The history of the Animal Humane Society offers a jaw-dropping glimpse into Minneapolis life in the late 1800s. This was a time when horses struggled to pull loads up Lowry Hill and dogs at the pound were drowned in the Mississippi River. As part of a national movement, the humane society formed to prosecute cruelty to animals — and they prosecuted cruelty to children too. Investigating hundreds of cases, humane agents became the state’s first social workers and probation officers.
This episode of the MinneCulture podcast from Michelle Bruch traces Minnesota’s relationship to animals, from the workhorse era to the pandemic-puppy era. Photo courtesy of the Animal Humane Society.