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. Kathy has completed several programs including 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 three pets, Nim, a little black cat, Phoebe, a rescue white shepherd mix and Lainey a border terrier.
Valerie Hall - Director of Business Development
Valerie was born and raised on a large farm in central Alberta where she learned the value of a tenacious work ethic, honesty, ingenuity, and loyalty. Her home was the birthplace of her love and passion for animal care.
Valerie has been leading teams and managing patient success in the orthodontic profession for over 15 years. She is new to the vet industry and is excited to make a difference in Airdrie’s community, one pet’s life at a time. Valerie is at the heart of helping our team practice gold standard medicine so that we're a trusted cornerstone of our community!
Valerie, along with her husband and two daughters have a Cavalier King Charles puppy named Rocket that they all adore and is the love of their life. Valerie believes in people and dedicates a large portion of her time to 4-H, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth.
Valerie has been leading teams and managing patient success in the orthodontic profession for over 15 years. She is new to the vet industry and is excited to make a difference in Airdrie’s community, one pet’s life at a time. Valerie is at the heart of helping our team practice gold standard medicine so that we're a trusted cornerstone of our community!
Valerie, along with her husband and two daughters have a Cavalier King Charles puppy named Rocket that they all adore and is the love of their life. Valerie believes in people and dedicates a large portion of her time to 4-H, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth.
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.
Shaina has two cats of her own, Abby and Sophie and a rescue pup named Chester. |
Tj
Tj grew up on a ranch in Rockyview county where care and compassion for animals was intergraded into everyday life. The passion for animals led her down the path of becoming a Registered Veterinary Technologist. After graduating from the AHT program at Lakeland College in 2021 the career door for veterinary medicine was wide open. This gave her the opportunity to learn and grow in a variety of fields from the smallest cat in general practice to the largest cow in embryo transplants. Now a days you can find her with her dog June building a funny farm of, so far 2 cats, 2 horses, cattle and more to come!
Rehabilitation Assistants
Lauren
Lauren’s passion for animal rehabilitation was sparked when her own dog experienced a spinal injury. Witnessing the transformative impact of rehabilitation inspired her to pursue a career dedicated to helping animals thrive.In 2021, Lauren completed the Veterinary Technician Assistant program at Olds College. Building on this foundation, she is now pursuing her Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) diploma with plans to specialize in rehabilitation. To enhance her expertise, Lauren has become certified in Class IV laser therapy, as well as completed courses in animal conditioning and fitness that focus on optimizing performance and well-being for sporting dogs.
Lauren has a particular affinity for working with spinal injury cases, drawing on her personal experience to provide compassionate and informed care. She is equally passionate about supporting senior pets, finding fulfillment in helping them maintain strength and comfort during their golden years.
When she’s not working, Lauren enjoys actively competing in dog sports, particularly agility, and exploring the outdoors with her Border Collie and Shelties. She also has a creative side, often honing her photography skills during her adventures.
Lauren has a particular affinity for working with spinal injury cases, drawing on her personal experience to provide compassionate and informed care. She is equally passionate about supporting senior pets, finding fulfillment in helping them maintain strength and comfort during their golden years.
When she’s not working, Lauren enjoys actively competing in dog sports, particularly agility, and exploring the outdoors with her Border Collie and Shelties. She also has a creative side, often honing her photography skills during her adventures.
Hayley
Hayley is a dedicated rehab assistant at Springbank Pet Hospital, with a strong passion for helping animals regain their mobility and quality of life. Growing up on a Hereford cattle farm in Alberta, Hayley developed a deep connection with animals and an appreciation for their well-being from an early age. Hayley has a special interest in working with elderly dogs and those recovering from cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tears, finding joy in witnessing their progress and improved comfort. Her passion for rehabilitation stems from a desire to ensure every animal, regardless of age or injury, can live their happiest and healthiest life. At home, she shares her life with two playful cats, Zeus and Nala, and a spirited golden retriever named Fern.
Naomi
Naomi is originally from England where she became a certified Small Animal Hydrotherapist in 2017. This certification also included an extended Diploma in Animal Management. Naomi decided to move to Canada in 2019 and recently gained her Canadian citizenship.
In her spare time, Naomi enjoys fishing and camping. She is a proud owner of three cats: Sicily, a 16-year-old Devon Rex who benefits from hydrotherapy; Mavis, an energetic 2-year-old tortoiseshell; and Jinx, a 6-year-old tuxedo. Naomi is excited to be part of our rehab team.
In her spare time, Naomi enjoys fishing and camping. She is a proud owner of three cats: Sicily, a 16-year-old Devon Rex who benefits from hydrotherapy; Mavis, an energetic 2-year-old tortoiseshell; and Jinx, a 6-year-old tuxedo. Naomi is excited to be part of our rehab team.
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 had a degenerative brain disorder.
Alex is currently a wonderful dog mom to Mose, a corgi! Alex couldn’t imagine working in any other field.
Alex is currently a wonderful dog mom to Mose, a corgi! Alex couldn’t imagine working in any other field.
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.
Danica
Danica was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and has always had a passion for animals. She has gone from having no pets to then rescuing her bichon shih tzu, Oreo. Danica has been in dental care for over 8 years and is excited to be stepping into the veterinary industry. She believes in creating a positive experience from the moment a client walks in the front door and and is excited to be part of our gold standard care. Danica is thrilled to be joining our Springbank team and is ready to contribute positively to our client's and their pets.
When not at work, Danica enjoys spending time with her dog Oreo, her family and friends. She also enjoys working out, travelling the world and eating at all the new restaurant’s in YYC.
When not at work, Danica enjoys spending time with her dog Oreo, her family and friends. She also enjoys working out, travelling the world and eating at all the new restaurant’s in YYC.
Reproduction Coordinator
Sage
Sage is a devoted animal lover from Millarville, Alberta, who grew up surrounded by working Border Collies used as cow herding dogs by her family. Her childhood was filled with riding horses and participating in rodeos, fostering her deep connection with animals. After completing college, Sage spent several years in the veterinary industry, which inspired her to go back to school and pursue her Veterinary Technician diploma. Alongside her veterinary experience, she has also gained valuable knowledge in breeding Border Collies and large animal reproductive health, particularly with cows and horses. In her free time, Sage enjoys riding her horses and spending time with her Border Collie, Gus, and Australian Shepherd, Jetta.