Historedia
AmericasEvent

Founding of the ASPCA by Henry Bergh

When
1866–1867
Where
New York City; New York State; Clinton Hall
Episodes
4

Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York City on April 10, 1866. He assumed the unpaid presidency after receiving an official charter, following his advocacy at Clinton Hall and the passage of state anti-cruelty legislation.

Episodes

  1. 1866-02-08 · Clinton HallClinton Hall Advocacy

    Bergh pleaded on behalf of animals at a meeting at Clinton Hall in New York City on February 8, 1866.

  2. 1866-04-10 · New York CityCharter Grant

    Bergh received an official charter to incorporate the ASPCA in New York City on April 10, 1866, after gathering signatures for his declaration.

  3. 1866-04-19 · New York StateEnforcement Rights

    The ASPCA was granted the right to enforce anti-cruelty laws in New York shortly after its founding.

  4. 1867 · New York CityFirst Ambulance

    In 1867, the ASPCA operated its first ambulance for injured horses and began broader advocacy efforts.

Background and detail

Background. Henry Bergh, born in New York City in 1813, established the ASPCA in 1866. His motivation stemmed from the belief that animals deserved legal protection and respectful treatment. The organization was based in New York City from its inception, aiming to prevent cruelty throughout the United States.

Founding Process. Bergh gathered signatures for his "Declaration of the Rights of Animals" before securing an official charter. The New York state legislature granted the act of incorporation on April 10, 1866. Bergh assumed the role of president without financial compensation, establishing the organization's leadership structure.

Early Operations. Following the founding, the ASPCA was granted the right to enforce anti-cruelty laws in New York. In 1867, the organization operated its first ambulance for injured horses and began advocating for humane treatment of various animals, including cats, dogs, and live pigeons.

People involved

Sources

  1. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01
  2. Henry Bergh Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-20

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.