Tracks Through Time: 1907 to Present
Marin Humane Society Milestones
The Beginning
1907 Ethel H. Tompkins founds Marin County Humane Society December 14th
1912 Society sets up first animal shelter in San Rafael stables
1913 Society begins first public school education program
1914 World War I begins
1915 Society celebrates first Be Kind to Animals Week
1923 Women win right to vote
1927 Society moves to rented building on Grand Ave. at Third St. in San Rafael
1929 Donor pays for purchase of shelter building
1929 Stock Market crash; Great Depression follows
1930 Society embarks on capital campaign to expand facilities
1935 Scott Tilden, first full-time humane officer, hired
1937 Golden Gate Bridge opens
1939 World War II begins
1940 Mrs. Levant Brown founds Women's Auxiliary; Society boasts 207 "subscribers"
1941 Pearl Harbor attacked
1948 Auxiliary chapters active in four Marin towns
1949 Society assumes County poundkeeping duties; facilities expand
1951 Color television invented
1951 Ethel Tompkins receives American Humane Association "FIDO" Award recognizing most outstanding humanitarian in the nation
1955 Society campaigns to educate owners on hazards of dogs running loose
1957 Mel Morse hired as Humane Society Manager
Ushering In A New Era
1958 Adoption Fee: $5; first IBM computer used for dog license records
1961 Humane Society Thrift Shop opens in San Anselmo
1962 Cuban Missle Crisis
1962 Society speaks out against furs; opposes leg-hold traps
1963 Seven-acre parcel in Ignacio purchased for shelter relocation and expansion
1966 Humane Society establishes Tiburon's Blackie Memorial Fund
1967 Stinson Beach rancher arrested in major cockfighting case
1968 New shelter in Novato dedicated
1969 First man on moon; Woodstock Music Festival
1969 Nation's first full-time Humane Educator Madelon Tormanen hired
1970 Clubbing of northern fur seals and bullfighting opposed
1971 Society promotes awareness of County's mountain lions
1972 Society educates public about coyotes, urges trapping ban
1973 MHS Spay and Neuter Clinic opens
1974 Society purchases nearby 15-acre Ignacio wetlands preserve
1975 Voluntary cat registration program established
1976 Society opposes Greyhound racing in California
1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident
As We Know It Today
1980 Diane Allevato named as new Executive Director; mandatory sterilization of adopted cats and dogs implemented; Marin County Humane Society name shortened to Marin Humane Society
1981 Personal Computer (PC) introduced
1981 Small store, "The Pet Perch," open in shelter lobby selling leashes and collars; Society opposes factory farming
1982 "Animal Custodians" become "Animal Care Technicians"; groundbreaking for Whittell Building
1983 Whittell Building dedication; local ordinance bans loose dogs in open pickup trucks
1985 Shelter pet supply outlet expands and is renamed "Animal Outfitters"; MHS hosts first State Humane Officer Training Academy
1986 First MHS Canine Games
1988 SHARE Program founded; Society protests issuing of patents on genetically altered animals; first adoption animal receives microchip identification
1989 Exxon Valdez Spill, Alaska
1989 First Sam's Anchor Cafe SHARE Benefit Golf Tournament
1991 Society rescues Oakland Firestorm animals
1992 Cat Fund established; first Animal Chronicles published
1993 Internet launched
1993 Guardians for Life Program starts; 232 research Beagles rescued
1994 Good Manners Class trains shelter dogs
1995 Inverness Mt. Vision Fire - MHS coordinates animal rescues; City of Novato enacts cat licensing
1996 Early spay and neuter of adoption puppies and kittens
1997 Dolly the Sheep cloned
1997 Pet Partnership Program begins; Companions in Crisis Program assists victims of domestic violence
1998 K9 Care Program established to aid dogs in law enforcement and public safety; special Small Companion Animal area in shelter lobby opens
1999 First Junior Volunteer Program offered; first Cat Expo event
2000 MHS Named "Best Place to Volunteer" by Pacific Sun readers; Adoption Program expands to outpost locations
2001 Auxiliary Thrift Shop celebrates 40th anniversary; Shelter's Behavior and Training addition dedicated; Trail Manners class debuts
2002 Full-service MHS Web site launched; 75,000th sterilization surgery performed at MHS clinic
2004 Rover vehicle lands on Mars
2004 Golden Paw Society recognizes major donors; MHS initiates chapter of Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots Youth Club
2005 Pen Pals of San Quentin Program begins; "Share A Book" helps students learn to read; "Orphans of the Storm" brings over 2,500 Hurricane Katrina victims to Bay Area shelters
2006 MHS volunteer roster hits 750 mark; MHS places its 250,000th adoption animal
Links
Book Excerpt: Making Tracks - The Marin Humane Society Celebrates 100 Years (available for purchase)
2007 Schedule of Events
Centennial Press Release
Photos
Centennial Introduction - It's our birthday!
