Veterinarians
Dr. Jeff Dand - Owner
Jeff graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 1997 and then continued on to Florida to complete a veterinary internship. While in Florida, Jeff focused on canine behavior and dermatology as he had a special interest in these areas which he still does to this day. Jeff is an experienced veterinarian dedicated to helping animal lovers and their pets strengthen their relationship, health, and quality of life together. A vision fueled by his love for his three rescue pets, Rocco, a Lab mix, Coco a Great Pyrenees mix, and Bandit, a domestic longhair cat with 2 different colored eyes.
Throughout his career, Jeff observed key principles in animal care and discovered a passion for business that led to him building his own vet clinics and pet resorts. It’s Jeff’s sense of humor, contagious energy, and aptitude for business and behavior that has been key in the success of his clinics. Jeff is at the heart of helping each of our teams practice gold standard medicine and be a trusted cornerstone in our community!
Throughout his career, Jeff observed key principles in animal care and discovered a passion for business that led to him building his own vet clinics and pet resorts. It’s Jeff’s sense of humor, contagious energy, and aptitude for business and behavior that has been key in the success of his clinics. Jeff is at the heart of helping each of our teams practice gold standard medicine and be a trusted cornerstone in our community!
Dr. Kathy Kimmel - BSc DVM CCRT cVMA cVSMT
Kathy graduated from WCVM in 2000 and then completed a one year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery in West Hartford, CT. Kathy then spent four years in a private practice in Penticton BC. Deciding she wanted to try something a little different, she switched to full time emergency medicine for eight years in Edmonton. As an active competitor in dog sports, particularly agility, obedience and herding, Kathy developed an interest in sports medicine and rehabilitation, completing her certification in rehab through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. She spent the last 16 months doing full time canine rehabilitation at WCVM as well as learning animal Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy through the Veterinary Chiropractic Learning Centre and acupuncture through the Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians program.
Dr. Marcia Lembo
Marcia is originally from Brazil and has been very passionate about animals since she was little. She decided to be a Veterinarian at the age of 5 and grew up going every weekend to her grandfather’s dairy farm, where she fell in love with horses and cats. Marcia graduated in 2000 from the University of São Paulo and was also granted with a Masters Degree in surgery. She opened her own clinic for 12 years before moving to a small animal Hospital where she worked as a feline specialist and surgeon. Marcia then moved to Canada and continued to practice Veterinary Medicine. She has been married for 21 years and is the mother of a wonderful daughter and 4 cats. She loves movies and jigsaw puzzles and when its time to relax, Marcia likes to horseback ride on mountain trails. Moving to Canada has always been a dream of Marcias and the best decision of her life.
Dr. Alex Horner - DVM MS DACT
Alex is a born and raised Calgarian. She graduated with her DVM from the University of Melbourne in Australia . During her initial veterinary training down under she completed several externships with Theriogenologists in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, which furthered her interest in the subject. After working in private practice in Alberta including at Springbank Pet Hospital she was accepted into the American Kennel Club Small Animal Theriogenology residency at Colorado State University in 2021. During her time in Colorado she completed a Master’s degree in clinical reproduction with her masters project focusing on canine endometrial organoids to provide an in vitro method to study reproductive pathology in the female canine. She also participated in Colorado States ongoing clinical trial for the treatment of persistent breeding induced endometritis in the canine using fetally-derived extracellular vesciles. This July (2024) she passed her board certifying exam for the American College of Theriogenology.
Dr. Horner is passionate about safeguarding genetic diversity in purebred dogs and providing education on the importance of reproductive health. In her spare time, she is actively involved in the purebred dog world, participating in conformation and several dog sports with her Black Russian Terrier, Sealyham Terriers and a Skye Terrier.
Dr. Horner is passionate about safeguarding genetic diversity in purebred dogs and providing education on the importance of reproductive health. In her spare time, she is actively involved in the purebred dog world, participating in conformation and several dog sports with her Black Russian Terrier, Sealyham Terriers and a Skye Terrier.
Management Team
Nicole Gigian, RVT - Director of Operations
Originally from Manitoba, Nicole moved to Alberta several years ago. She grew up loving all animals but had a special passion for horses. Following her passion, she received her diploma in the Animal Health Technology program in 2008. As a new RVT, she worked in a variety of different areas in the veterinary world including small animal, equine, emergency care, and bovine embryo transfer. Working in these different areas allowed her to gain vast knowledge and experience. After moving to Alberta, she was hired on with Dand Veterinary Clinics as an RVT and helped Dr. Dand to bring Springbank Pet Hospital from the ground up. Over the years she has helped with the opening of several clinics including a few on Vancouver Island and soon realized her passion for management as well as the business side of veterinary clinics. She now manages and operates the four Dand clinics in Calgary and is enjoying every moment of it. She currently has two pets, Nim, a little black cat and Phoebe, a rescue white shepherd mix.
