Executive Committee

Kim Barrett
Co-Chair 

Kim Barrett is an Edmonton based physiotherapist, who as a lifelong animal lover, decided to take extra training to practice on animals. She has her Diploma of Canine Rehab from the Animal Rehab Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. She is also a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRT) after completing her studies at the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in Florida. She is pursuing her Diploma of Equine Rehab presently. She graduated from Dalhousie University in 2007 with her Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy, having previously graduated from Dalhousie with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biology.

Kim opened Paws Animal Rehab & Fitness Inc. in 2018. Kim is a member of the Alberta Force Free Alliance and has training on low stress animal handling. She has completed Dr. Sophia Yin’s low stress handling course, as well as completing her Pet First Aid Certification. She treats a wide variety of conditions in animals (cruciate repairs, disc disease, vestibular issues, etc.). She enjoys working with elderly animals to improve their strength and mobility, and overall quality of life. She also enjoys working with sporting dogs to improve performance and overall conditioning. 

When not treating animals, Kim is rescuing them. Be sure to ask about her fosters in care and involvement in the Edmonton rescue community. Kim also treats people – she can be found at Phoenix Physiotherapy in Spruce Grove and occasionally at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. Kim previously worked for 10 years at the Glenrose Hospital but left her full-time position to pursue animal rehabilitation.

Laurie Edge-Hughes
Co-Chair / Lobby & Advocacy Lead

Laurie obtained her degree in physical therapy (BScPT) from the University of Alberta in 1993. Following graduation, she worked in the intensive care unit at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, AB, before practicing at a private physiotherapy clinic in Cochrane, AB. Her broad post-graduate eduation has been in the field of human and canine orthopaedics, including advanced assessment and treatment in spinal and extremity neuro-musculoskeletal conditions, postural stabilization, dynamic muscular stabilization, adverse neural tissue tension assessment and treatment, pain management, and osteopathic therapeutic techniques (i.e. muscle energy, craniosacral therapy, and functional indirect therapy). Laurie received her certification in medical acupuncture from the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute in 2002. She also obtained special dispensation to practice spinal manipulations in the province of Alberta.

Laurie has always demonstrated particular interest in the field of animal rehabilitation. Early on in her career, she completed numerous courses offered by the Canadian Horse and Animal Physical Therapsits Association (CHAP) in this field. She initiated her practice with animals in 1993, integrating her skills and knowledge in physical therapy and rehabilitation in humans with her passion for animals. Laurie founded Four Leg Rehabilitation Therapy in Cochrane, AB, in 1997, where she provided physical therapy services to animals and their owners in the greater Calgary area. Laurie currently practices animal physical rehabilitation at The Canine Fitness Centre Ltd. in Calgary, AB, a facility she established in 2004 in partnership with Dr. Amalia Rossi Campos MVZ, MSc and Dr Manuel Campos MVZ, MSc, PhD.

Other accomplishments in Laurie’s professional career include holding executive positions within CHAP since its inception. Laurie has very much been at the forefront of the field of canine rehabilitation & physical therapy, and taught the first courses in this field in Canada and the US in 1999, as well as Australia in 2001. She has created the curricula for the Canadian Diploma in Canine Rehabilitation for the ARD. Laurie also lectured with the Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI) in the US for 10 years, a canine physical therapy and rehabilitation certification program for veterinarians, physical therapists, veterinary technicians, and physical therapy assistants. Laurie holds a certification in Canine Rehabilitation Therapy (CCRT) from the same institute and a Masters in Animal Studies degree from the University of Queensland in Australia. Laurie has been an invited lecturer at numerous animal rehabilitation, veterinary, and physiotherapy conferences, and has instructed courses for several international animal rehabilitation/physiotherapy groups, associations, and universities/colleges. Laurie was also a case examiner for the International Veterinary Association of Pain Management for three years. Her primary teaching platform is currently Four Leg Rehab Inc. – the world’s first online canine rehab continuing educational resource.

Additionally, Laurie owns and manages Two Hands Physiotherapy, a clinic dedicated to providing physiotherapy services to dog owners. She and her husband also manage a 450-head cattle ranch just west of Calgary, where they raised two boys, a handful of dogs, and a small flock of happy chickens!

Shauna Slobodian
Education Lead

Shauna completed her MSc in Physiotherapy at Queen’s University in 2010. She has spent the last decade working with seniors. In 2015 she by chance saw a course listing for canine rehab and ventured down that path. At the same time her dog decided she needed two knee surgeries and became her first patient! Shauna now devotes her practice to senior dogs and runs Pawsitively Fit Canine Rehabilitation & Wellness, a mobile canine rehab business.  Why seniors? Because they have so much untapped potential and are often overlooked!

