Katherine C Polak, DVM, MPH, MS, DACVPM, DABVP

Dr. Katherine Polak leads the Companion Animals and Engagement team for Humane Society International, working to improve companion animal welfare around the world through humane management of dog and cat populations, increasing veterinary access to care, training veterinarians in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgery, and ending the cruel dog and cat meat trade in Asia. Before joining HSI, Dr. Polak managed companion animal welfare programs and campaigns across Asia with Vienna-based FOUR PAWS, and served as the International Director of Animal Welfare at Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket, Thailand. There she launched and managed a large-scale sterilization program for free-roaming dogs in the capital city of Bangkok.

She currently holds a Master’s Degree in both Forensic Science and Public Health, and completed a shelter medicine and surgery internship at Colorado State University, and a shelter medicine residency at the University of Florida. Dr. Polak currently teaches in the online Shelter Medicine Program which trains students and veterinarians from around the world on how to improve shelter animal care and community lifesaving. She has authored several scientific papers on feline infectious disease, canine heartworm disease, and international dog transportation. In 2019, she became the Medical Director for the HSUS Spayathon for Puerto Rico.

She currently sits on the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee and the International Advisory Board for the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D). She has also co-authored and edited the textbook, ‘Field Manual for Small Animal Medicine’ published by Wiley Publishing, a resource for veterinarians working in under-resourced communities. In 2019, she was awarded Veterinarian of the Year by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.