Thoughts From The President & CEO
Spring, 2012

In February, MHS President and CEO Cal Morgan, pictured with Rusty, joined legislators in Lansing for a press conference to introduce the Puppy Protection Act.

Dear Friends of MHS,

The Michigan Humane Society is celebrating a significant milestone this year: our 135th anniversary! While our focus and even our name was different in the late 1800s, we never have wavered in our pursuit of what is best for animals and the community. I continue to be very proud to lead such a historic and respected animal welfare organization.

In the early years, MHS almost was exclusively required to focus its limited resources on alleviating immediate animal suffering. Today, while that remains a key focus of the organization, MHS also is proactively targeting the root causes of animal welfare issues.

There have been many milestones and causes for celebration along the way, from the appointment of Michigan’s first Humane Marshal, Arthur Curtis, in 1913, to the passage of important laws that help protect animals statewide, to the day a few years ago when we were able to ensure that 100% of healthy animals – and later, more than 60% of treatable animals – at MHS would find a home.

Today, we are working diligently to ensure that, in the near future, 100% of these treatable animals will find homes. Though animals come to MHS in a full spectrum of species, shapes and sizes, conditions and predicaments, MHS never has wavered from taking on the toughest cases, many of which result in heartwarming happy endings, but this also means taking those animals who are suffering and cannot be treated, and equally many who are unsafe or outright dangerous.

Yet, we take in any and all animals because to close our doors to them out of concern for improving our “statistics” or for any other reason than to act in the animals’ and community’s best interest would, in our opinion, be wrong. Could we in good conscience open our doors only to the easy to-adopt animals?

MHS is not a charitable organization always seeking to do what is popular because following a trend is not always in the best interest of the animals or the community. Today, there are trends in animal welfare that are sometimes touted as “the” solution to quickly begin saving more lives. But what you won’t hear about is the unwanted – and often unexpected – consequences of these quick fixes that lead to even greater animal suffering.

I truly hope you will join us in celebrating 135 years of service to animals in Michigan. We remain grateful to those who make it possible for MHS to continue our mission until a day when animal suffering and exploitation are a thing of the past.

Sincerely,

Cal Morgan
President & Chief Executive Officer