Kellie Dawald, RVT, CCRP

Kellie fell in love with the culture and beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains after attending a specialized program for canine rehabilitation at the University of Tennessee. In January 2022; with her close family in tow, Kellie migrated the 2,500 miles from Northern California to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Kellie started her animal career working as a shelter kennel attendant at the local SPCA. Her hunger for knowledge in the veterinary field lead Kellie to pursue becoming a Licensed Veterinary Technician, she has held a license since 2009. Her passion for improving the health and quality of life in animals sent her on a journey to a specialty in physical rehabilitation. In 2014, Kellie graduated and became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) through the University of Tennessee. Kellie is 1 in less than 100 CCRPs working within the entire state of Tennessee.

Kellie brings a diverse resume to Knox Veterinary Surgery, with over 18 years of dedication to the animal care community. Kellie’s experience includes working closely with veterinary general practitioners, veterinary surgeons, physical therapists, elite canine performance trainers, law enforcement & military officials, complimentary (Chinese medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, herbs, etc.) medicine, and collaborating with animal care professionals from around the globe.

Kellie finds joy in spending time with her two & four-legged family; reading true crime books, watching documentaries, and of course…eating! Kellie takes pride in giving back to the community through her love and knowledge of the human-animal bond. Her passion shines through the extensive work with non-profit organizations to offer service dog training to military veterans suffering from PTSD, development of canine therapy programs within senior centers, early childhood education workshops (including Girl/Boy Scout Badge activities), training state/federal court advocacy dogs, and has even trained her personal dog to play “Sandy” in the musical theater rendition, Annie.