Karen Halligan

Dr. Karen Halligan, a devoted pet owner and respected veterinarian, has developed a distinguished veterinary medical career while gaining acclaim as a national spokesperson for animals. She has appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark (1988), ABC, NBC, FOX, Animal Planet, Animal Rescue 911, and HGTV, and is a sought-after television pet health expert as well as a featured spokesperson for pet nutrition companies. The driving force behind this challenging and demanding career path is Dr. Halligan's lifelong commitment to animal welfare and pet owner education. She is currently the Director of Veterinary Services at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles (spcaLA), where she oversees the health and well-being of all the shelter animals and routinely performs surgical procedures. In addition, she is considered an expert in animal cruelty cases, having successfully won judgments in many court cases. Dr. Halligan is also the author of the book, "Doc Halligan's What Every Pet Owner Should Know: Prescriptions for Happy, Healthy Cats and Dogs" (HarperCollins, 2007). Bringing her extensive knowledge straight from the front lines of the vet emergency room, she shares practical tips and eye-opening advice on diet, health, exercise, reducing vet bills, disaster preparedness, and much more. Her other numerous accomplishments include providing veterinary care on the ground in Louisiana for the animals displaced from Hurricane Katrina, lecturing on animal health care across the country, rescuing and adopting out abandoned cats and dogs, recording the breeding habits of the California condors at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and hatching baby penguins at Sea World. A native of San Diego, Dr. Halligan double-majored in theatre and zoology while working the animal shows at the San Diego Zoo. In 1989, after graduating from the University of California, Davis, Dr. Halligan began working as the chief of staff at one of San Diego's busiest veterinary hospitals. It was there that she became aware of the astounding number of cats and dogs being euthanized at shelters and pounds, as well as the need to better educate the public about animal health issues. Seeking to give a stronger voice to these issues by expanding her opportunities in public relations, Dr. Halligan moved to Los Angeles in 1993. In addition to her thriving veterinary career, Dr. Halligan recently had her own TV and Internet segment, "Pet Talk", on NBC for more than a year. She has been interviewed on morning TV news and radio programs all over the country as a consultant on animal health issues. She also has a regular column, "Ask the Vet", in Friends for Life magazine and has published numerous articles on animal health and well-being. Dr. Halligan has donated hundreds of hours of volunteer time to various animal rescue groups and entertainment nonprofit organizations. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio, California Veterinary Medical Association, Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, and The Association of Shelter Veterinarians. Dr. Halligan is also in private practice in Venice, California, and shares her life with Kinky and Nathan, two very spoiled and healthy cats.