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Our Veterinarians

Meet the folks who make it all happen. We see big potential in every moment, and care deeply about what we do every day.

Dr. Penny Dye

Dr. Penny Dye

Veterinarian, Co-Owner

Dr. Dye grew up on her family farm near Chappell, Nebraska. She first realized she enjoyed working with animals as a member of the Future Farmers of America organization, caring for lambs and cattle. Working on a farm also helped her learn the basics of running a business, a skill that would serve her years later as the Co-Owner of Dakota Hills Veterinary Clinic!

Penny attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln to study Animal Science. She was accepted into The Ohio State University, where she obtained her veterinary degree. She got her first job at Dakota Hills in Rapid City. She has limited her scope of practice to small animals since 2006, and particularly loves the occasional challenge of a difficult surgical or medical case.

Dr. Dye lives with her husband Jack, who enjoys running their cow/calf operation, a 500-head commercial Angus herd. Their blue heeler, Sally, gets her greatest pleasure from herding cows. They also have a border collie named Josie and an Aussie named Roscoe, who both enjoy herding cattle in wide open spaces. In her spare time, Penny enjoys raising and riding her quarter horses.


Dr. Kami Ireland

Dr. Kami Ireland

Veterinarian, Co-Owner

Dr. Ireland grew up on a small cattle ranch east of Rapid City. Her parents came from humble beginnings, and instilled in Kami and her sister the importance of acquiring an education and working hard to achieve success. Dr. Ireland now combines that work ethic with her love of animals as a Veterinarian and partner in ownership at Dakota Hills!

In 1997, Dr. Ireland graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska with a Bachelors in Biology. She attended veterinary school at Iowa State University—largely because the teaching hospital’s horses and foals reminded her of her ranch origins—and graduated with her DVM in 2001. Afterwards she joined the Dakota Hills team.

Kami especially loves dogs. No matter how poorly a day might be going, she can walk into an exam room with a dog and suddenly nothing else matters! She also enjoys surgery and says internal medicine is her favorite veterinary discipline.

At home, Dr. Ireland has an Australian Shepherd named Stone and a Border Collie named Jess. Three barncats also prowl around the property: Vicryl, PDS, and Catgut. When she’s not at the office, Dr. Ireland spends a lot of time preparing for and competing at barrel racing events. She also likes to jog, read, watch sports, and spend time with family and friends.


Dr. Curtis Stonecipher

Dr. Curtis Stonecipher

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Stonecipher developed his love for animals while growing up in Rapid City around dogs, cats, horses, mules and chickens. He recognized the unconditional love and devotion animals provided and decided he wanted to be able to return the favor!

After high school, Dr. Stonecipher attended college in Coffeyville, Kansas and Arlington, Texas before returning to South Dakota and finishing his undergraduate degree at Black Hills State University. From there he was accepted into the class of 2000 at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, he received a job offer from Dakota Hills Veterinary Clinic and has practiced here as an Associate Veterinarian since then!

Orthopedic surgery is Dr. Stonecipher’s personal passion. It’s very satisfying for him to physically see the results of his efforts and how it improves the life of a pet.

Dr. Stonecipher’s wife, Julie, is a fourth grade school teacher with a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Their son, Carter, is in high school and enjoys baseball and football. Their daughter, Rylie, is in junior high and stays active in gymnastics and dance. The family has three Pointers: Cayenne, Hal, and Chili.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Stonecipher’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, and old muscle cars. He also coaches his son’s sports teams and recently had a great time traveling to Indianapolis, Indiana for a regional baseball tournament.


Dr. Matlock

Dr. Jessica Matlock

Associate Veterinarian

Growing up, Dr. Jessica had a horse named Coosa, whom she credits with teaching her about the human-animal bond. Over 19 years, Coosa helped raise her from a pre-teen all the way to becoming a veterinarian. Throughout that time, Dr. Jessica learned to listen to the subtle signs animals give when they are happy and content, in pain or distress, or simply frustrated from not understanding what their owner wants them to do. Coosa ultimately taught Dr. Jessica the power of unconditional love – something she works hard to foster and support with her patients and their owners.

In college, Dr. Jessica initially debated between becoming a human doctor and a veterinarian. Part of the reason she ultimately chose veterinary medicine was due to the variety of things she would be able to do as opposed to human medicine. For instance, she can go from a complex surgery to a puppy vaccine visit to a sick hospitalized medical patient all within one morning. It’s certainly never boring! She loves being challenged, and learning and growing every day.

Dr. Jessica attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC for her BS in biology with a minor in chemistry. She then went on to attend the University of Tennessee for Veterinary School, where she also achieved her Master of Public Health degree. She practiced mixed animal medicine (large and small animals) in East Tennessee for eight years before moving to Rapid City. Clinically, she enjoys challenging medical cases that keep her on her toes.

Outside of work, Dr. Jessica resides with her husband, Nathan, whom she met while attending college, and their four pets, which include three dogs and one cat. Atali is an Australian Shepherd who accompanies Dr. Jessica to work every day. He thinks the entire clinic is there to pet and love on him! Baxter is a hound mix and is the bestest old boy ever. Lucy Bell is a beagle mix who would be content to sit in your lap for 24 out of 24 hours in the day.

When she’s not busy working or tending to her pets, Dr. Jessica enjoys exploring National parks, hiking, camping, and fishing with Nathan. Part of the reason the couple moved to Rapid was because they love the Badlands. Still an avid equine enthusiast, Dr. Jessica is looking forward to learning some new Western riding disciplines.


Dr. Jason Shipman

Dr. Jason Shipman

Associate Veterinarian

When Dr. Shipman was growing up, his hometown didn’t have any veterinary services. He remembers taking the long drive out of town with his parents to see the closest vet for the family pets. This revealed to him the crucial role veterinarians play in communities and he knew at a very young age he wanted to be able to fill that role in the future. Being able to experience and help foster the human-animal bond is one of the most rewarding aspects of this career, and Dr. Shipman feels so fortunate to serve pets and their families each day.

Dr. Shipman attended the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND for his undergraduate studies, and then pursued his veterinary degree at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. He graduated with his DVM in 2019. After initially starting his career in Rapid City, Dr. Shipman elected to pursue new opportunities and experiences as a travel/relief veterinarian in Phoenix, AZ. Over the years, he was fortunate to work in dozens of different veterinary hospitals and with a variety of teams, but he was incredibly excited to return home to Rapid City and join the team at Dakota Hills.

Clinically, Dr. Shipman has a special interest in dentistry and dermatology. This interest is likely due to his personal experiences with both disciplines while in veterinary school. Dr. Shipman served as a research assistant with CSU’s Dentistry and Oral Surgery Department. During that time, he also adopted a German shepherd who turned out to be quite itchy. Since he was a student, she was lucky enough to be treated by CSU’s Dermatology specialists and Dr. Shipman was fortunate to learn from them along the way.

At home, Dr. Shipman shares his life with his wife, Kalli, an optician in Rapid City. She too is thrilled to be living back in her hometown, close to family and friends. Their fur family consists of one scruffy rescue dog named Zuri who, aside from her irrational fear of the dishwasher, is the perfect dog. In his free time, Dr. Shipman enjoys traveling, biking, camping, and constantly adding new plants to his landscaping. However, there are few things the Shipmans enjoy more than hosting friends for a nice evening in their backyard with dinner, drinks, and dogs.