How Muncie Got Its First Animal Shelter
By: Susan Smith
Archivist, Minnetrista Museum and Gardens & DCHS Vice President
Margaret Millikan with her dog Spider in Muncie, Indiana. IMG: DCHS Heritage Collection
The Muncie Humane Society was formed in 1907 as a joint project of the Federate Club of Clubs and the Muncie Ministerial Association. There had been an attempt to establish a society in the 1890s but interest only lasted a few months. This time, the plan was to affiliate the Humane Society with Associated Charities, however, that does not appear to have happened.
During the 1920's, Mrs. Zula M. Valentine served on the board of the Humane Society and started the Junior Humane Society with the goal of teaching kindness to animals in the schools. Emma Wood Ball, wife of William C. Ball, knew Zula socially through involvement in other organizations and as the club news editor, and also had an interest in the welfare of animals.
Emma Wood Ball
In 1927, talk began about the possibility of building an animal shelter – mainly for stray dogs which apparently had the run of the city creating concern about rabies and potential quarantines. A group of interested citizens, including Emma Ball, went to Dayton, Ohio, to tour their “homeless animal shelter”.
Zula Valentine died in April 1928 and there was talk of building a shelter as a memorial to her. She had been a dedicated advocate for the humane society and supporter of establishing a much-needed shelter. The American Humane Association board members wanted Muncie to erect a memorial to Zula and urged the city build an animal shelter in her memory.
In September 1929, the city passed an ordinance on stray dogs and the operation of an animal shelter, but this was not published in the newspaper until November. In the interim, on October 4, Emma Ball presented a monetary gift of $16,000 to the Humane Society for the construction of an animal shelter as a memorial to Zula Valentine. Local architect Albert Glaser designed the building and Emma’s son, William H. Ball, oversaw the construction. Located at the southeast corner of 14th and Penn Streets, the shelter opened in July 1930.
In January 1931, the city reported improvements in the loose dog situation with fewer biting incidents and more animals returned to owners or sold to new owners. There was also less livestock loss, and the shelter provided the service of removal of deceased animals from streets and premises, so citizens did not have to deal with those situations.
Muncie Evening Press, March 22, 1958
In 1931, during the Great Depression, the city ran out of money for the shelter and facility closed until 1935. After reopening, the shelter operated at the Penn Street location until 1998 when it moved to 17th and Gharkey Streets. In 2016 the shelter relocated again to a larger, remodeled facility at 901 W. Riggin Road.