Meet our passionate team of animal lovers.

Dr. Dale Smith, DVM

Dr. Smith was born and raised in Southern California. His love for skiing and the mountains brought him to Utah many years ago. He spent his summers as a wrangler at a summer camp in Antimony, Utah, and attended the University of Utah, where he earned a B.S. in biology. He then attended Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Smith studied and practiced in Baltimore and Philadelphia, then returned to Utah and opened an orthopedic referral practice in Salt Lake City. He has two wonderful children. Dr. Smith has 2 Golden Doodles, Jack and Frankie, and a Devon Rex named Willow. He also shares his life and house with his 33-year-old Amazon Parrot, Bob. He continues to enjoy the vast outdoor opportunities that Utah has to offer.

Cassie Czerny, CVT & VPM

Cassie graduated from Utah Career College with her associates in Veterinary Technology in 2004. Recently, she received her undergraduate certificate in Veterinary Practice Management in 2019. Cassie worked at a small animal practice in Bountiful, Utah for 10 years. She has been part of the Hillside team since 2014. She has two chihuahuas named Dutch & Alan. She enjoys running, biking, skiing, camping, and spending time with her fantastic son. Her favorite part of working at Hillside is patient care, client education, and surgery. 

Corinna “Cori” Esdorn Camfield, DVM

Dr. Esdorn grew up in California & New York with dogs, cats and horses. She graduated from Stanford University in 2009 and the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. As a veterinarian, some of her areas of interest are dermatology, soft tissue surgery, infectious diseases, and treatment of companion goats and backyard chickens. She loves getting to follow patients through all life stages. Dr. Esdorn moved to Utah in 2017, and is so excited to finally live close to the mountains, as she loves hiking with her German Shepherd Merry, camping, snowshoeing and skiing. When the weather is less inviting, she can be found baking up a storm.

Courtney Howard, DVM 

Dr. Courtney Howard was born and raised on east coast Florida. Dr. Howard has a love for the ocean and enjoys all activities on the water including offshore tournament fishing, boating, and enjoying the sunshine on the beach. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of North Florida prior to attending veterinary school at Ross University. She completed her clinical rotations at Oregon State University and graduated veterinary school in 2014. She spent some time in Eugene, Oregon practicing medicine before heading out to the great state of Utah in 2016 with her husband, who is also a veterinarian and is a native to Utah. Since living in Utah, Dr. Howard has developed a love for fly fishing, snowboarding, hiking, and camping. She joined the Hillside team in 2021 and is excited to partner with clients and their pets for a collaborative approach to pet care. Her professional interests include soft tissue surgery and emergency/urgent care medicine.  She has 1 dog (Sheila), 3 cats (Cooper, Finn, and Rosebud), a bunny (Miles), and chickens. She especially enjoys spending all her free time with her husband, Taylor, and her adorable kids, Sterling and Lillian.

Magali Lequient, DVM 

Dr. Magali Lequient was born in Québec, Canada and graduated from the University of Montréal’s Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire in 1997.  After initially practicing as a large animal veterinarian, in 2000 she moved to Utah, lured by the incredible rock climbing and skiing found in and around the state. She was a veterinarian for 11 years at University Veterinary Hospital in Sugarhouse and then spent the next 9 years working at White Pine Veterinary Clinic in Park City.  During her more than 20-years of practice, she has had the chance to work with and learn from many exceptional veterinarians. She also received lengthy and extensive teaching from her precious canine companions, Ouest and Millie, who lived to be 15.5 and 16.5 years old, and Azrael the cat who lived to be 19.  All of these influences shaped her strong interest in small animal pain management, geriatric care, and internal medicine. In addition, these experiences informed Dr. Lequient’s passion for the art of balancing a pet’s quality of life with their health challenges and appropriate treatments given the circumstances.  

Dr. Lequient recently joined Hillside Veterinary Hospital and is excited to become part of such a professional and caring team. She is working at Hillside on a part time basis, as she splits her time with Utah Pet Rehab and Acupuncture Clinic where she practices veterinary medical acupuncture and related techniques.  

Dr. Lequient lives in Summit Park with her husband, Brad, and their red heeler Ocho. They spend most of their free time rock climbing in beautiful areas near and far. In the winter, when they are not busy shoveling snow, they find themselves nestled by their fireplace with Ocho and Midge, a sweet 16 year old little grey cat who adopted them last year.

Walter Cansdale, DVM 

Dr. Cansdale was born and raised on a small farm north of Las Vegas, NV, where he developed a love for animals at a young age.  He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2009 from St. George’s University and attended his clinical year at Louisiana State University. Upon graduation, Dr. Cansdale worked in emergency medicine prior to moving to Salt Lake City, where he has been practicing for the last 11 years before recently joining the Hillside team in 2022.  His professional interests are companion animal medicine, dermatology, and preventative care.  Dr. Cansdale’s personal interests include spending time with family and friends, traveling, movies, and playing basketball.  Especially here in Utah, he enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and visiting national parks and sites with his wife and dog, Frosty.  

Kirsi Burnett, DVM 

Dr. Burnett grew up in Salt Lake City, and attended the University of Utah where she completed her B.S. in Biology and Chemistry. She attended Veterinary School at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Burnett practiced in Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and Connecticut, but returned to Utah to be closer to family and to enjoy rock climbing and skiing.  While in Virginia, Dr. Burnett worked for a non-profit which provided free medical care for retired military and police K9’s. She has a strong interest in geriatric care, dentistry, and behavior. Dr. Burnett has a 13-year-old Boxer named Goof who struts around in his wheelchair.  

Dr. Burnett recently joined the Hillside team and is excited to be a part of this wonderful practice. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, caring for her honeybee hives, and restoring 1950-1970’s Vespa scooters.

Taylor Howard, DVM

Dr. Taylor Howard graduated with his bachelor of science degree in animal/dairy veterinary science at Utah State University. He received his doctorate of veterinary medicine (DVM) from Ross University in St. Kitts. He then continued his training through Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University. 

He began his career in Mixed animal practice in Scio, Oregon. He practiced from 2013-2016 Ambulatory/general practice and Emergency medicine along the Willamette Valley from Portland to Eugene. In 2016 he returned to SLC to continue his practice closer to family. 

Dr. Howard enjoys the challenge of working with animals of all shapes, sizes and species. While he focuses on dogs and cats, he is always excited to help understand and treat others when able. 

He shares his family with his wife, Dr. Courney Howard (DVM), his two children, and his furred and feathered pets. 

Areas of focus: 

Internal medicine, Dermatology (immuno-therapy/allergies), Dentistry, Soft Tissue surgery, Oncology, Respiratory and Cardiovascular disease, and Emergency Care.