Meet some of our founders
Meet some of our founders
In the mid-1950s, dozens of individuals from organizations across Canada saw the need for a national organization that would work on behalf of local societies for better laws governing the welfare of animals and to educate Canadians about these issues. Without their foresight and commitment, the emergence of the CFHS as we know it today might not be realized. Among these pioneers, four individuals have truly stood out for leading the group and laying the foundation for today’s CFHS:
Lt. Col. Richard Taylor
Lt. Col. Taylor was the president of the Ottawa Humane Society and was a key figure in developing the foundation for what became the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. He contacted provincial and local organizations and he was instrumental in encouraging many people to join the movement for a national organization, including both Senator McGrand and Gord Gunn. He played an important role in providing legal expertise, along with Senator McGrand, for the new organization and was elected president in 1956.
Dr. Alne Cameron
Dr. Cameron was the man whose outcry against inhumane slaughter in Canada sparked interest in a national organization for the prevention of cruelty to animals. In 1955, he was quoted in an Ottawa Citizen report that “the greatest evil in Canada today is the method of slaughtering animals for food.” Thanks to his outstanding credentials (graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, Chief Veterinary Inspector for Canada for fifteen years and Veterinary Director General for Canada, as well as president of the Ottawa Humane Society) his views received national attention. His comments were a wake-up call to animal lovers across the country and humanitarians rallied to the cause.
Senator Frederic McGrand
Sen. McGrand introduced a vital component to the newly-organized federation: the cruelty link, which connects cruelty to animals and violence towards people. He suggested that human violence and animal abuse cannot be separated. As a result of Lt. Col. Taylor’s letters to societies across Canada, McGrand’s interest in a national animal welfare organization intensified and Taylor invited him to join the committee. According to McGrand, the organization should not only strive to protect the weak but also to educate. “It is of little good to punish the offender. He must be taught, not punished,” he said.
Gord Gunn
Mr. Gunn was the Honorary Secretary of the Ottawa Humane Society when Lt. Col. Taylor convinced him to join the committee for the new national organization in 1956. As a soldier in World War I he witnessed the suffering war horses had to endure, so he developed a keen interest in preventing cruelty to animals. Previously an Ottawa attorney, he was valuable in providing legal expertise in drawing up by-laws and guidelines for the new organization and became one of its greatest advocates.