Shauna loves to run, read, and spend time with her family, including her preschool aged son Sam who also loves to run! Shauna also tries to continue to further her knowledge in all aspects of the canine world and continues to take classes with her yellow lab Maggie.  They’ve done lots of obedience, agility, and canine good neighbour! There is always something new to learn.

Shauna achieved her Diploma in Canine Rehabilitation in 2019 and is the Education Lead for the ARD.

Donna LaRocque-Hennig
Treasurer

Donna LaRocque-Hennig has 35 years of experience as a physical therapist treating humans. She graduated in 1979 from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. Donna has taken many post-graduate courses since that time, including her certification in Acupuncture, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Muscle Imbalance, Joint Mobilization and Manipulation, and many others. Several years ago, Donna began to be interested in using human techniques on her own pets when they were injured with great success. This led to an interest in more formalized Animal Rehabilitation training and a more specialized knowledge in the anatomical differences between humans and animals. Donna has worked successfully in providing rehabilitation programs for canines, small pets, horses, and llamas, with a variety of injuries.

Donna completed the course work at the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in 2006, as well as the Animal Rehabilitation Institute in 2009, and is now a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, as well as a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Therapist, respectively, in addition to her Canadian credentials.

From her office location near Spruce Grove, AB, Donna provides a variety of animal rehabilitation services to her clients located in the Edmonton, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Devon, and County of Parkland areas.

Danna Campbell
Special Projects

Danna graduated from Oxford Brookes University (UK) in 2011. After working for two years in Scotland, she returned to her hometown of Whitehorse, Yukon, where she is working in private practice and opened her own equine rehab business Equipt Physiotherapy & Equine Rehabilitation. Danna is the incoming President of the Physiotherapy Association Yukon. 

Danna has always been a horse lover. She spent a year learning classical dressage in California and is the proud owner of two horses and a pony. She continues to pursue classical riding and natural horsemanship, and loves being outdoors with her husband and children.

Sue Van Evra
Lobby & Advocacy Committee

Sue obtained her Physiotherapy Degree from McMaster University in 1993 after completing both Honours and Masters degrees in Physiology from the University of Western Ontario. Sue has spent over a quarter of a century working in outpatient orthopaedics with humans, and has been studying canine rehabilitation since 2006. Sue is passionate about learning and problem solving, and has completed many advanced courses, for both human and canine rehab, to better be able to assess and treat patients effectively.

If you ask Sue what things she could not live without, one of her answers would be a dog! Sue is a huge dog lover, and her passion for the canine world makes her excited to be able to work with dogs and use her experience and in-depth knowledge of physiothreapy principles to rehabilitate the canine population.

Sue has completed her Diploma in Canine Rehabilitation and is on the Advocacy Committee for the ARD of the CPA. When Sue is not working, she can be found running with her golden retriever, Jane, road biking, swimming, or skate skiing with her husband, Steve. Sue currently works in Calgary at the Canine Fitness Centre rehabilitating dogs, and at Two Hands Physiotherapy treating humans!

Carrie Smith
Newsletter

Carrie Smith graduated in the dark ages before the invention of the internet and the cell phone, and when Western University was still called the University of Western Ontario. Carrie has received certificates in Sport Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, IMS, and Canine Rehabilitation. Carrie opened the second stand-alone physiotherapist owned canine rehab clinic in Canada in 2015 and has been practising canine rehabilitation since 2004.

Carrie was the team physiotherapist for the Women’s National Hockey Team for four years, including the Nagano Olympics, and was the team physiotherapist for the Men’s National Rugby Team for eight years. She has now given up her human teams to work with the Canadian World Agility Team as she says the dogs smell better.

Katie Wood 
Social Media Lead & Student Rep

Katie completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in Animal Biology in 2016, before continuing to complete her MSc in Animal Biosciences. She worked for 3 years as a veterinary assistant in a large equine practice, before deciding to pursue her degree in physiotherapy. She is currently enrolled in the University of Toronto’s Master of Science in Physical Therapy program and is entering her second year in September 2021.

Katie has a long love for equestrian sport, and a newfound interest in animal rehab. She competed in the sport of eventing for many years as a teenager and through her early twenties and grew up on a breeding farm for Rocky Mountain Horses. During her studies, she was introduced to the world of physiotherapy after an unfortunate car accident, motivating her to pursue it as a career. Her goal is to combine her love for animals with her newfound passion for rehab upon graduating, and to continue promoting the benefits of animal rehab through social media as a member of the ARD.

Inderdeep Dhugge
Secretary

Inderdeep graduated from the University of Toronto in 2016. She has completed courses in aquatic therapy, vestibular rehab, and arthritis management since graduating, all of which are applicable to canines as well. Inderdeep is currently working towards completing a Diploma in Canine Rehabilitation and is excited to be adding dogs to her caseload.