Andrew Zender - Hospital Manager
Andrew has spent the last 25 years in hospitality, working in private members clubs and public venues. He’s passionate about creating a second home for his staff and clients. When not building successful customer service teams, Andrew spends time with his 6 year old twin daughters and 2 year old Yellow Lab Luna.
Holly Robinson - Accounting Manager
Holly was born and raised in Calgary, and grew up surrounded by animals, having everything from cats and dogs, to frogs, turtles, hamsters and bearded dragons. She has always had a love for all creatures, furry, slimy or scaly, and decided to pursue a career in the veterinary field, graduating from Bow Valley College's Veterinary assistant program in 2012. Holly started with the Airdrie Animal Clinic in March 2012 as a client care specialist, and spent a number of years leading the reception team. Holly decided to further her education, and in 2021 graduated with honors from the Business Administration program at SAIT. Upon graduation Holly began assisting with the bookkeeping, as well as managing the Airdrie team. She has now turned her focus back to the financial operations of the business, and manages the accounting for all 6 Dand clinics. Holly resides in Airdrie with her husband, a ginger kitty named Simba and a golden retriever named Griswold.
Registered Veterinary Technologists
Shaina
Shaina grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan where caring for animals was part of her daily life. As an adult, she had a successful 10-year career working in the oil and gas industry. It was a personal experience with her dog Roxy, that set in motion the path to a career as a Registered Veterinary Technologist. The experience prompted her to investigate careers in veterinary medicine where she came upon the Olds College AHT program. She enrolled soon after and graduated from the program in 2016. We met Shaina when she came to us to complete her practicum for the program and well, we wouldn’t let her leave.
You will find Shaina in most rehabilitation appointments working with Dr. Kathy Kimmel closely. She is qualified in Class IV Laser and trained to operate the water treadmill for both dogs and cats. She loves her work and is excited about utilizing new treatments we have to offer like PRP Therapy and Therapeutic Ultrasound. Shaina has two tabbies of her own, Rosie and Bella and a rescue pup named Chester. These inseparable short haired sisters came to Shaina while at school after they were found abandoned. |
Kiia
Kiia was born in Finland, but has grown up around the world. She went to university in the UK, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree with honors in Veterinary Nursing in 2011. She moved to Calgary in 2012, got registered as a veterinary technologist and started working in a busy 24-hour hospital. Since then, she has worked both in emergency and primary care, and the last few years solely in rehabilitation. She is currently working through her rehab certification through the University of Tennessee, to further develop her skills in rehabilitation..
Kiia has two cats, a siamese mix named Tilly and a domestic medium hair named Nicholas. She also has a Shepherd Mix named Brie. Since getting Brie, Kiia has immersed herself in dog behavior and training. Kiia and Brie compete in Barn Hunt, Scent Detection and Rally O. In her free time, you can find her spending time with her fiance, training Brie or camping and hiking in the mountains. Kiia also enjoys photography.
Kiia enjoys all aspects of rehab, but has a soft spot for geriatrics and ensuring they have the best possible quality of life. She also enjoys the challenge of rehabilitation after various surgeries. Kiia is Fear Free certified and tries to use those teachings when handling some of the more nervous patients.
Kiia has two cats, a siamese mix named Tilly and a domestic medium hair named Nicholas. She also has a Shepherd Mix named Brie. Since getting Brie, Kiia has immersed herself in dog behavior and training. Kiia and Brie compete in Barn Hunt, Scent Detection and Rally O. In her free time, you can find her spending time with her fiance, training Brie or camping and hiking in the mountains. Kiia also enjoys photography.
Kiia enjoys all aspects of rehab, but has a soft spot for geriatrics and ensuring they have the best possible quality of life. She also enjoys the challenge of rehabilitation after various surgeries. Kiia is Fear Free certified and tries to use those teachings when handling some of the more nervous patients.
Rehabilitation Assistants
Lauren
Lauren was born in Calgary, Alberta and has grown up with a love for animals. At the age of 7 Lauren gained a passion for training where she began agility, obedience and movie dog training. Lauren has since stayed an active competitor in agility and has placed in multiple regional and national championships.
Lauren’s desire to learn and pursue rehab started when her sheltie Bolt became injured resulting in temporary paralysis. Through years of rehab which included laser, acupuncture, herbal medicine and rehab exercises Bolt was able to return to his favourite activity, agility. Lauren wanted to educate herself more about animal health, nutrition and behaviour where she became a certified VTA through olds college as a dual credit program through her high school. Lauren is beyond excited to work with rehab clients and continue to expand her knowledge of animal rehab.
During Lauren’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her 4 dogs Bolt, Monty, McFly and Doc where she can be found practicing agility, working through her own dogs conditioning routines, doing photography or hiking with her pups.
