Humane Society Intervenes in Balloon Stunts
A local organization moves to stop the dangerous practice of forcing animals into high-altitude balloon stunts.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Last Sunday a balloon ascension was made from Leschi park by an aeronaut accompanied by a dog. The dog was tied to a parachute and taken up by force. The animal was evidently terrorized and made frantic efforts to be freed. When the balloon started the dog was dragged along quite a distance before the balloon arose and then, after reaching a dizzy height, he was dropped into the lake and, encumbered as he was with the parachute, was in danger of being drowned before he was picked up. The matter was reported to the Seattle Humane Society and notice was immediately sent to the 'professor' having the ascensions in charge that the society would arrest and prosecute anyone attempting similar performances in the future. Unless satisfactory assurances are given that the forced ascension of the dog will be omitted the humane society will see that an officer is on hand to make arrests. A complaint having been made regarding similar treatment of a monkey at the Madison street park, similar notice was sent to the aeronaut having those ascensions in charge.
“The dog was tied to a parachute and taken up by force. The animal was evidently terrorized and made frantic efforts to be freed.”
This early advocacy for animal welfare highlights the shift in public standards regarding 'spectacle' and cruelty in public life. While the 'professor' claimed science or entertainment, the community's demand for regulation echoes the modern discourse surrounding the use of animals in entertainment and the role of civic organizations in enforcing public morality.
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