Dr. Apryl Steele

President and CEO

With nearly two decades of experience in veterinary private practice, Dr. Apryl Steele has approached her tenure as President and CEO of the Dumb Friends League with knowledge, transparency, and a deep compassion for people and animals. From her time with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps during Operation Desert Storm to her six-year service in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA’s) House of Delegates and beyond, Dr. Steele has made significant and lasting contributions to the fields of veterinary medicine and animal welfare. Before joining the League in 2015, she served as president of the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, and the Animal Assistance Foundation. 

At the League, Dr. Steele has led with an emphasis on innovation, increasing access to donor-subsidized veterinary care, improving animals’ lives through ending pet homelessness and suffering, and working with the community to expand the Socially Conscious Sheltering framework across Colorado and the U.S. Many of the initiatives advanced under her leadership focus on bringing and keeping pets and people together by seeking to thoughtfully address their mutual needs. 

In addition to her role as President and CEO, Dr. Steele serves as the chair of the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement, the Socially Conscious Action Team, the Access to Veterinary Care Taskforce, and the Coalition of the Veterinary Professional Associate Legislative Committee. She is also a member of the Colorado Bureau of Animal Protection Taskforce and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the CVMA.