Baltimore Humane Society

The Humane Society of Baltimore County, now known as the Baltimore Humane Society (BHS), was founded in 1927 by a pioneering and compassionate socialite named Elsie Seeger Barton (1886-1983). In 1902, at age 16, Miss Seeger was stricken with rheumatic fever and was confined to her bed. During that time, her constant companions were the family’s beloved pets. It was at that time that Ms. Seeger resolved to devote her life to the care and humane treatment of companion and service animals. When she became well, she established a refuge for abused and homeless animals on her family’s estate, known as “Thistle Top” on Milford Road in Pikesville, MD, overlooking Gwynn’s Falls Dam. In 1908 she married Bolling Walker Barton, Jr., President of Barton, Duet & Koch Paper Company.