Dr. Jim Murphy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Manhattan College, New York, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Murphy is delighted to once again be working at Belair Veterinary Hospital and some pet owners may recall his first tenure as an associate veterinarian in the early 2000’s.

“Belair Veterinary Hospital is a wonderful community veterinary hospital. The team of doctors and professional staff work so well together in providing affordable medical care for the cherished companion animals that play such an important role in our lives. A veterinarian’s primary responsibility is to protect and prolong the Human-Animal Bond for as long as possible and to do that with compassion, communication, and empathy. My practice philosophy is really quite simple. I treat each of my patients as if they were my own pet because, in some sense, they are. I am always asking myself, ‘What would you do if this was your pet?’

When not pursuing his love of science and veterinary medicine, Dr. Murphy enjoys exploring the arts and humanities. He is the author of Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963, which inspired the subsequent release of the iconic band’s earliest recordings on a two CD set for which he had the honor of writing the liner notes. He loves music, film, guitar, and is currently writing a novel, inspired by a true story, he hopes will capture everything he loves about dogs. He starred in the Colonial Players’ production of the Neil Simon play Jake’s Women, and other theater credits include Kiss Me, Kate, and Not Now, Darling and Out of Order at the Bowie Playhouse. He also starred in the feature-length indie comedy films Boxing Day and 6 Nonsmokers.

Dr. Murphy and his wife Bernadette have lived in Bowie since 1991. After a long line of rescue terriers, they now share their hearts and home with Smooch, a formerly feral cat they rescued in 2015. “All our rescue animals have given me an even greater appreciation for the folks who put their hearts on the line every day doing the important work of animal rescue. You could look a very long time and not find a finer group of people.”