Featured Snippet Dr. Kara Amstutz is a board-certified veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist based in Springfield, Missouri. She is the CEO of the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, founder of Momentum Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the mother of Grammy-winning pop artist Chappell Roan. Her career spans over 25 years of specialized animal care and education.
Most people first hear the name Kara Amstutz in the context of her famous daughter. Chappell Roan, the Grammy-winning pop star known for “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Pink Pony Club,” has openly credited her parents with keeping her grounded through the chaos of sudden fame. But Kara Amstutz is far more than a footnote in someone else’s story. She built a career in veterinary medicine that places her among the most credentialed and recognized specialists in canine rehabilitation in the United States.
Her path from a general veterinary practice in small-town Missouri to leading a nationally respected post-graduate education program is the kind of story that deserves its own spotlight. She went back to school multiple times, earned multiple advanced certifications, launched multiple businesses, and still managed to show up as a fully present parent. That kind of commitment is rare, and understanding what she has actually built is worth your time.
This article covers who Kara Amstutz is professionally, what drove her to specialize in pain management and rehabilitation, how she became the CEO of the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, what Momentum Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation is, and how she has balanced it all alongside raising Chappell Roan.
Her Education and Early Career
Dr. Kara Amstutz earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri in 2000. She had completed her undergraduate degree at Southwest Missouri State University four years earlier. Along with her husband, Dwight, she established Hometown Veterinary Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, in 2002.
For nearly a decade, she ran a general practice. The work was rewarding, but something shifted around 2010. She was heartbroken when pet owners had to make the decision to let their pets go due to uncontrolled pain or debilitating mobility issues. That emotional turning point became the fuel for everything that followed.
She made a deliberate decision: learn more, specialize, and intervene on behalf of patients who had more life to live.
Building a Specialization in Pain and Rehab
Certifications That Changed Her Practice
In 2013, Dr. Amstutz became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. The following year, Dr. Amstutz became a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner through the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. Then, in 2019, she became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.
Each credential was not a box to check. Each one represented a real shift in what she could offer her patients. By 2014, she had launched River Canine Rehabilitation as a dedicated practice within Hometown Veterinary Hospital, transitioning her daily caseload almost entirely to rehabilitation and pain management.
What Canine Rehabilitation Actually Involves
Veterinary rehabilitation is a young field compared to human physical therapy, but it draws from the same science. It includes:
| Treatment Type | Common Use Cases |
|---|---|
| Therapeutic exercise | Post-surgical recovery, arthritis, weight management |
| Acupuncture | Chronic pain, nerve pain, mobility loss |
| Manual therapy | Muscle tightness, trigger points, range-of-motion issues |
| Hydrotherapy | Limb weakness, joint loading, cardiac conditions |
| Laser therapy | Wound healing, inflammation reduction |
Dr. Amstutz is also the CEO for Canine Arthritis Education and Resources (caninearthritis.org), a free, extensive website dedicated to providing veterinary health professionals and pet owners with comprehensive information on caring for pets with osteoarthritis. That free resource reaches thousands of families navigating one of the most common and mismanaged conditions in aging dogs.
Taking Over the Canine Rehabilitation Institute
How CRI Came Into Her Life
Dr. Kara Amstutz was at a veterinary convention in Las Vegas when she discovered the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, a post-graduate certification program in veterinary rehabilitation and acupuncture. At the time, the company was based in Denver, Colorado, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
She had already become one of CRI’s certified graduates by 2013. When the ownership opportunity came up nearly a decade later, she acted quickly. In February 2022, they took over Canine Rehabilitation Institute, a post-graduate certification program for veterinarians, physical therapists, and veterinary nurses in rehabilitation and acupuncture.
What CRI Offers Today
Between 2022 and 2024, class offerings increased by 50%. Core certification courses include CCRT, canine rehabilitation assistant (CCRA), and veterinary acupuncture (CVAT), among others.
One of the defining features of CRI’s training model is its emphasis on in-person learning. Students spend over 80 hours in the classroom and must complete a 40-hour internship, which they can complete onsite. Dr. Amstutz has been quoted saying, “A hands-on career requires hands-on training. This approach restores passion to practitioners, and in turn, hope to pet owners and health to pets.”
Her own dog, Nutmeg, regularly serves as what students call a “dog professor,” giving trainees real hands-on experience.
