HISTORY
As told by Helen Galantiere, founder of St. Francis Animal Protection Society
For nine years, I worked as an executive secretary for JACKIE, an organization that interviewed people who wanted to become foster parents. During those years, it occurred to me that since I was helping foster parents find foster homes for children, why not help animals find foster homes. So, in 1970 I resigned from JACKIE, and created the St. Francis Animal Protection Society. At that time, creating the idea for an animal protection society was unique; I believe no other organization had made this type of endeavor.
In 1972, St. Francis Animal Protection Society was finally declared a tax-exempt organization, and at that time we had twenty dogs and twenty cats to take care of at my home. By 1973, we handled 96 dogs and cats in one month, and this pattern has continued for, at least, 30 years.
