Sharon L Crowell-Davis DVM, PhD, DACVB
HSVMA GEORGIA STATE CO-REPRESENTATIVE

Dr. Crowell-Davis grew up in east Tennessee, with a 1-year diversion to live in England when she was 12.  She was a textbook “horse crazy” girl, and spent as much time as possible riding and hanging out at stables, which naturally evolved into completing her PhD dissertation at Cornell University on the maternal and developmental behavior of mares and foals of the Welsh pony living at pasture in 1982. Prior to her PhD, she completed her DVM degree at Auburn University in 1978. 

She became an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982, and subsequently developed a clinical behavior service and a comprehensive educational program in behavioral medicine there.  She is currently a Professor of Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Georgia.

In the past 34 years Dr. Crowell-Davis has published over 400 papers and book chapters on various aspects of animal behavior and welfare, including material on horses, cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, parrots and pigs. She has also supervised student research on the behavior of llamas and chickens. She is the senior author of Veterinary Psychopharmacology (2006) and editor of the second edition of that book, which is currently in preparation.  She also edited a book on horse behavior.  All of her former residents have become Board Certified in the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, and subsequently gone on to careers that included practice, teaching and/or research. She has also served as a legal consultant and expert witness on various aspects of animal behavior and welfare and lectured extensively at continuing education venues.

Dr. Crowell-Davis was one of the founding Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.  She is currently on the scientific advisory board of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros (ISPMB) and is the faculty advisor for the student chapter of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) at the University of Georgia.  While she loves reading papers and books on animal behavior, the animals themselves have always been her best teachers, and she once missed a Pony Club meeting because she was so fascinated by the details of how her horse picked up, masticated and swallowed its food.

 

Gloria Dorsey, DVM, MPH
HSVMA GEORGIA STATE CO-REPRESENTATIVE

Dr. Gloria Dorsey, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, received a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University in Alabama and went on to complete a Master’s degree in Public Health - Epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  As of April 2024, Dr. Dorsey has retired from her staff position at the Atlanta Humane Society since 1996.

Prior to assuming her former role as Vice President of Community Education and Advocacy in 2014, Dr. Dorsey was Atlanta Humane Society’s Vice President of Medical Services for 18 years.  During that time, Dr. Dorsey provided medical and surgical care to numerous pets and their families across metropolitan Atlanta. She is particularly proud of her history with Atlanta Humane because she found her desire to become a veterinarian while volunteering at the shelter.  “My heart is forever entwined with the mission of the Atlanta Humane Society.”

Dr. Dorsey’s contributions to veterinary medicine and animal welfare include shelter medicine, community practice, animal care and control, and legislative advocacy for dogs and cats in Georgia.  She served two terms on the Animal Control Hearing Board of Fulton County.

Among Dr. Dorsey’s proudest moments are the year-and-a-half period prior to COVID-19 when Atlanta Humane hosted pet vaccination clinics that served over 2,000 pets in the community.  She has also provided veterinary support for several pit bull, animal hoarding, and puppy mill seizures.  Dr. Dorsey fancies herself a skilled animal wrangler and has never had a dull moment working with animals.

 Dr. Dorsey’s newly embraced retirement status is proving to be an exciting new opportunity.  She was present when Georgia’s Governor signed a bill into law that will grant out-of-state veterinarians a six-month temporary license to provide spay/neuter services to shelters and non-profit organizations.  Additionally, she plans to mentor veterinary students and continue to advocate for animals and promote diversity in the veterinary profession. 

To contact an HSVMA State Representative, please email [email protected].