SPCA Monterey County — © 2024 All rights reserved.

Your Veterinary Team

  • Kate Riley, DVM
    Kate Riley, DVM

    Unlike many veterinarians, Kate did not grow up surrounded by animals. She grew up in the suburbs of Boston, MA, and her parents weren’t keen on having animals in the house. It took her ten years to convince them to get a dog. But of course everyone loves a Golden Retriever puppy, and they were immediately won over.

    Kate graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a BS in Brain and Cognitive Science. She spent the next few years working in biomedical research at Tufts University. During this time, adopting a shelter dog and volunteering for a foster-based rescue inspired her to shift from looking at PhD programs to applying for veterinary school, specifically to work with shelter animals. During that time, she also attended the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and ran a small pastry business from her home.

    After graduating from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, she completed a 1-year internship in Shelter Medicine at Cornell University and has been working in shelters ever since. One of her favorite parts of the job is performing dental procedures, as this quickly relieves a patient’s suffering from loose or infected teeth. She has volunteered for spay/neuter projects around the world to help control the street dog population humanely, visiting Nepal, Puerto Rico, Cambodia, Bahrain, and American Samoa.

    Dr. Riley, SPCA Veterinarian, is exploring the area with her Great Pyrenees, Lucy. They’re both enjoying the cool weather and prolific wildlife in the Monterey peninsula. In her free time, she still enjoys cooking, as well as taking advantage of the many kayaking and SCUBA diving opportunities the area has to offer.