On April 14, 1869, a group of forward-
thinking women in Philadelphia estab-
lished America’s first animal shelter—the
Women’s Humane Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Now
known as the Women’s Animal Center
(WAC), the shelter is still saving the lives of
homeless and abused pets 150 years later.
“They didn’t have their own voice to vote,
and here they were advocating for animals,”
says the WAC’s current CEO, Catherine
Malkemes, of the shelter’s all-female found-
ers. Outraged over the way animals were
pulled off the streets and euthanized at the
city’s animal pound, Philadelphia philan-
thropist Caroline Earle White and 30 other
women successfully petitioned the mayor
of Philadelphia to let them take over the
facility so they could work to find homes for
the strays that had been picked up. “They
came up with the words ‘animal shelter’ and
that whole concept,” says Malkemes. Today
WAC (a Clear the Shelters partner) carries
on their legacy by finding homes for rescue
pets and offering affordable medical care to
those already adopted.Kelly Clarkson has always had a soft spot for shelter animals.
“My mother would bring home strays all the time. I
don’t remember us actually ever buying an animal,
because she had such a big heart for all the pets that
nobody wanted,” says Clarkson, 37, whose first animal
memory is of her family dog Lady, a white German shep-
herd. “She just jumped in our car, and my mom couldn’t
turn her away.”
So when NBC and Telemundo approached Clarkson,
who’s hosting the Clear the Shelters special, “of course I
said yes!” says the singer, whose new daytime programroom, and we couldn’t not adopt her!” says
Clarkson. “She has a great demeanor for
Savannah, she’s playful, and she loves to
snuggle.” And Clarkson hopes this year’s
Clear the Shelters event will bring similar joy
to other families. “Taking care of a pet
teaches us all responsibility and uncondi-
tional love,” she says. “And they remind you
how cool and simple life can be.”•COULDN’T SAY NO
Josie (left) recently
joined Clarkson’s
family after the singer
met the shelter pup at
an adoption drive at
one of her concerts.150 YEARS LATER
Today’s Women’s
Animal Center
has an accredited
animal hospital,
pet-behavior
specialists and more.The original shelter in 1897.76 August 12, 2019 PEOPLE
The First AnimalShelter Turns 150KellyClarksonA Voice forShelter Pets‘WHEN YOU
ADOPT A PET,
THAT
LITTLE FUR
BALL WILL
THANK YOU
EVERY DAY’
—KELLY
CLARKSON
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