The purpose of the Humane Society of Nacogdoches County is “the prevention of cruelty to animals, the relief of suffering among animals, and the extension of education in the humane care and treatment of animals” (Bylaws, Article I, Section 2). The idea to start the Humane Society of Nacogdoches County came from Charlotte Baker Montgomery, her husband Roger Montgomery, and their close friend F. Winifred Hall sometime in 1959. According to F. Winifred Hall, “Charlotte and I, with the help of our husbands … called those of our friends who we knew had an interest in animal welfare, and with them we arranged a series of small coffee parties, during which time we discussed the possibility of starting a humane society in Nacogdoches County. We sent for folders and plans from the Humane Society of the United States … and they also sent us an excellent colored, talking film strip depicting humane work and animal control in a suburban town” (Box 1, Folder 6). The first meeting of the Humane Society was November 12th, 1959. About 45 people met at the Hotel Fredonia. Membership dues for the first year were $5.00 for a couple, $3.00 for an individual and $1.00 for a child.

Lacking the funds to build an animal shelter, Charlotte, Roger and Winifred used their own resources to get the Humane Society off the ground. They took in their first animal, a homeless dog Charlotte named Rachel, a mere four days after chartering the organization. Charlotte recalled in 1991 that “Unwanted, abandoned, lost, and injured animals began to pour in. The dogs were kept [with the Hall’s], cats at our home, where various outbuildings were adapted for the purpose. Roger worked as kennel man before going to town each day, and answered emergency calls after office hours. Winifred and I handled calls during the day, getting a liberal education in local geography and social conditions, as well as in animal care and handling” (Box 1, Folder 10). Winifred converted an old stable on their property for the dogs while the Montgomery’s repurposed a chicken house on their land (Box 1, Folder 8).

The Humane Society raised funds to build an animal shelter in 1962. The Montgomery’s donated land at 421 Rusk Street. The $17,000 complex consisted of “an office, a workroom, a long kennel with ten dog pens on either side, each one having a trap door leading to an outside run enclosed by hurricane fencing, topped by three strands of barbed wire” (Box 1, Folder 6). There was also an area for cats. Roger Montgomery recounts in a letter from December 1964 that “all the work necessary for picking up the animals, getting them the proper medicine necessary, and feeding and taking care of them, was [initially] done by volunteer help.” In addition, Montgomery noted that “we were able to convince the City Commission that the work we were doing was an absolute necessity for a modern city, and the city has finally come through and recognized that fact, and now participates with us, and we have a loose oral contract with the city, and in fact, operate the city pound as well as the Humane Society Shelter.” (Box 1, Folder 5). The city of Nacogdoches implemented its first animal control ordinances in 1972, and subsequently the Humane Society decided to lease the shelter to the city in 1973. The leasing paperwork stipulated inspections by the Humane Society of the facility, adherence by the city to “meet the standards of cleanliness, health and humane animal care set by the Humane Society and the Humane Society of the United States” among other provisions.

Despite its many benefits, the animal shelter had one major drawback: its location on Banita Creek’s flood plain. A major flood in 1975 inundated the facility and killed many of the animals. Additional floods in 1979, 1989 and 1990 made it clear that there was a need for a new location. Discussions between the Humane Society and the city started as early as 1980, but it took more than 20 years before the funding for a new animal shelter could be secured. The city, with some matching funds raised by the Humane Society, broke ground on the new animal shelter April 22, 2003. This facility at 3211 SW Stallings Dr. has 24 indoor/outdoor kennel runs, office and educational space for the Humane Society, isolation rooms for exotic species, and separate rooms for adoption and quarantine (Box 2, Folder 60).

Humane education is at the core of the Humane Society’s mission. This includes “educating young people on the importance of humane animal care, spay/neuter, and shelter adoption programs” (Box 1, Folder 5). Members regularly give talks at local schools emphasizing animal kindness and responsible pet ownership. The society started a Kindness Club in the 1970s for Nacogdoches children to appreciate and care for animals. Collaboration with the SFA Department of Elementary Education fostered a long-running humane education workshop for public school teachers, the first of its kind in the United States. The Humane Society sponsors annual “Be Kind to Animals Week,” essay and poster contests, and Blessing of the Animals services.

The Humane Society provides a number of services to the Nacogdoches community. It coordinates spay/neuter clinics and drives with local veterinarians. The Society organizes pet adoption drives and fundraisers like “Make That Tail Wag.” The Society also has some discretionary funds to allocate emergency aid for unexpected pet illnesses, accidents and veterinary costs. To learn more about the Humane Society, visit its website: https://humanesocietynac.com/.