Dolores Vallecita (May 10, 1877 – January 13, 1925), also known as Dolly Vallecita Hill, was an American vaudeville entertainer, and circus animal trainer.

Biography

Born on May 10, 1877, at

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, N ...

, United States, Dolores Vallecita, a Spanish-born animal trainer, who had never handled wild animals prior to 1900. While she was raising

Shetland ponies The Shetland pony is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles in the north of Scotland. It may stand up to at the withers. It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and ...

for business purpose, she came into contact with circus people. She gradually developed interest on wild animals, and started to train them. She made her debut at Austin & Stone's Museum, Boston, in 1905, with a pair of pumas, a

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...

and a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

. She later moved to

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, and purchased five leopards. She had a number of successful appearances at

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Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

, Pennsylvania. She trained her troupe of six Indian leopards to perform different tricks including rolling globes, see saw, electric wheel, forming a pyramid, and posing for pictures. During 1907–1908, she toured the world, and performed in a number of major cities including London, Berlin, and Havana. She married a New Yorker-based animal broker Arthur I. Hill. She died in Bay City on January 13, 1925, following a mishap that occurred when one of her leopards swiped at her, and "accidentally tore out her throat".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vallecita, Dolores 1877 births 1925 deaths Animal trainers