Rick Kelaher
Graduate FellowBiography
Rick is an animal-human historian and anthrozoologist whose past research has mostly focused on felis catus and the 19th century animal protection movement. He hails from Brooklyn, New York.
Rick graduated from Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences with a BA in Archaeology and spent several years working in publishing. In 2019, Rick took a three-month assignment doing archival work for the ASPCA which turned into a role lasting for four years. In this time, he became familiar with the Animal Turn, and the power of archives provide to the previously lost and overlooked history of animals in society.
Building on this powerful experience, Rick received his MSc. from Canisius College while continuing working for the ASPCA and taking on additional work at the American Museum of Natural History and Kings County Distillery, sharpening his experience with natural history, educational and scientific institutions, and public history.
Rick is motivated by the belief that considering the historic and cultural dimensions of animals helps humans to relate to them as fellow beings within established human paradigms, and fights historical negationism by including animals in historical and cultural reckoning. As Maya Angelou said, “the more you know of your history, the more liberated you are.”
A mixed methods researcher at heart, Rick explores sentimental histories, animal culture, anthrozoology, natural history, frameworks, art, literature, philosophy of history, and material culture to create a holistic and accurate story of the past.
Rick has given presentations at the ASPCA, the Morris Animal Refuge, and at conferences.