In Memoriam

In Memoriam
Gus W. Thornton, DVM

On January 24, 2010, the MSPCA-Angell, and the world's animals, lost a great friend. We honor the passing of Dr. Gus W. Thornton, who died in his home after a long illness.

Gus always knew he would be a veterinarian. For a curious, hard-working boy growing up on a farm outside Barltesville, Oklahoma, that was a natural dream. It seemed there was always a 4-H project underway at the Thornton house. As a youngster, Gus could generally be found in the barn, chasing chickens, weaning lambs, or weighing a litter of piglets.

When the time came, Gus headed for A & M College in Oklahoma to study veterinary medicine. Six years later, in 1957, the young Dr. Thornton left Oklahoma for Boston, where he had been accepted for an internship at the MSPCA's Angell Memorial Animal Hospital. In 1966 he was appointed as Chief of Staff and held that position for 23 years. Under Dr. Thornton's watch, Angell quadrupled its veterinary staff, instituted a residency program, built the country's first veterinary Intensive Care Unit, and moved into a new facility on South Huntington Avenue. The staff worked in the shelters and spay/neuter clinics, published more than 400 scientific papers, and pioneered veterinary nuclear medicine. In recent years, Angell has further evolved into a very highly regarded referral center specializing in cancer care, critical care, and emergency care.

When he stepped down as Chief of Staff, in 1989, it was to assume the presidency of the MSPCA. Widely respected as a diagnostician and specialist, he had the ready ear of veterinarians when he advanced the MSPCA's many humane causes: spay/neuter campaigns, trapping and animal abuse legislation, stronger pet shop regulations, and more. In his modest, dignified, and honest way, Dr. Thornton had been among the most influential veterinarians of his generation.

Dr. Thornton also increased the MSPCA's participation in international animal protection work. During his tenure, the MSPCA provided funding and supplies to build sanctuaries for rescued dancing bears in Pakistan, Turkey, and India; to equip anti-poaching patrols protecting Siberian tigers; to deliver orthopedic surgical equipment to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Colombia; and to rescue wild and domestic animals caught in earthquakes, oil spills, fires, floods , volcanic  eruptions, and war zones. Over the years, the World Society for the Protection of Animals has been a prime beneficiary of the Society's help. Dr. Thornton himself served a two-year term as President of WSPA. At the end of 2002, Gus Thornton retired as president of the MSPCA, an organization that now gladly bears the stamp of his intelligence, quiet leadership, and compassion.

Gus Thornton was never a person to seek the limelight. He had a saying, "There's no end to what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who gets the credit." That is how Dr. Thornton lived his life, conducted his practice, managed the hospital, and led one of the finest humane societies in the world. 

We will all miss our beloved former president. In the words of his long-time friend and colleague, our current president, Carter Luke, "He was a great veterinarian and humanitarian, and he was a true leader in both fields, nationally and internationally. But I think what his friends and colleagues will remember about him most is his heart. He cared so very deeply about animals and people. He was a kind and generous person, and he spent his life helping others. We will miss Gus, but the MSPCA and Angell will always have his heart and soul firmly embedded in our walls and in our hearts. The world is a better, kinder, more humane place because of our dear friend, Gus Thornton."

Anyone wishing to make a memorial contribution to Dr. Thornton's beloved Pet Care Assistance in his honor may do so here or by mailing a contribution to: MSPCA-Angell, Attn: Donation-Gus Thornton, 350 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130.

Funeral arrangements:

Visiting hours from 4 - 8 pm on Thursday, January 28th at Alexander F. Thomas & Sons funeral home in Walpole. (45 Common St., Walpole, MA). The funeral will be Friday, January 29th at 11 am at Old South Church in Boston, MA (Boylston and Dartmouth St.).