Mary Ellen
The often told and well-known story of Mary Ellen, the first American child legally rescued from abuse, is an important reminder of the contributions animal protection agencies have made to the fight against child abuse.

Mary Ellen was a nine-year-old girl living in New York City in 1875 with abusive adoptive parents who beat her, tortured her, and cut her with scissors on a regular basis. When a concerned citizen was unable to get help from various public agencies to have Mary Ellen removed from the home, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) stepped in.

Current animal cruelty laws, which had been in effect for centuries, provided protection against unnecessary cruelty, abuse, and neglect of domesticated animals. Using the rationale that Mary Ellen was a member of the animal kingdom, the ASPCA was successful in persuading the court that she deserved as much protection as any helpless or defenseless animal would.

Mary Ellen was removed from the home and the ASPCA initiated the enactment of new legislation to protect children from abuse and neglect.