Dr. Kirby Penttila, DVM

Dr. Kirby Penttila was born and raised on a small farm outside of Chase, British Columbia.  She completed two years of pre-veterinary studies in Agriculture at the University of Alberta before being accepted to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She graduated in the spring of 2008 and was the recipient of the Dino and Dr. Ashburner award for Equine Care, an award recognizing her achievements in equine care during fourth year rotations at WCVM.  She went on to complete an internship in equine medicine and surgery at Idaho Equine Hospital in Nampa, Idaho, before returning to practice in Calgary.  After falling in love with the clients and horses in the area, she decided to purchase Burwash Equine Services from Dr. Wayne Burwash in 2013.  She then welcomed Dr. Crystal Lee as a partner in the practice in 2017.  

Despite juggling practice ownership with her daily veterinary tasks, she still finds time for some of her favourite activities outside of veterinary medicine including competing in barrel racing on the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association trail, playing slo-pitch, skiing, and camping.  Her and her husband, Cody, have 2 young kiddos that share their mama’s need for speed. You will often see her furry four-legged assistant, Josey, with her on calls and roaming around the clinic.  She also has a fluffy fat cat named Effie, and too many horses to count now. 

Her practice interests include lameness and sports medicine.  She also has a strong interest in equine podiatry and loves cases that involve the challenging role that biomechanics of the foot play in soundness.  She is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in both Alberta and British Columbia.