May 2010 by Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM and Jan Scarlett, DVM, MPH, PhD

Audience: Executive Leadership, Foster Caregivers, Public, Shelter/Rescue Staff & Volunteers, Veterinary Team

Video Length: 7 minutes

It has been estimated that there may be as many as 40 million feral and free-roaming cats in the United States. Find out how shelters can help protect those cats and reduce the strain on a shelter's housing and resources at the same time.

Bio photo of Dr. Julie Levy, smiling and holding three cats

Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM

Dr. Julie Levy is director of Maddie's® Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida. The program provides comprehensive training for veterinary students and shelter medicine specialists, shelter consultations, disease outbreak investigations, continuing education, and research to solve the problems confronting animal shelters. Dr. Levy's research and clinical interests center on feline infectious diseases, neonatal kitten health, humane alternatives for cat population control, and immunocontraceptive vaccines for cats. Dr. Levy's accomplishments include publication of more than 100 journal articles and textbook chapters.

Dr. Scarlett

Jan Scarlett, DVM, MPH, PhD

Dr. Scarlett is a Professor of Epidemiology and the Director of Maddie's® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University. In 2005, Dr. Scarlett led a team that launched a comprehensive shelter medicine program with residency training. Her current teaching and research interests focus on the prevention and control of diseases in animal shelters. She is also involved in the epidemiologic study of preventive factors for pet surplus in the United States including spay/neuter programs, pet trafficking, veterinary activities impacting relinquishment to animal shelters, and valid epidemiologic uses of shelter software programs.