Interview! Dr. Julie Levy, Maddie’s Professor of Shelter Medicine at University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Julie Levy is a professor of shelter medicine at the University of Florida, as well as a prolific publisher of scientific articles on small animal medicine. She began her work with community cats in the 1980s while attending veterinary school at UC Davis, where there was a large population of unsterilized cats. She describes how difficult it was to trap cats back in the days when TNR was not yet a widespread phenomenon—she and her peers used to chase the cats around with nets! Dr. Levy also worked with Dr. Kate Hurley to found the Million Cat Challenge, who you may be familiar with from her own interview on the Community Cats Podcast. Dr. Levy describes the birth of the Million Cat Challenge as a “spontaneous eruption of enthusiasm,” and indeed that enthusiasm has not faltered: the Challenge has recently partnered with the ASPCA and accepts shelters into its program on a rolling basis.

For more information visit www.millioncatchallenge.org.