Dr. Kate Hurley

Dr. Kate Hurley has been working in shelters since 1989. She has worked in almost every capacity of sheltering, including adoption counselor, kennel attendant and California state humane officer. After graduation from the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999, Dr. Hurley worked as a shelter veterinarian in California and Wisconsin. In 2001 she returned to Davis for further training as the world's first resident in shelter medicine. During her residency, Dr. Hurley completed her masters degree in preventative veterinary medicine (MPVM) with an emphasis in epidemiology.

Her advanced training in epidemiology was immediately put to the test when she was called upon to investigate an unusually severe outbreak of viral systemic feline calicivirus. Her investigation uncovered the source of the outbreak, and her prompt consultation with veterinarians in the affected community was instrumental in limiting the spread of this disease. Working in concert with pathologists and epidemiologists from UC Davis' school of veterinary medicine, Dr. Hurley has greatly increased our understanding of this emerging infectious disease. Her presentation of the results of her investigation won her the award for best research project at UC Davis' House Officer Day Seminar in 2003. Her findings have been published in Veterinary Clinics of North America, Veterinary Pathology and the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Hurley continues to consult with shelters and private practitioners from around the country interested in learning more about this disease. Upon completion of her residency, Dr. Hurley became the director of the shelter medicine program. She looks forward to advancing the field of shelter medicine through her dedication to research, outreach and education. Dr. Hurley is a recognized leader in the field of shelter medicine. She frequently presents lectures at regional and national veterinary and animal care conferences, and writes articles on infectious disease control in animal shelters.

She loves shelter work because it has the potential to improve the lives of so many millions of animals and the people who care for them. Dr. Hurleys interests include preventive medicine, infectious disease epidemiology (especially feline upper respiratory and caliciviral infection), and unusually short dogs.