Monument in Charleston to Jew Who Initiated “be Kind to Animals” Week

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

The city of Charleston, and the Jewish community of this city mourn the death of Henry Frank Lewith, the originator of the movement for the observance of Be-Kind-to-Animals Week, which made such rapid strides in the last decade as to become a national institution. It was he also, who started the issuance of the Humane Supplements which have since become a feature of most of the newspapers in the larger cities in the United States. It is stated that it was one of his issues that attracted the attention of President Harding and prompted him to adopt the same course in the papers which he controlled.

Mr. Lewith’s death, according to an editorial in the local “News and Courier,” “is a real loss to a very useful work that needs to be done.” He and his dog, Beauty, familiar to thousands through postcards and pictures, were known to nearly everybody in Charleston, Beauty died, it is said, of a broken heart, when his master was taken to the hospital several months ago. “A devotee of the simple life, and satisfied with the bare necessities where himself was concerned, he was prodigal of his health and means in alleviating the lot of dumb animals. He attended almost every convention of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. His home he turned into a veritable little haven of refuge for whatever stray ### starving animal came to his attention and he was never so happy as when ### successfully interceded for a condem### animal and managed to rescue it from the hand of the executioner,” the paper states.

A movement is being initiated ### Charleston to erect a monument to Mr. Lewith’s memory.