Advisory Board
Kate Hurley
DVM, Founder and Program Director of the worlds most prominent Shelter Medicine Program, the Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP) out of UC Davis University. www.sheltermedicine.com
Dr. Hurley began her career as an animal control officer in 1989 at the Santa Cruz SPCA, a private shelter providing field and sheltering services to the community in Santa Cruz, CA. She enjoyed the job more than she ever could have imagined, especially the feeling that she was able to help people take better care of their pets as well as protecting animals every day. Becoming a veterinarian seemed a logical way to continue serving both pets and people, and after six years she left the Santa Cruz SPCA to attend the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Hurley soon found she couldn’t tear herself away from shelter work, however, and after graduation from veterinary school in 1999, immediately went to work as a shelter veterinarian. Hurley loved that job too but in 2001 couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to UC Davis to become the first in the world to undertake a residency in Shelter Medicine.
During her residency, Dr. Hurley investigated and characterized one of the first documented outbreaks of Virulent Systemic Feline Calicivirus. Hurley has built on this experience with extensive research on diseases affecting dogs and cats in shelters, and the relationship between housing, health, wellness and adoption for shelter animals. Following completion of the residency, Hurley became the director of the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program.
Dr. Hurley is the co-founder of the Million Cat Challenge, a shelter-based initiative to save the lives of one million more cats in five years. Over 1,500 shelters more than tripled that goal, between them saving over three million cats against their own baseline before joining the challenge.
Hurley’s research interests include welfare of confined dogs and cats, humane and effective strategies to manage community cats, and infectious disease prevention. She will always love shelter work because it has the potential to improve the lives of so many animals and the people who work so hard to care for them.
Cynthia (Cindy) Karsten
DVM, Director of Outreach, KSMP
Cindy Karsten graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, completed a shelter medicine internship at Colorado State University and a Shelter Medicine Residency at UC Davis. Currently she is the Director of Outreach with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. She is also the lead veterinarian for the Sacramento chapter of the Street Dog Coalition and is a board member for Mercer Veterinary Clinic and Compassion Without Borders. Dr. Karsten’s interests include teaching and mentoring undergraduate and veterinary students, interns and residents, coaching shelter staff through online Bootcamp and other interactive formats, and providing accessible, affordable veterinary care to everyone who seeks it. She also continues to work to understand her role and that of animal shelters in increasing awareness of social justice issues and implementing policies to bring about change.
Mandy Newkirk
Marketing and Communications Manager, KSMP
Mandy Newkirk joined the Koret Shelter Medicine Program in August of 2015. Having previously worked at the San Francisco SPCA for seven years, she draws upon her experience in shelter leadership, strategic communications, and community-based program design in her current role as Director of Communications.
Since joining the KSMP, Mandy has engaged with thousands of animal shelters around the world, sharing shelter initiatives through the Million Cat Challenge, Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge, and California for All Animals.
Mandy received her BS in Managerial Economics from UC Davis. Like many friends working in animal welfare, she has assembled her own wolf pack, which consists of Eva, a rare tan Chihuahua, and Morrie, a terrier/Ewok. An orange tabby oversees the whole operation, of course, though two chickens try to rule the roost.
Dave Hachey
Founder