Lady Gertrude Stock
Encyclopedia
Lady Gertrude Georgina Stock, nee Douglas (21 August 1842 - 25 November 1893) was an English aristocrat and novelist, who also wrote under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...

 George Douglas. In 1891 she founded the National Canine Defence League (today known as Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust, formerly known as the National Canine Defence League, is an animal welfare charity and humane society in the United Kingdom which specialises in the wellbeing of dogs. The charity rehabilitates and finds new homes for dogs which have been abandoned or given up by their owners...

) to protect dogs from "torture and ill-usage of every kind".

Life

Gertrude Douglas was the daughter of John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry
John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry
John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry , styled Lord John Douglas from May to December 1837, was a Scottish Whig politician....

 and his wife Sarah Sholto Douglas (died 1856). Like her mother, she converted to Roman Catholicism.

Founding of Dogs Trust

Lady Gertrude Stock brought together a "small party of gentlemen" in the "Royal Agricultural Hall" in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...

, during the first Crufts
Crufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...

dog show. The National Canine Defence League began operations funded entirely by donations from members and supporters. The group campaigned for the protection of strays, the provision of proper veterinary care and to campaign against muzzling, prolonged chaining and experimentation on dogs, which was a common practice at the time. By 1902 membership had risen to 1,000.
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