Becoming Board Certified
In 2022, Dr. Amstutz left full-time clinical practice to become the owner, CEO, and lead clinical instructor at CRI. In 2023, Dr. Amstutz earned Diplomate status of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. That board certification, awarded by the ACVSMR, is among the most difficult and prestigious credentials in this specialty. It followed a five-year non-traditional residency program.
Momentum: Her Return to Clinical Care
In March 2024, Dr. Amstutz returned to direct patient care by founding Momentum Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Springfield, Missouri. Momentum Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation offers specialty veterinary care to pets with mobility or pain problems, as well as wound care for non-healing wounds.
The specialty veterinary practice is the only one of its kind within three hours, focused on improving pets’ quality of life through pain management and physical rehabilitation. The clinic sits directly next to the CRI campus, which means students can observe and assist with real cases as part of their training.
Kara Amstutz and Chappell Roan
The Family Behind the Fame
Kayleigh Rose Amstutz was born on February 19, 1998, in Willard, Missouri, the oldest of four children. The stage name “Chappell Roan” came later, a tribute to her late grandfather Dennis Chappell. The musician’s mother is a veterinarian and her father is a registered nurse alongside managing a family practice in Springfield, Missouri. Chappell’s hit song “Pink Pony Club” even directly addresses her mom in the lyrics.
How Kara Supported Her Daughter’s Path
Kara and Dwight embraced their daughter’s artistic journey, even when it meant standing in the face of criticism from their peers. Chappell Roan has spoken publicly about what that support meant. She shared: “They never put their concerns over my happiness. My parents are very supportive in my art, even though it is hyper-sexual and it’s purposefully tacky, trashy, opposite of how the community encourages women to be. And they are still supportive.”
When Chappell’s label dropped her in 2020, leaving her back at square one, they were there to pick up the pieces. She moved home and took a job as a barista, but they knew she wasn’t done.
Even as Chappell Roan collected her Best New Artist Grammy on February 3, 2025, the love of her parents was palpable. Kara Amstutz has been spotted at concerts singing along with thousands of fans, fully present in a moment she helped make possible.
A Career That Keeps Expanding
Beyond her clinical and educational work, Dr. Amstutz lectures nationally and internationally on topics related to canine rehabilitation and is the immediate past president of the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians. She speaks on pain management, acupuncture, therapeutic exercise, and veterinary career development.
Her story has also caught broader attention inside the veterinary community. Dr. Andy Roark, a practicing veterinarian and founder of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference, described a conversation with Dr. Amstutz as a discussion about “balancing a thriving veterinary career with raising a world-famous daughter.” In that conversation, she spoke openly about burnout, resilience, and why she believes the best part of her daughter’s fame is not the spotlight at all.
FAQs About Kara Amstutz
Who is Kara Amstutz? Dr. Kara Amstutz is a board-certified veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist. She is the CEO of the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in Springfield, Missouri, founder of Momentum Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the mother of Grammy-winning pop star Chappell Roan.
What does Kara Amstutz do professionally? She leads the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, a post-graduate certification program for veterinary professionals. She also runs Momentum Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and lectures internationally on canine pain management and rehab.
Is Kara Amstutz Chappell Roan’s mom? Yes. Chappell Roan’s birth name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz. Kara is her mother and has been a vocal supporter of her daughter’s career throughout every stage, including the difficult years after Chappell was dropped from Atlantic Records.
What certifications does Dr. Kara Amstutz hold? She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR), a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP), a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT), and a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA).
Where is Kara Amstutz based? She is based in Springfield, Missouri, where she operates both Momentum Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Canine Rehabilitation Institute.
Why Her Story Matters
Kara Amstutz built something most professionals never attempt: a full career pivot in her late thirties, a nationally recognized educational institution, and a clinical practice that addresses one of the most underserved areas in pet medicine. She did it while raising four children, including a daughter who went on to become one of the most talked-about artists of 2024 and 2025.
What stands out most is not the list of credentials or the businesses she launched. It is the reason she kept going. A single moment of heartbreak in an exam room, watching a family say goodbye to a pet that didn’t have to suffer, redirected her entire professional life. That is not a career strategy. That is a calling. For pet owners, veterinary professionals, and anyone navigating a major career pivot, Dr. Kara Amstutz offers a clear example of what focused commitment to a specific problem actually looks like when you see it through. The animals she has helped live longer, and the practitioners she has trained to carry on that work, are the real measure of what she has built.
