New owner at Niwot Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Patrick Kalenzi took over Niwot Veterinary Clinic late last month following the retirement of Dr. Doug Courtley.

Courtley had spent the last 32 years running the clinic, finishing off his total of 48 years as a veterinarian.

“I’ve enjoyed practice, it’s gone by quickly,” Courtley said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, but it was time to hang up the stethoscope.”

Courtley is joining his wife Sandy in retirement, planning to spend time with their children and grandchildren while “it’s still all just sinking in.”

Reflecting on his time, Courtley said that he enjoyed being a part of the community.

“The people in Niwot are wonderful people,” Courtley said. “When I first started the practice here in Niwot, you couldn’t buy a loaf of bread anywhere but you could buy a very fine piano or antiques.

“It has changed a lot. I really think that the Niwot Business Association and the Niwot Community Association have done wonderful jobs. They’ve really promoted a friendly atmosphere in the community and it shows in the people who live here.”

Courtley and Kalenzi worked through a broker who only deals in veterinary clinics to make the transaction.

“I wish Patrick well,” Courtley said. “I think he has a similar philosophy to practice that I have, and I think he’ll do well with my clients. He’s a very personable and knowledgeable veterinarian. I have high regards for him.”

Kalenzi, a native of Uganda, has been a practicing veterinarian in Boulder County for the last 15 years. He currently has another office in Broomfield, and plans to split time between the two.

“We have a method that has been working really good for the communities we’re in,” Kalenzi said. “We care about animals, we care about people, and we also understand the financial hardships that come with owning pets.”

He said that his office is practical, careful and compassionate, and does not do any unnecessary procedures that raise the cost of care. They will even match or beat estimates from other clinics, something he believes is crucial to running a clinic that benefits the patient the most.

“We are family-based business,” Kalenzi said. “We’ve had our children here, they were born and raised in Boulder County. What we do matters to us, that we keep a good reputation because our children may take over the business. We want to keep honest business because we want to grow and age. That’s part of our motivation for us to do good with the community.”

Kalenzi did his internship in Kentucky before moving to Colorado. He said the weather and the people are why he enjoys Boulder County.

“The people here are from everywhere,” Kalenzi said. “They may all be Americans, but they are from Ohio or Texas or California. So I fit right in.”

As for the career he’s chosen and how he got there, it is a simple response.

“That’s a quick answer — my grandfather, period,” Kalenzi said. “I’m originally from Uganda, coming from a third-world place. We are a cattle-keeping tribe. We know no other skill but animals.

“So when I graduated with grades to do human medicine, grades to do anything in the medical profession, my mom wanted me to do one thing, my dad wanted me to do something else. My grandfather said, ‘Hey, what about our traditional skill, take care of animals?’ When he suggested that, I took it up and I will never regret making that decision.”

Kalenzi has hand-picked everyone who works in his offices. He has known all of them at least six years, they all have five years minimum experience, and all are pet owners themselves.

He will be working with fellow veterinarian Lise Cummings, a former client of Kalenzi’s from his days in Boulder.

“She’s very humble and 100 percent trusted, very good human being,” Kalenzi said. “She and I are focused on the patient, we are not focused on the money part.”

They have done some work on the interior of the building already, replacing carpet and other things. But the biggest changes have been to the technology. Kalenzi said they now have a digital x-ray machine along with many other new medical devices.