Lauren’s desire to learn and pursue rehab started when her sheltie Bolt became injured resulting in temporary paralysis. Through years of rehab which included laser, acupuncture, herbal medicine and rehab exercises Bolt was able to return to his favourite activity, agility. Lauren wanted to educate herself more about animal health, nutrition and behaviour where she became a certified VTA through olds college as a dual credit program through her high school. Lauren is beyond excited to work with rehab clients and continue to expand her knowledge of animal rehab.
During Lauren’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her 4 dogs Bolt, Monty, McFly and Doc where she can be found practicing agility, working through her own dogs conditioning routines, doing photography or hiking with her pups.
Sage
Sage grew up on an acreage near Millarville where her family raised all sorts of animals. She spent many years touring around the country to participate in rodeos, until she decided it was time to focus on a career. Sage was first introduced to the veterinary industry a couple years ago working as a receptionist. She soon realized that this was the career she wanted to pursue lifelong but was looking to work more closely with the animals. Sage has a keen interest for the wellbeing/health of animals and is excited to join the Rehabilitation team at Springbank . Sage lives with her two pups, Jetta and Gus, the three of them are nearly inseparable.
Hayley
Bio coming soon!
Technician Assistants and Client Care Specialists
Alex
Alex was born in the Netherlands and moved to Calgary when she was 4 years old. She discovered a passion for animals quite young. As a child, her twin sister and her were always catching critters to take care of and gushing over the animals in their lives. After completing high school, she enrolled in the Veterinary Reception/Assistant course at Olds college and loved every minute of it. It was there that she realized her true passion for rescue and special needs animals. Growing up, family pets were always rescues and this continues to be a passion of hers. Alex felt immediately connected to her first rescue dog Moby, a blind border collie mix who and had a degenerative brain disorder. Alex is currently a wonderful dog mom to Pippin, a golden retriever mix from rural Alberta. These two have enriched her life, light up her world, and she couldn’t imagine working in any other field.
Jorja
A Calgary native, Jorja has always been surrounded by a variety of animals, having had many animals while growing up as well as spending several years riding horses. Jorja is going into her fourth year of an undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Guelph, with the intention of attending vet school in the near future. After spending the entirety of last summer volunteering at our West Springs location, Jorja was sold on the veterinary industry and wanted to immerse herself in the environment as much as possible.
When she’s not working, Jorja spends most of her time with her family and friends, as well as with her furry pals Maisy, an 8 year old Shih-Poo and Murphy, a recently re-homed 1 year old Bernadoodle.
When she’s not working, Jorja spends most of her time with her family and friends, as well as with her furry pals Maisy, an 8 year old Shih-Poo and Murphy, a recently re-homed 1 year old Bernadoodle.
Margaret
Margaret is originally from Glasgow, Scotland and came to Canada in 2010 with 2 dogs, two cats and two parents.
Margaret’s love for the mountains of Europe and skiing were the seed that brought her to Canada. Training as a ski instructor lead to her and her husband immigrating to Canada.
Once here her love for animals started with working in a vet clinic on Vancouver Island. After a few years in other industries her love for animals called her back to the veterinarian industry.
When not at Springbank, Margaret likes to spend time with her two dogs, Ranger a chow chow and Red who was a rescue from the Cochrane Humane society.
Margaret’s love for the mountains of Europe and skiing were the seed that brought her to Canada. Training as a ski instructor lead to her and her husband immigrating to Canada.
Once here her love for animals started with working in a vet clinic on Vancouver Island. After a few years in other industries her love for animals called her back to the veterinarian industry.
When not at Springbank, Margaret likes to spend time with her two dogs, Ranger a chow chow and Red who was a rescue from the Cochrane Humane society.
Liza
Liza was originally born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba. Spending her adult life in California and Utah before moving to Alberta. Having a love for animals since childhood it’s no surprise she has been working in the veterinary industry for over 25years. After having obtained a teaching credential in California she went back to working at a vet clinic for the love of the animals and the rapidly growing industry.
An avid traveler and lover of exploring new cultures. She has been to over a dozen states, the Caribbean, England, the Philippines and Thailand. Along with countless national parks; Banff, Great Smoky, Yosemite, Zion, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier to name a few. Her favorites being Banff and Yosemite.
When she is not at Springbank you can find her pet sitting, traveling, playing pickleball, participating in RunDisney events or spending time in the great outdoors.
An avid traveler and lover of exploring new cultures. She has been to over a dozen states, the Caribbean, England, the Philippines and Thailand. Along with countless national parks; Banff, Great Smoky, Yosemite, Zion, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier to name a few. Her favorites being Banff and Yosemite.
When she is not at Springbank you can find her pet sitting, traveling, playing pickleball, participating in RunDisney events or spending time in the great outdoors.