2025 Veterinary Heroes: Julie K. Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP (Feline Medicine)

An advocate of shelter medicine, Julie K. Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP, is the Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education and director of the shelter medicine program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville. However, her work, accomplishments, and impact on students, animals, and her community go well beyond the classroom.

In a dvm360 interview, Levy said she started her career in academia caring for “complicated feline referral cases” and transitioned to working with cats that have little known medical histories and without access to advanced diagnostic and therapeutic tools. “It’s definitely rewarding to use my experience and instincts to sort out health problems and design practical treatment plans,” she said.

Levy founded Operation Catnip of Gainesville in 1998, and the organization has since sterilized more than 85,000 felines in Florida, according to its website, in an effort to manage the local stray population. The group community hosts clinics that offer sterilization and vaccination for cats, surgery and clinical opportunities for veterinary students interested in shelter medicine, trap rental services for public participation with spay-neuter services, and education about compassionate feline care.¹

Levy also cofounded the Shelter Medicine Program in 2008 at the University of Florida. Her work in building the program’s curriculum included academic instruction, clinical clerkships, in-shelter externships, and development of an online graduate course. According to the university, “Hundreds of veterinary students have earned the Professional Certificate in Shelter Medicine under her direction, and working professionals across the globe have benefited from the Distance Education Program.”²

“Shelter medicine is incredibly rewarding. Most of the challenges we face are solvable and quick wins are plentiful. For example, the summer kitten season frequently overwhelms shelters, which become overcrowded with vulnerable underaged kittens, leading to orphaned and fading kittens, outbreaks of panleukopenia virus, and frustrated staff and volunteers. We can turn that around by implementing shelter-specific vaccination protocols, novel treatments, and medially supported foster and diversion programs,” Levy explained. “Even though I don’t always have the same level of resources and access to specialized care, I feel like I have more autonomy and the ability to save cats at scale.”

Her work has extended to research, which includes a lifetime study of shelter cats with feline leukemia, looking for indicators of predictable outcomes. “I’m also working on a spectrum of care approach to FIP [feline infectious peritonitis] diagnosis and treatment to make it more accessible to all cat caregivers,” she said.

In nominating Levy for the Veterinary Heroes recognition, the nominator wrote that “countless veterinarians over the years” have been inspired by her work. “Her contribution to feline health, both for pets and for strays/shelter animals, is, in my opinion, unmatched, and she should be celebrated for all she has done for this important segment of the veterinary profession. Her efforts for these cats are endless,” they wrote.

Levy said the recognition from her peers is humbling. “I’m supported by a large team of staff and volunteers who are also drawn to improving the well-being of cats. None of our big wins for cats could have been achieved without all of them,” she said. “This feels like a win for all of us and for cats, not just me.”

The 2025 class of dvm360 Veterinary Heroes will be honored at a celebratory luncheon at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Click here to learn more or register for the event.

REFERENCES

1. The history of Operation Catnip. Operation Catnip. 2020. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://ocgainesville.org/history
2. Dr. Julie Levy honored with national teaching award in veterinary medicine. University of Florida Health. April 28, 2025. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/2025/04/28/levy-award/