Chief Humane Agent Kerry Manion is retiring from Columbus Humane after 40 years of service, most of which was spent in animal cruelty investigations.
In 1982, Ronald Reagan was president, the average gallon of gas was 91 cents, Michael Jackson released “Thriller,” and Columbus Humane made a part-time hire that would change the organization forever. Kerry Manion began his career in animal welfare and was eager to make a difference for both animals and their people. That’s exactly what he did. Forty years later, the Columbus Humane family is celebrating the retirement of our cherished Chief Humane Agent.
Kerry is well recognized throughout Ohio and around the nation for his outstanding service in animal cruelty investigations. A caring and calm presence in the face of often intense and traumatic situations, he personally protected more than 25,000 animals from harm and was an important part of caring for nearly 1 million Central Ohio animals during his career.
When asked what was one of the most memorable cases he’s worked on, Kerry had an immediate response about his dog, King. “King’s rescue by humane agents in 2018. King suffered severe physical trauma from the hand of his abuser and agents obtained a search warrant to rescue him from further abuse. His case exemplifies my drive, passion, and advocacy for the animals entrusted in our care. This was all made possible by team members willing to be creative and to find a pathway to restore King to good physical and mental health.”
Looking to the future, Kerry has lots of wishes for Columbus Humane and the people in our community. “I wish everyone would value their pets to the highest degree and appreciate the sacredness of the human and animal bond. Our community needs more resources to help pet families. I saw firsthand how great the need is and many people want to give their pets the best life, but do not have access to the resources to do so.”
Kerry believes deeply in the Columbus Humane mission and in leading with kindness. He also believes in helping everyone be their best. That is why Kerry’s wish in retirement is to support animals admitted through animal cruelty investigations in getting medically and behaviorally well to live their best lives as cherished pets. If you’d like to make a gift in Kerry’s honor, you can use the link below to support King’s Legacy Fund, named after Kerry’s beloved companion, King.
When asked why King’s Legacy Fund is so important to him, he had this to say about his motivation through 40 years of service, ”Our mission has always been the core of my being, and I worked every day to move our cause forward and help those in need. The experience of working at Columbus Humane and the opportunity to show compassion and empathy through our work has been immeasurable and I am a better person for being a humane agent. I also appreciate our supporters and the animal loving community of Columbus. Their expectations of our work drove me to do better each day. I am proud of our work in the Cruelty Investigations Department.”
Please join Columbus Humane in celebrating and most importantly, THANKING Kerry for his incredible work over the last forty years. It has been a true honor to work alongside him and we will miss him greatly.
To give: King’s Legacy Fund
