Dr. Elizabeth Capitano, DVM, CCFP earned her degree as a doctor in veterinary medicine from North Carolina State University in 1999, and was inducted in the Psi chapter of the Society of Phi Zeta, the veterinary honor society, in 1998. Prior to veterinary school, she attended Davidson College and received her BA in psychology in 1993. After graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Capitano practiced small animal medicine in Charlotte, NC for seven years. In February of 2006, she changed her career path and moved into industry, joining Hills Pet Nutrition as the consulting veterinarian for North and South Carolina. During her time with Hills, Dr. Capitano educated the veterinary community on the benefits of good nutrition through clinic seminars, local and regional VMA meetings, webinars, and daily visits with veterinarians in the region. She worked closely with the specialists and key opinion leaders in the area to share new research and information in the field of nutrition. In 2006, 2007, and 2013, she was named one of three finalists for the Mara award, which recognizes individuals within the company for their leadership, commitment, and innovation.
In February 2013, Dr. Capitano joined Virbac Animal Health as a regional veterinarian for eight states in the mid-Atlantic region. During her tenure with Virbac, she provided continuing education to veterinarians and health care teams in the fields of dentistry, parasitology, behavior, and preventive care. She also served as a technical advisor to the marketing team for dentistry and created the technical training programs for the launch of several products.
In February 2017, she moved to Elanco and joined the team as a regional consulting veterinarian. She received approval as a RACE-accredited speaker in April 2017 for multiple disease states include parasitology, immunology, and pain management. In addition, Dr. Capitano completed her Fear Free Level 3 certification in February 2018. In June 2019, she completed the coursework to obtain her credentials as a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional, and in March 2022 she became certified as a Human Animal Bond practitioner.
In July 2022, she was nominated to work as member resources committee with Not One More Vet, and completed her training as a Mental Health First Aider. Through her work with Elanco, she continues to provide support and education to veterinarians, specialists, and key opinion leaders throughout the southeast.
Dr. Capitano is an active member of the AVMA, the NCVMA, AAHA, IVAPM and the American Heartworm Society. She resides in Charlotte NC. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and her two sons, listening to podcasts, traveling to the mountains, and playing with her 2 bulldogs, Lucy and Booger.
