Our story begins more than 40 years ago, in the cold winter of 1958, when a small group of dedicated men and women turned their passion into a purpose. Quite simply, they loved animals. And they wanted to make our community a safer, healthier place for pets and people alike.
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The idea certainly wasn’t new. For years, different groups had tried to put a humane organization in place in Brown County. Each time, these efforts faded into obscurity.
But unlike their predecessors, the founders of what would become the Bay Area Humane Society & Animal Shelter were original bootstrappers, determined to use their courage, creativity, and chutzpah to make a difference. To find a better way. For the animals. For the citizens of our community. And they did it.
In January 1959, the Humane Society & Animal Shelter, Inc., was created as a not-for-profit organization to promote the humane treatment of animals, and provide protection, care, and shelter for unwanted and homeless pets. The original Board of Directors consisted of many of the driving forces behind The Shelter: Ruth VanBeek, Anna Marie Gaffney, Ben Thomas, Hank Braedel, Loren Longmore, Harold Maloney, Letah Cohen, Jeanne Fischer and Bette Anderson.
Things were different back then. Very different. The Shelter had no building in which to house animals. Instead, members met each Saturday at Hank’s Sport Shop on Adams Street, where owner Hank Braedel would set aside an area for people to bring pets for others to adopt. Volunteers like Ed Kocha would take station wagons full of dogs and cats to the WBAY studios, where they’d appear on the Colonel Caboose show hosted by Russ Widoe. People came from as far away as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to adopt the pets they saw on TV.
In the early days, Shelter members were deputized officers of the Brown County Sheriffs Department, with authority to enforce animal humane laws. It was the only way they could put a stop to the animal abuse that was taking place. It was also a critical step establishing credibility for the Shelter’s Animal Rescue services, which continue to this day (although the staff are no longer deputized).
In 1960, The Shelter’s Saturday operations were moved to a space provided by Emil Fischer Jr. at the Atlas Cold Storage warehouse. Despite operating under difficult conditions, Shelter members made a commitment that all assets except those needed for minimum operating expenses were to be retained in a building fund. The goal was to construct an independent Shelter large enough so no animal need be turned away.
By the summer of 1961, The Shelter had found its first permanent home - the former Chase Animal Clinic on Broadway. With services expanding and a building to care for, The Shelter hired its first employees. Anne Marie Gaffney and Anna Repitz came on as, “part-time lady managers, who, in truth devoted nearly full time to The Society at half price.”
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