Dr. Burkhardt, D.V.M.

Kimberly S. Burkhardt D.V.M.

Some people search their entire life to find a career that they love but I am not one of those people. I know that I was born to be a veterinarian and I thank God and my family everyday for helping me fulfill my vocation. I cannot imagine a day without animals in my life and the rewarding profession they enable me to serve.

I was born in Buffalo, NY, home of Buffalo wings and blizzards but my father was transferred to Saginaw, MI when I was 10. We had one family dog, a cairn terrier named Muffin. She had many illnesses throughout her life including parvovirus and pancreatitis and we spent a lot of time in the vet's office. My dad was the first person to suggest I be a veterinarian because it always seemed that I had an innate care for animals.

I went to the University of Dayton for my undergraduate degree in Biology and in my sophomore year at UD I decided to become a veterinarian. I worked for a vet clinic and realized that I genuinely enjoyed spending my days with animals and their families. The following summer I was given a litter of five-day-old Labrador Retriever puppies to foster until they were six-weeks old and learned what it took to be a vet and a mom at the same time. I kept one of the puppies and she passed away last summer at the age of 10. Putting her to sleep was one of the hardest things I ever had to do as her mother and her veterinarian.

I was accepted to Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996 and graduated with my DVM degree in 2000. Veterinary school was extremely difficult and exhausting but it taught me the degree of hard work and dedication required to be successful as a veterinarian. I spent many nights and weekends buried in books or treating sick animals at the school's clinic, often with the help of my husband who learned more about farm animals than he ever wanted to know. I moved back to Dayton after graduation in order to be close to family and was fortunate to be hired at the best vet clinic in Dayton. I have worked at Twin Maples since graduation and plan on staying here for many years to come. My professional interests include internal medicine, including ultrasonography, and senior wellness care.

I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful job and to work with very talented and devoted people. Although being a veterinarian can be very stressful and sad at times, the benefits and sense of accomplishment greatly outweigh the difficulties and I truly love my profession. After spending my day caring for our clients' pets, I go home to my own animal family, which includes my Golden Retriever, Bailey; Chocolate Labrador, Guinness; and my four cats, Misty, Petunia, Gatsby and Ramsey. My two young sons love our animals as much as I do and I could see one of them as a vet someday. If you ask my two-year-old son what mommy does at work he says, "woof-woof; kitty-kitty" and I guess that about sums it up for me too.