mss 65

Quantity: 1.0 c.f. (3 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the Archives & Area Research Center, Library/Learning Center, University of Wisconsin-Parkside; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Parkside Library / Parkside Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Records of the Humane Society and its predecessor, the Humane Relief Society of Racine County (founded in 1935), consisting of correspondence, financial records, membership lists, board minutes, newsclippings, and reports of investigations of the Racine County Humane Agent. Other files document the numbers of animals received and disposed of by the Small Animal Shelter, and bills and statistics kept by veterinarians for their services to the Humane Society. The collection reflects the long-time interest and activities of a founder of the Racine County Humane Society, Ruth Teuscher.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-pks0065

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On a Sunday afternoon in November 1935, a group of Racine citizens who were interested in the humane treatment of animals, met at the YMCA to form a humane society. The six organizers of the new society were Ruth Teuscher, Margaret Rohan, Adolph Gillund, Dr. R.C. Evans, and Human Davidson. The organization was named the Humane Relief Society of Racine County, a charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to receiving lost and unwanted dogs and cats and caring for them until their owners could be found, or until they were humanely disposed of.

On December 15, 1935, the shelter opened in the Terminal Building, 1 Main Street. This facility became inadequate during the subsequent severe winter, In January 1936, the shelter moved to 2434 W. High Street. At that time the only paid employee was the shelter caretaker. All funds were obtained by membership fees, and throughout the first two years of operation, there was a constant struggle for funding. In October 1937, the shelter was forced to close because of the lack of insurance.

From 1937 to 1942, the society operated at a minimal level. Homeless animals were boarded at the hospital of Nels Christensen, and members used their own cars to transport stray animals located by the police. In 1940 Donald Hess volunteered as Humane Agent, a position he held until 1945.

The Humane Society was incorporated April 30, 1940. In September 1943, the Racine city council asked the society to open a shelter that would also serve as a city-funded dog pound. Temporary quarters were found at 1816 16th Street in October. On January 2, 1944, the new shelter opened at 1152 Washington Avenue. The records do not indicate when the name changed from Humane Relief Society to the Racine County Humane Society, but by 1944 the change had occurred. During these years Ruth Teuscher was the driving force behind the Society and the shelter; from 1943 until her retirement in 1965 she served as director.

The Washington Avenue facility was completely paid for in 1947, due to the fund-raising efforts of Louis Jorgenson, treasurer, and Mrs. Hess, membership chairman. In 1957 a search began for a larger facility with more parking space. A suitable location was found outside of city limits at 1121 Stuart Road, north of Hwy 20. Successful fund-raising resulted in the May 1959 opening of the new shelter, with operating costs to be partially funded by the county. At that time the shelter was considered the best facility of its kind anywhere, for the-size of the area served.

The records reflect the involvement and interest of Ruth Teuscher in the work of the Humane Society, and thus, most of the files end in 1965, when she retired as director. The correspondence file continues to 1968, through her tenure as corresponding secretary. There are few records from the period 1937 to 1942, when the animal shelter was closed because of lack of funds.

The earliest records in the collection are in one folder of correspondence, clippings, budgets, financial statements and miscellany of the Humane Relief Society, 1935-l937. Organizational records of the Racine County Humane Society include correspondence; employee records; financial audit reports, budgets, petty cash reports, reports to the city comptroller, and account records of costs, petty cash, and receipts and expenditures; membership lists; board minutes; and newsclippings. Also included is information on the Red Star Relief Course for the Handling of Animals in Wartime, which Miss Teuscher studied in Chicago and later taught in Racine. The work of the Racine County Humane Agent is documented through reports of investigations of complaints of animal mistreatment and noise. The Small Animal Shelter maintained monthly reports of stray animals picked up and strays and aged animals put to sleep, Also included are the rules and policies of the Small Animal Shelter and veterinarians' bills for animal care and spaying statistics.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Ruth Teuscher, Kenosha, Wisconsin, 1981. Accession Number: M81-311

Processing Information

Processed by Betsy Parks and Joanne Hohler, 1985; and by Menzi Behrnd Klodt, 1986.

	Agent reports
Box   2 Folder   3-5	1948-1961
Box   3 Folder   1	1962-1964
	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	1935-1937 (with clippings, budgets, financial statements, and miscellany)
Box   1 Folder   2	1942-1968
Box   1 Folder   3	Employee schedules, biographical data, and miscellany
	Financial records
Box   1 Folder   4-7	Accounts, 1943-1966
Box   1 Folder   8	Audits, 1958-1960, 1962-1967
Box   1 Folder   9	Budgets, 1945-1962
Box   3 Folder   2	Costs of small animal care, 1941-1943
Box   1 Folder   10	Petty cash, 1959-1964
Box   1 Folder   11	Quarterly reports to City Comptroller, 1943-1955
Box   1 Folder   12	Membership lists, 1958-1962
Box   1 Folder   13	Minutes of board meetings, 1961-1964
Box   2 Folder   1	Newsclippings and publicity, ca. 1940-1967
Box   2 Folder   2	Red Star Animal Relief Course
	Small Animal Shelter
Box   2 Folder   6	Aged animals put to sleep by request, 1958-1961
Box   2 Folder   7-8	Disposals and receipts, 1942-1965
Box   2 Folder   9	Disposals and receipts by township, 1959-1961
Box   2 Folder   10	Rules and policies
	Veterinarians' records
Box   2 Folder   11	Bills for services rendered, 1951-1964
Box   2 Folder   12	Records of animals spayed, 1959-1965