Growth of the MSPCA— And a Trailblazing Hospital Opens Its Doors

With World War I raging overseas and the United States on the verge of declaring war on the German Empire, Rowley increased efforts to promote a peaceful, humanitarian position both in his politics and in his activism at home. In 1917, the MSPCA opened its first permanent animal shelter at Nevins Farm in Methuen, Massachusetts. With Rowley at the helm, the MSPCA’s reach was felt internationally as well over the following decades.