Eleanor Kidd was born in 1881 in London, England and spent most of her adult life caring for others — first as a nurse and later as the rescuer of orphaned and abandoned animals in Brandon.

As a young woman, Eleanor trained at Liverpool Children’s Hospital and then worked for a few years as a private-duty nurse among aristocratic families in Italy. Even then, her passion for animals was apparent.

Reporter Kaye Rowe told this story in an article published in the Brandon Sun in 1967:

“As a nurse in Italy, Eleanor welled up with anger as she watched a man thrash his skin-and-bones horse. The beast had not strength to pull the cart loaded with a fattened family headed for a holiday visit. Spontaneously, the English nurse raced into the street, seized the stick and started beating the man, calling him “Bruta! Bestia!”

England to Italy to Canada

In 1913, Eleanor emigrated to Canada. She lived in Portage La Prairie, Winnipeg, and The Pas before finally settling in Brandon where she met and married barber William Kidd in the mid-1920s. Their only child died as an infant.

During these years, Eleanor’s concern for animal welfare only got stronger. She would regularly attend the Brandon Fair to make sure the ponies and other animal acts were not harshly treated.

When she recognized the need for a rescue operation in the city, she started an animal refuge in the garage of her house on 13th Street, spending her own money to care for homeless dogs and cats.

Later, she was given an abandoned stable on Empress Bay… no heat or lights, but it was a roof and four walls for her beloved rescues. Eventually her shelter moved to a barn in the riverbank area where Eleanor Kidd Gardens are now located.

When she became a widow, Eleanor Kidd threw herself into her rescue work. In late 1946, the constitution for the newly-formed Brandon SPCA was written and the organization was incorporated the following year.

In her 1959/60 annual report, Mrs. Kidd wrote about the strides that had been made since she began her mission:

“Constant dripping wears away a stone! After twelve years of gentle pressure, prodding, patience, and finally pushing, we have, at last, a heated pound. A space heater has been installed! The pound is better lighted, and an extra window has been put in, ordered by the Mayor. The kennels are still dark, but adequate bedding and regular attention are now assured.”

Several years later, when Kaye Rowe interviewed her, Eleanor Kidd was, at age 86, living in the shelter and still going strong:

“Rarely to rest before midnight, she is awakened by the animals around 6:00 a.m. They bark to be let outside, mew to be fed, making their demands known through the thin walls which separate her one-roomed living quarters from the hallways leading to the animal pens.

“No salary or stipend supports the labor of her days. She considers rent-free occupancy of one room in the animal shelter as generous compensation.

“Hard work, an occupied mind, and a light diet combine to produce the stamina and energy of women half her age.”

“A Grand Lady”

Dolores Beckwith of Brandon remembers Eleanor Kidd as “a grand lady with an inordinate love for her animals.” When Mrs. Beckwith was 12 years old, she would walk down to the shelter on Empress Bay and visit the strays.

“I also remember coaxing a stray deerhound into mum and dad’s car and taking it to the shelter on 18th Street shortly after it opened. This dog had been sheltered several times and had a history of wrecking the joint but Mrs. Kidd took him every time and successfully returned him to his owner. She deserves to be remembered with love and affection.”

A Long Life Not To Be Forgotten

In 1973 Mrs. Kidd moved into Fairview Home where she spent the remaining years of her life. She died at 97 on July 11, 1978. A newspaper article said:

“Eleanor Kidd, a long-time member of the city’s Humane Society and a friend to stray animals in Brandon for many years, died Tuesday at the age of 97. She founded the Humane Society and worked without pay for over 20 years, organizing fundraising campaigns and looking after stray animals.”

Eleanor Kidd Gardens opened in 1977, the year before her death, to honor the woman who spent most of her life caring for the helpless.

In this, the 60th year of the Brandon SPCA/Humane Society, we are so grateful to Eleanor Kidd and the strong roots that she and her supporters put down when they launched this organization. We are going strong into our 7th decade because of her remarkable dedication.