History of the HSOY, Part I

Originally published in the Summer/Spring issue of the Humane Society of Yuma's Paw Prints

While the Humane Society of Yuma* was incorporated in 1963 and built our current shelter in 1965, our story begins years earlier as a grassroots, often fledgling, group that worked to advance animal welfare and reform animal control services in Yuma.

HSOY is and always has been an independent organization from any national or regional organization; however, the seeds of this organization were planted by an American Humane campaign to organize local humane society chapters.

The Yuma Sun makes its first reference to a local humane society in September of 1949, when a representative from American Humane came to Yuma to assess animal control services and weigh interest in organizing a local humane society. In fact, the American Humane organizer told the Yuma Sun that the local group would be a chapter of the Arizona Humane Society. Interestingly enough, Arizona Humane only traces its roots back to 1957. The Yuma County Humane Society was or ganized in February of 1950 following a return visit from the American Humane representative.

The newly-formed humane society got off to a meteoric start, with the opening of what was touted as being only the second emergency animal aid station in the United States. Located at a Texaco at the intersection of Fortuna Road and old Highway 80, it’s stated mission was to rescue pets that had been lost or dropped off by passing visitors or travelers. A problem that, of course, still persists today. The organization began a membership drive that May. Dues were set at one dollar.

By the fall of 1950, Yuma County Humane Society President Betty Gowan hosted a weekly, hour-long broadcast on KBLU. In 1951, the City of Yuma passed its “leash law” ordinance, evidently much to the credit of the organization’s lobbying. There is no mention of the organization in the papers after 1951 until March of 1954. It is at this point that the HSOY’s own archive of newspaper clippings and mimeographed correspondence begins.

Mrs. Gowan organized a meeting at City Hall to express opposition to the existing dog pound that had been built in 1947, which was located several hundred yards behind City Hall. Among the inadequacies cited was that it had no running water and therefore water for the dogs had to be hauled in with pails. A couple of months following the renewed Yuma County Humane Society, the Arizona state legislature passed a law mandating that county governments provide rabies control and dog licensing. The new law sparked discussions between city and county officials. County officials did not believe they should pay for these mandated services.

The resulting ‘dog pact,’ as it was called by the Yuma Sun, led to the establishment of the first city-county pound. The pound was built in the city dump, which is under today’s West Wetlands Park.While initially supportive of the new city-county pound and service agreement, the humane society soon became critical of both city and county officials as promised improvements failed to materialize.