County welcomes new veterinarian to serve animal care needs

Doña Ana County has hired Dr. Zoann McKenzie as the new County Veterinarian. The County was without a dedicated veterinarian for an extended period, making this appointment a significant milestone in ensuring the health and well-being of animals across the county.

Source: Doña Ana County

Dr. McKenzie brings a wealth of experience in animal healthcare, a passion for animal welfare education, injury prevention and emergency management. She has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Washington State University, a Master of Public Health from the University of New Mexico, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University.

Prior to joining Doña Ana County, she worked with Indian Health Service as Area Injury Prevention Specialist and Acting Navajo Area Emergency Manager. There she worked with community, tribal, federal, state and other partners across the Navajo Nation to create and implement injury prevention projects.

Dr. McKenzie also previously worked with Navajo Technical University as an Associate Veterinarian, and as a Veterinary Technology Instructor, where they provided healthcare to herds in remote, underserved areas and hosted preventative medicine clinics for dogs, cats and horses in remote locations with limited access to veterinary services.

“Having a dedicated veterinarian in our County is crucial,” the County’s Animal Control Office Manager MaryLou Ward said. “Dr. McKenzie’s expertise will be a tremendous asset, especially in our rural communities where veterinary services are often scarce. We are confident that her presence will make a significant impact on the health and well-being of our animals.”

Dr. McKenzie is equally enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve the County. “Yá’át’ééh. Shi ei Naaneesht’eezhi Tachiinii nishli. Tachiinii bashishchiin. Haltsooi Dine’e ei dashicheii. Tlaashchi’i ei dashinalí. Akot’eego dine asdzaan nishli. Ahehee. I have met many friendly and interesting people already in Las Cruces. I am thrilled to be joining Doña Ana County and look forward to working closely with the community to ensure that all animals receive the care they need, regardless of their location. I am excited to be here and thrilled to be working with a great team”, she said.

(Navajo translation: Hello. I am of the Charcoal Streaked of the Red Running into the Water clan, born for Red House clan, my maternal grandfathers are Meadow People, my paternal grandfather’s clan is Lower Red Streak people. In this way I am a Navajo woman. Thank you!)

In her primary role as the County veterinarian, Dr. McKenzie will provide spay and neuter services to rural areas. She will also assist with the care and treatment of the County’s live evidence animals and other services as needed. Her role will also include community education on animal health and promoting responsible pet ownership.

To learn more about the Doña Ana County Animal Control Office, click here.

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Levi Gwaltney

Levi Gwaltney is the Editor In Chief of Las Cruces Digest. The Editor makes editorial and posting decisions regarding content published on this site. In most cases, the Editor makes little if any contribution to content published, and takes no credit for the content of republished posts. If available, the source or author of posts is provided at the top of the article.