Katherine Jay

I am a 34 year old animal lover. I received my B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Zoology from University of Tennessee - Chattanooga in 2014 and have been accepted into Colorado State University's Professional Science Masters program for Zoo, Aquarium, and Animal Shelter Management.

From 2015-2019 I worked as a zookeeper. I cared for all taxons and got to share my love an passion with guests. I contributed to research on Copper Head Snakes and African Painted Dogs, and was a part of several Species Survival Plans to help conserve endangered species. In my time as a keeper, a large spotted genet named Jennet became very dear to me and I have since shared a passion for viverrids and their conservation efforts. I believe that small carnivores, like viverrids, deserve as much attention as the bigger species which is what most zoos in North America focus on due to the public's preference. I want to change that one day.

I left the zoo field in 2019 and ended up working as a veterinary assistant at my local animal control and eventually my local humane society. My goals in this field have been towards finding better ways to help the public understand the importance of understanding animal behavior and spay and neuter since most problems shelters deal with revolve around these two topics (not all but most). I believe if we, as facilities help people better care for and understand their animals, as well as understanding the benefits of spay and neuter, then we could drastically decrease homeless animal populations and relieve the stress placed on these facilities.