Meet Dr. Katie Kennedy, an ACVS fellow and co-founder of Violet Crown Veterinary Specialists. She was born in Boulder, Colorado, and moved to St. Louis, Missouri as a young child. Initially, she had dreams of becoming a marine biologist, but after her childhood cat fell ill, she realized her calling in preventing and alleviating the suffering of pets and altered her plans in marine biology in favor of becoming a veterinarian.
Dr. Kennedy has spent her career in veterinary specialty. Most recently, she was a Senior Veterinarian and Surgical Oncologist at Animal Medical Center in New York City. She is one of only a few veterinary surgical oncologists practicing today and the only veterinary surgical oncologist practicing in Central Texas. Previously, Dr. Kennedy served as a Staff Surgeon at VCA San Francisco Veterinary Specialists in San Francisco, CA, and held a Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Colorado State University’s Flint Animal Cancer Center in Fort Collins, CO. After completing an Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Wisconsin and a Small Animal Surgical Internship at Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists, Dr. Kennedy completed her surgical residency at Washington State University. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University and a Master of Science, Veterinary Clinical Sciences degree from Washington State University.
Dr. Kennedy is driven by the opportunity to give her clients hope and solace during times of uncertainty, and by helping to find a path forward for pet owners who have the desire and dedication but may lack financial resources. A dedicated lifelong learner, Dr. Kennedy enjoys mentoring and sharing her knowledge with veterinary professionals and clients.
Outside of work, Dr. Kennedy can be found gardening, cooking, reading, and enjoying Austin’s food and live music scene with her wife Kelli and their rescue pup, Parker and rescue kitties Puck and Macaroni.
Board Certification and Professional Distinctions:
- Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons – Small Animal, 2015
- American College of Veterinary Surgeons Fellowship, Surgical Oncology
Education:
- BS in Biochemistry, Cum Laude – Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 2005
- DVM – Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 2009
- MS in Veterinary Clinical Sciences – Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 2014
Postgraduate Research and Hospital Training:
- Internship in Small Animal Medicine – University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 2009-2010
- Internship in Small Animal Surgery – Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists, Longmont, CO, 2010-2011
- Residency in Small Animal Surgery – Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 2011-2014
- Fellowship in Surgical Oncology – Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center, Fort Collins, CO, 2014-2015
Publications:
- Chambers AR, Skinner OT, Mickelson MA, Schlag AN, Butler JR, Wallace ML, Moyer AL, Vinayak A, Samuel N, Kennedy KC, Oakes KE, Scharf VF, Parker LA, Wustefeld-Janssens BG. Adherence to follow-up recommendations for dogs with apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma: A multicentre retrospective study. Vet Comp Oncol. 2020 Apr 7. doi: 10.1111/vco.12597. Online ahead of print.PMID: 32266757
- Kennedy KC, Martinez SA, Martinez SE, Tucker RL, Davies NM. Effects of low-level laser therapy on bone healing and signs of pain in dogs following tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. Am J Vet Res. 2018 Aug;79(8):893-904. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.79.8.893. PubMed PMID: 30058855.
- Fidel J, Kennedy KC, Dernell WS, Hansen S, Wiss V, Stroud MR, Molho JI, Knoblaugh SE, Meganck J, Olson JM, Rice B, Parrish-Novak J. Preclinical Validation of the Utility of BLZ-100 in Providing Fluorescence Contrast for Imaging Spontaneous Solid Tumors. Cancer Res. 2015 Oct 15;75(20):4283-91. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0471. PubMed PMID: 26471914; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4610180.
- Kennedy KC, Fransson BA, Gay JM, Roberts GD. Comparison of Pneumoperitoneum Volumes in Lift Laparoscopy With Variable Lift Locations and Tensile Forces. Vet Surg. 2015 Jul;44 Suppl 1:83-90. doi: 10.1002/vsu.12306. PubMed PMID: 261382