Julie Gray, DVM 
HSVMA KENTUCKY STATE REPRESENTATIVE

As a licensed veterinarian with over two decades of experience in small animal medicine, shelter medicine, and high volume spay and neuter surgeries, Dr. Julie Gray was eager to serve as the HSVMA state representative for Kentucky. Her passion for animal welfare and commitment to improving the health and well being of shelter animals align with HSVMA’s core values, and her background will help her to effectively advocate for change within the state.

Dr. Gray earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University in 2003 and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Murray State University in 1999. After her formal education, she began her career in Owensboro, KY at Will’s Animal Hospital specializing in equine and companion animals. In 2004, she started working at Towne Square Animal Hospital where she worked for 14 years. During this time, Dr. Gray developed a strong foundation in small animal medicine and surgery. She also became closely involved in the local animal rescue community, working with Sparky Animal Rescue, where she performed numerous pediatric surgeries preparing the animals for adoption.

Since 2014, Dr. Gray began filling in for various high-volume spay and neuter clinics around Kentucky: SNIPS in Louisville, The Fix Foundation in Franklin, FOTS (Friends of the Shelter) in Ohio County and FOBCA (Friends of Butler County Animals), and in 2018 she accepted the full-time shelter and Spay and Neuter position for Vanderburgh Humane Society.  After working there for three years, she was recruited to come back to Owensboro and help start a spay and neuter clinic for the Daviess County Animal Shelter. As the first-ever shelter veterinarian for Daviess County, she helped design the spay and neuter clinic addition as well as establishing medical, sanitation, and quarantine protocols that better align with industry standards. In addition, she has led initiatives to streamline care, reduce disease transmission, and increase adoption rates ensuring better outcomes for animals in her care. However, she has also faced challenges with shelter noncompliance and insufficient animal protection laws in Kentucky. These experiences fueled her passion for stronger veterinary oversight and improved shelter conditions throughout the state.

In pursuit of further specialization, Dr. Gray is currently on the Shelter Practitioner Pathway for board certification, collaborating with leaders like Dr. Sara Pizano and Cameron Moore from the University of Florida’s shelter medicine program. Through touring shelters across Kentucky and Florida, she has gained a deeper insight into best practices for shelter management and care, which she aims to apply more broadly within Kentucky.

In addition to her professional background, Dr. Gray’s personal life revolves around her love for animals. Her two amazing daughters share her passion for horseback riding. Her family includes four horses, three dogs, two cats, and two goats, and one patient man that puts up with all of them. They also actively foster dogs and cats for various shelters and rescues.

As Kentucky’s HSVMA State Representative, Dr. Gray will leverage her years of veterinary experience, equine knowledge, deep-rooted dedication to shelter medicine, and passion for animal advocacy to work toward improved legislative protections and higher standards of care for shelter animals. Working collaboratively with HSVMA and HSUS, Dr. Gray hopes to make a significant difference for animals in need across Kentucky.

To contact an HSVMA State Representative, please email [email protected].