Helen V. Brach, Candy Heiress, & her Quest to Help Harrison County Dog Pound Dog
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Helen V. Brach, Candy Heiress, & her Quest to Help Harrison County Dog Pound Dogs
Helen Vorhees Brach, (Brach's Candy Heiress), shed many tears while battling for Harrison County dog pound animals, in the 1970's.
The late Mrs. Brach was called a "carpet bagger" by some of the local residents despite the fact she was from this county, in Hopedale. She also maintained a summer home on the lake, not far from where this author lived. I remember the excitment keeping a lookout, during the summer, anxiously awaiting her arrival as a young girl. Confirmation would result when her vehicle and driver were spotted at the lake house, as hers was a vehicle like no other, and was pink, a Caddy, long before Mary Kay was known for such a vehicle. She was the closest thing to a celebrity to me.
Now, she is a hero to me. Mrs. Brach was a true hero for the dogs of Harrison County, Ohio forced to live in a county operated dog pound under control of county government. Rescue efforts of the dogs at the pound began with her efforts.
I just got off the phone, after a lengthy conversation with one of her friends. This is an account of the conversation which has just taken place.
Mrs. Brach was heartbroken over the dogs' plight. She typically placed a call , from her Chicago home, or from where she found herself traeling, nearly every Wednesday night, to a local resident, friend and animal lover. She was checking to see how things were for the animals. She has been said to have just cried and cried during those calls.
In attempts to better the community and welfare of the animals, she offered a large sum of money for a shelter to be build and even had engaged the services of an architect, which drew up architectural plans, in or around 1976. Her generous offer was flatly rejected by the Harrison County Commissioners that sat on the Board in the 1970's.
I have had the pleasure of personally speak with two of the persons that actively helped her in her quest that have provided information relative to her efforts over the years.
Mrs. Brach asked several of the locals to care for the dogs, had a fence errected, paid vetting and all costs required for their care. At one time, there were 58 dogs, recalls one of the friends. It was not uncommon to see her romping in the mud, visiting with the dogs, enjoying their company. Her devotion to the four legged friends was genuine.
In the 1970's, dogs from this region, including surrounding counties, were sold to "bonchers", a term unfamilar to me, for research. Some of that research was said to burn a dog with a lit cigarette to test its' pain level. The company doing the research was said to have been located in nearby Pittsburgh, PA. Other dogs were partially gassed, alive, in the box truck that collected their "bodies", to be used for other research, having been collected from a neighboring county, when the truck arrived in Cadiz, OH, here in Harrison County.
She told me when the truck pull up, Mrs. Brach pulled ever single dog in the dog pound. We've all heard the question...how many people can you put in a Volkswagen bug, well, these women could put many dogs in a few of those vehicles.
Mrs. Brach hired an attorney and filed suit, a case that went to the then Sixth District Court of Appeals.
When all commissioners took the stand, everyone one of them reportedly took the "5th", refusing to testify. Ironically, that case was still won by the Harrison County Commissioners in the 6th District Court of Appeals.
Mrs. Brach did not stop losing sleep and shedding tears over the dogs in Harrison County, however, she was probably the first to do so. This author has lost many nights sleep, and know many of you have done so, as well.
She and a handful of locals protested. Another of her friends contacted me in 2008, after publicity about the dog pound operation had been covered by press. Both reported dog warden's shooting dogs in front of people, because they could, still haunt many locals. The latest reported to us today, involved a puppy, in the 1970's. This was done for no reason other than to prove it could be done. This practice continued over the years until fairly recently.
In the 1970's, the Animal Protection Institute, (API), which was huge, based in California , sent representatives to Cadiz, OH. Belton P. Mouras personally came, when he headed up API. Many of you will know that name.
In 1974, she established the Helen V. Brach Foundation, in Chicago, IL to establish funding for the care of animals.
As her body was never found, the remains of her two beloved dogs are buried in a nearby cemetary, in her stead. If you come to Cadiz, OH to help in the efforts, you might wish to stop by the intended burial site, and kindly pay your respects to one very fine lady, one that I like to think is looking over us now.
There are many similarities in the ongoing efforts of today's world, so destinctive, one does not need to point them out. The women that supported Mrs. Brach's efforts still remember many of the dogs' names, just like we shall never forget "Bella".
Let's win the victory, for Helen V. Brach, and the dogs she cared so very much about, the Harrison County Dog Pound Dogs of Cadiz, OH.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Brach
http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/99/4/tsg.books4.99.htm
http://activistcash.com/foundation.cfm?did=120
Robin McClelland
1st Advocate for Harrison County Pound Dogs, RIP