National Animal Poison Prevention Week – March 16-22, 2025

History of National Animal Poison Prevention Week

Humans started domesticating animals long ago, probably since the cavemen walked around. Their purpose in our lives gradually underwent a shift, however. Cats no longer were simple ‘rat traps,’ and dogs went from hunting partners to humans’ best friends.

As the bond grew, so too did the knowledge that animals need as much, if not more, care as humans did. Animal care might have been rudimentary by today’s standards, but it still existed. Even the Ancient Romans would spay, castrate, and even operate on their pets as a form of care. Their invasion of various lands spread this knowledge of pet care, but the world still had a long way to go.

Then, in 1863, an American diplomat on assignment to Russia, Henry Bergh, prevented a carriage driver from beating his fallen horse. Upon returning to his hometown, New York, after his resignation, Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (A.S.P.C.A.). It became the first and only humane society in the Western Hemisphere.

Owners could not get information about pet care over the internet, so A.S.P.C.A. and other organizations’ pamphlets and articles came to the rescue.
By the 1990s, concern over animals had taken an upswing. People placed more value on the lives of animals. The next few decades saw organizations, even the Food and Drug Administration, taking more care to ensure every aspect of pet care — pet stores, pet food, and even pet toys — were safe.

The A.S.P.C.A., among other organizations, influenced legislation and legal proceedings, bringing to light animal suffering and highlighting our responsibilities in this regard. All these years later, we now view animal care very differently. National Animal Poison Prevention Week reflects our changing view of pet care and is a special event to protect our pet buddies from accidental harm.