OUR HISTORY

In 1905, the residents of Washington County made a plea to the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society of Pittsburgh to place a humane officer in Washington County.

Later, in 1905, a committee of attorneys from Canonsburg prepared a draft for a charter called The Washington County Humane Society to be enacted. It was to be a county organization in the strictest sense, and the employment of humane agents was to be paid through membership fees of $5 for men and $2 for women. The organization’s goal was to employ humane agents throughout the county to look after the hundreds of cases of cruelty and neglect of animals, children, and the elderly.

As a result of these efforts, The Washington County Humane Society was incorporated on January 3, 1906, and Judge John McIlvaine of Washington County was among the prominent citizens who signed the original incorporation papers.

Captain Alexandar Wishart was the first appointed humane agent in Washington County. He responded to over 40 cases in his first three months on the job.

January 27^th,1906, the first charges were filed for cruelty to children. George Sharp, an agent of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, assisted Alexander Wishart on his first charges against a man who was abused and neglected by his son. There was a hearing in front of Justice Magill, and the abuser was fined $37.50. The boy was relocated to the local Children’s home for safety.  This was the first successful prosecution by the Washington County Humane Society. He investigated over 50 cases during his service. He passed away in August of 1906 at age 72.

In 1908, George W. Clutter was appointed as a human agent for several years and served as a Washington Police Officer for over twenty years.

In June 1913, Joseph D. Jackson was elected humane agent at the courthouse. The organization was reestablished to restore activity to society. Harry F. Moore was elected president, along with other board members whose job was to employ agents and handle other businesses of the society.

The society’s first documented fundraiser was in 1915. Myrtle Brockman arranged a concert that benefitted the society. Jane Tuttle sang at the Seminary Assembly Hall in Washington, Pennsylvania.

In 1918 the Washington County Humane Society complained about how strays were being disposed of and left to die under the new dog law.

The Washington Area Humane Society’s activity from 1918 through 1948 is little known. It may have been a period of inactivity. We know that the five-acre property on Route 136 in Eighty Four that now houses the Washington Area Humane Society was used as a stray dog holding in 1943. However, the property was not purchased until 1952.

Through the will of Clara C.B. Lockhart, who died in 1931, a trust was established to initiate a humane society in the county. Clara had a farm in Claysville, PA called Dixie Farm, where she rescued and cared for over 1,000 animals, including horses, cats, dogs, and sheep. The farm was sold, and the estate was valued at $88,000. A lack of interest delayed the use of the Lockhart Trust funds for about 20 years, but in the early 1950s, the American Humane Association reactivated the society under the terms of the Lockhart Trust. The Washington County Humane Society was a charter of the AHA.

In 1952, R.T. Phillips, of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA), purchased the current property housing the Washington County Humane Society in Eighty Four. The money from the Lockhart Trust was used to purchase the land. A dog pound existed on the property that could house 20 dogs. In 1952, the Washington County Humane Society authorized an agreement with the City of Washington that they would pick up stray animals when requested by officials of any municipality where there was a working agreement. The association had a panel truck used to pick up strays. Pete J. Kudak was the shelter manager and resident at the shelter during this time.

In May 1955, Nelson Morrison was hired as shelter manager, and improvements were made to the house and kennel buildings. Now, up to 20 cats could also be held. Details of the pets were kept in efforts for adoption. Adopters were asked to return pets to the shelter if they could no longer keep them. In 1956, Phillips transferred to the AHA in Denver as executive secretary. Remote operations from Denver were not satisfactory, and it was requested that the local board and management be established. IN 1958, Nelson pleaded in a newspaper article that the society needed more animal holding to meet the county’s demands.

A reorganization meeting was held on April 22, 1968, and the Washington Area Humane Society established a new local board of directors. R.T. Phillips was president, Harry Brown Vice President, Laurence Addleman Treasurer, and A.C. Gregg Secretary. Harold Fergus, J.T. Herron, Ruth Rutherford, George Speers, and Edward Martin made up the new board consisting of 9 members. Clara Lockhart’s intentions in her will help structure the bylaws of the reorganized Washington County Humane Society. Alan Gregg was named administrator in 1969 and initiated a building fund campaign. With the help of several foundations and many benevolent area individuals, the campaign moved into high gear, and the prospect of a new shelter moved closer to reality. The AHA agreed in July 1970 to transfer the property title in North Strabane Township to the Washington County Humane Society. The new shelter was built in 1976 and opened in 1977 with Mr. and Mrs. John Chilzer as managers.

Another transition occurred in 2000 as the Washington County Humane Society changed its name to the Washington Area Humane Society. This was done, according to WAHS officials, “mainly to end the misconception that the shelter was funded or operated by Washington County.” In that same year, the society became a no-kill shelter.  In 2001, the Cat Castle Sanctuary was opened in a 1905 Victorian Farmhouse on the property. It housed cats and kittens in large rooms. Later, it had to be destroyed due to the age of the home. From 2001 through today, the Washington Area Humane Society continued employing humane officers who have rescued tens of thousands of animals from neglect and abuse over the years.

In 2016, the WAHS hired its first Executive Director, Kelly Proudfit, in an effort to revamp the organization in anticipation of a much-needed new facility. In 2018, the Washington Area Humane Society launched a New Home, New Hope Capital Campaign to raise money for a new 10,000-square-foot facility costing 4.6 million dollars. Construction began in late 2018 and was completed in December 2019. The entire project was funded through the success of the campaign. Staff and volunteers moved animals up to the new building on the back of the five-acre property on December 31, 2019.

Washington Area Humane Society’s board of directors is dedicated to the well-being and continuation of the shelter as an organization and the humane care of animals in Washington County.

Original Kennel From 1960s. Demolished in 2020.

Architecture Rendering of New Shelter Built in 2019.