Bands of Mercy

Bands of Mercy were formal, locally led organizations in the 19th and 20th centuries that brought people—especially children and adolescents—together to learn about kindness to non-human animals.

[3] In 1882, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) assumed responsibility for organizing and promoting the Band of Mercy and its publications.

[5][6] Following the British model, George T. Angell, founder and first president of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), and the Rev.

In general, though, Bands of Mercy would hold regular meetings that began with the members pledging: "I will try to be kind to all living creatures, and try to protect them from cruel usage.

In 1935 the Band was renamed the RSPCA Junior Division and the magazine retitled Animal Ways,[10] lasting well into the second half of the century.

[11] Membership was not limited to children and adolescents; adults would hold officer positions and would use the Bands as a forum to discuss animal cruelty issues and how to handle them.

The red scare and the space race also focused much of U.S. education towards math and science, further reducing the immediate post-war interest in Bands of Mercy.