Director News & Views

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Scott MacKenzie, and I am excited and proud to serve as the new Executive Director of the Charlevoix Area Humane Society. The CAHS Mission is “To practice and promote the principle that every life is precious. As such, we are committed to the highest principles of humane care and professional treatment of injured, ill, neglected or abused animals”. This mission aligns with my own personal beliefs, so I feel my new position at the CAHS is a great match. I would like to personally thank you for your past support of such a worthy organization.

I kinda feel I am preaching to the choir here, but as you are aware the Humane Society brings up deep personal meanings and emotions, yet often different ones for each of us. I know for me the Humane Society has had a great emotional impact on several levels, first as a great civics lesson. When I was a child my mother served on the Board of Directors for the Genesee County Humane Society for many years. On a more personal level the Humane Society taught me my love of animals, and I learned about the unconditional love pets can bring to an individual and a family. I also learned the life lessons a young boy learns growing up with the wonderful adopted pets my mom brought home. Finally and most of all MacDuff. “Duff” was the most amazing mutt any child could ever want. To this day I’m still not sure of the mix, Collie, Shepherd, I think some Beagle, and several others… He was a big dog, white with brown ears with brown over one eye. Duff was so even tempered, yet brave and protective, independent, and the true family dog any family would ever want. I was two years old when Duff joined our family and I can vividly recall the day I said goodbye to him 15 years later. We had many pets, (other dogs, cats, birds, even gerbils, ducks and rabbits) in and out through the years, but Duff was the Alpha dog, and the love of my boyhood life. I have such strong and amazingly positive memories of my childhood with our family dog, the loyalty, the hugs, family trips and spelling out S.U.P.P.E.R (it was my job to feed the dogs) when it was dinner time. I only bring this up to share a small sample of how the staff, volunteers and I can relate to your relationships with the special pets in your life, and how we here at the Charlevoix Area Humane Society value; the sanctity and potential of each of the special animals that come to our shelter, along with the potential, the love, the positive effects and joy the animals we see who could bring quality and significance while sharing in a child or adult’s life.

Those who know me might share with you that I can have a tendency to get a little long winded when it comes to things I am passionate about, so I will attempt to be brief here. I see an amazing and positive future for the Charlevoix Area Humane Society. The foundations of the organization have been set firm. We have a strong history of great progress in serving the animals and families of Charlevoix County. Over the years we have had great leaders and wonderful boards with vision. There is strong support with a wonderful constituency of donors and volunteers, but we do have room for improvement. We can achieve these needed improvements by broadening our support base, and that can be done through sharing our mission with others. I know you support our mission because of your personal life experiences, and those experiences gave you good reason to join our shared cause. Please share the reasons for your support of the CAHS with a friend and encourage them to join you, and help us achieve the next level in “taking humane care and professional treatment” of yours and all our precious animal friends. 

What I want to do most of all is thank you for your support, and that I honestly look forward to working with you on the Charlevoix Area Humane Society’s next great adventure.