Dr. Justin Cupka

Dr. Justin Cupka

Dr. Justin Cupka grew up in Virginia and attended Unity College in Maine, where he graduated at the top of his class with a degree in Captive Wildlife Care and Education, with a focus on wildlife and zoo medicine. After completing prerequisite coursework at Virginia Commonwealth University, he made his way to California to study Veterinary Medicine at the University of California Davis. While there he focused his learning on Zoo, Exotics, and Wildlife medicine, and simultaneously fell in love with the state. After graduation, he spent a year seeing dogs, cats, small mammals, birds, and reptiles in Oakland before moving to Santa Cruz. 

Dr. Cupka has a special interest in reptiles, conservation medicine, and behavior in all species. Before graduation, he was involved in research of fungal diseases of amphibians and training programs to help make shelter dogs more adoptable. Outside of his professional life, Dr. Cupka enjoys kung fu, gardening, hiking, camping, and a variety of arts and crafting. He shares his home with an Argentine Black and White Tegu, several breeding pairs of snakes, and a goofy Doberman mix named Tonks.