Time travel to the past and how it relates to today

Many in the central Indiana community have closely witnessed the historical behavior that has surrounded the HSI (Humane Society of Indianapolis – now Indyhumane) treasury. Otto. Ray was an animal advocate who not only worked at the humane society (Indyhumane) but sold to the Mary Powell Crume Public Charitable Trust the property on which now stands Indyhumane. Seniors in the Indianapolis area personally remember Mr. Ray.

When central Indiana animal advocates investigated and challenged Indyhumane’s authority, under Martha Boden’s administration, to hijack and use the Crume Public Charitable Trust as collateral for a loan to pay interest on debt, a note was found in the Crume Charitable Trust file at the city county building.

Here is the text from a note that was left by Mr. Ray found in that file: (Under lining for emphasis).

“I have been a humane officer and investigator for 65 years and have lived in Indianapolis all my life; was 84 years old on March 6, 1972. I am writing this under a terrific handicap. I feel pretty helpless sitting here with a fractured hip, fractured neck, half blind, using a magnifying glass to see, have an impediment in my speech, and am compelled to use a walker when I move about.

I started exposing the humane society trustee’s bureaucracy in 1968 but at no time did I publicize the humane society’s embarrassing large assets; however because of the fact that conditions have become so bad and no one is attempting to help or speak for the poor defenseless animals who cannot speak for themselves, I am writing this article while hoping and praying that the public will demand a change of…. bureaucracy, because even the operators of any business or ball club would be removed under similar conditions. Instead of doing something for the animals they have been spending their time juggling facts, words, figures, numbers and everything else.”

Otto Ray July 20, 1972

Otto Ray’s spirit is alive and well today in the collective voice of  Florida animal advocates who recognize similar conditions at the SPCA Tampa Bay.