Constance Horrocks (Hon. Secretary S.P.C.A. Subiaco).
Constance Horrocks has been given credit for starting the Dogs' Refuge Home in West Subiaco/Shenton Park and was honourary secretary for many years of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Subiaco.
Constance was born in England and spent most of her life living in Western Australia. She trained as a nurse and worked in various hospitals around the State.
During her life Constance continually wrote letters to local newspapers raising awareness of the treatment of cruelty to animals including domestic and farm. In January 1913, she wrote a letter about a boy's act of kindness towards some rams locked in a truck who gave them some food and water during the hot temperatures in December 1913.
She wrote in her letter how wonderful it was to see children with such compassion for animals "...I should, like you to give publicity to these true facts, which prove what a splendid thing it is to meet children imbued with a feeling of pity and mercy for animals. This lad, by his thoughtfulness and kindness, saved the animals from indescribable suffering..." (Daily News, 4 January, 1913). In another she raised the issue of the inhumane practice of boiling crabs and other shellfish alive (West Australian, 9 April, 1913).
In an introductory speech for the opening of the Dog's Refuge Home in West Subiaco in 1935... "the president of the committee (Mr. H. E. Denson) paid a tribute to the founder (Mrs. C. J. Horrocks) and the honorary secretary (Mrs. H. A. Plttman), and asked that the excellent work which they had done for a humanitarian ideal should receive from the public the support which it richly deserved. ..." (West Australian, 21 October 1935).
Constance died on February 17, 1948 aged 81. An brief obituary was published on the 22 February, 1948 in the Sunday Times about her stated "...When she came here in the 90's as a nurse, one of her earliest appointments was Matron of Kalgoorlie Govt. Hospital when housed in tents.
Her health being unequal to the strain she resigned after 6 months and founded the Grosvenor Hospital at Beaconsfield. She succeeded Miss May Moore as hon. secretary of the RSPCA during inspectorates of Titus Lander and R. G. Sexty.
Among her later activities was the Dogs' Refuge Home as foundress, and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection owes much to her zeal."
Constance left the majority of her estate of 7338 pounds to her husband and three organisations that cared for animals including the Shenton Park Dog's Refuge Home, the RSPCA and the WA Branch for Abolition of Vivisection (Daily News, 15 September, 1948).
The articles and photo are from Trove, the database at the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
Daily News, 4 January 1913.
BOYS ACT OF KINDNESS
Sir,— On December 10 last there was consigned to Gilgerring, and arrived there in the early morning, an open truck containing three rams. The temperature was 105 on the 10th, 109 on the 11 and 102 on the 12th. These unfortunates were left without shelter, water, or food. On the morning of the 11 th a school boy passing, near the railway, heard a faint bleating, and looked into the truck and saw the poor animals licking the iron of the truck; be threw down his schoolbag and ran as fast as he could a quarter of a mile for a bucket; of water, which he put into the truck; he then went a considerable distance to a farm and begged a bundle of hay, which this Samaritan gave to the perishing creatures. A resident of Gilgerring, hearing of this lad's act, was so pleased with , it that he communicated with me, asking that some notice be given the boy, and thanks sent him from , the Society, which was promptly done, and a small present sent him in the shape of a book. I should, like you to give publicity to these true facts, which prove what a splendid thing it is to meet children imbued with a feeling of pity and mercy for animals. This lad, by his thoughtfulness and kindness, saved the animals from indescribable suffering, if not from a cruel, death, as with such a temperature they could hardly have, survived 72 hours in an open truck. This boy's name is Robert Heron, aged 15. - Yours faithfully, CONSTANCE. H. HORROCKS. 22 Hamilton-street, Subiaco, Office of the S.P.C.A, January 2, 1913.
West Australian, 9 April, 1913.
CRUELTY TO' CRABS AND SHELLFISH.
To the Editor. Sir, I was pleased to read a letter in your issue of the 5th inst. protesting against the cruel custom of putting shellfish into cold water .and bringing them slowly to the boil. One would hardly believe it possible that professedly civilised people would commit such an abominable act, if it were not well attested by evidence and generally admitted. While there is reasonable ground for assuming that the crustacea, being a lower organism, have not the intense capacity for suffering possessed by the Mammalia, yet it is certain that they do suffer an agonising death when boiled alive: as anyone who has seen them will testify. Your correspondent, with the best intentions, suggests this as the proper method of killing them, but I am sure that "K.E.B." and other humane, people will like to know that there is a better way. I am informed by an enthusiastic "crabber" that he always immerses the live crabs in cold fresh water, and that they drown in about 30 minutes. If the municipal Councils would take this matter up, as your correspondent suggests, pass the necessary bylaws and place notices along the river, intimating that shell-fish must be drowned in fresh, water before being boiled, I feel sure it would help to overcome the difficulty; and this Society's inspectors would do their best to co-operate in seeing the by-laws enforced. I am also hopeful that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act may be amended to deal with this subject. In the meantime I trust the public will stop this hateful practice. Yours, etc., CONSTANCE H. HORROCKS, Hon. Sec. S.P.C.A.
The opening of the Dogs Refuge Home in 1935.
