170 Years of Caring: The Animal Welfare Movement in Bangor, Maine

Abstract

The history of the animal welfare movement in Bangor, Maine dates to the first decades of the nineteenth century: Over the course of its long history, the movement's emphasis shifted from a focus on livestock and urban workhorses in the nineteenth century to children and animals at the turn of the century and finally to companion animals, primarily cats and dogs. These shifts, the author argues, reflect economic and technological changes as well as a transformation in society's perception of animals. A Maine native, John Blaisdell, is currently working on a book exploring the history of Maine's animal welfare movement. He has a Ph.D. from Iowa State University and teaches in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Maine, Orono.