Team members Archive

Lily is local to Muriwai and lives with her family and animals on a small farm. Amongst them she has cats, horses and chickens. Lily is vegan and loves animals.

Melanie qualified as a vet nurse in the UK in 2000. She has worked in a wide variety of practices in the UK – doing small & large animal, equine avian and exotic pets. Melanie has spent the last 10  years working at the Auckland Zoo before starting at Vets North in 2017 to be closer to home.

Melissa has been with the Vets North Team since 2012. Originally employed as a veterinary nurse she turned her focus to customer service and is now the Waimauku Team Leader. Mel is our puppy preschool co-ordinator and has a strong interest in canine behaviour and enrichment. In her spare time you can find her on her lifestyle block with her partner and their fur family.

Narissa moved into the Helensville area from the Waikato and has worked at the Helensville clinic since 2007.  She started her Veterinary Nurse Certificate while working at the clinic and qualified in 2009.  Narissa feels very privileged to work with animals and have them as part of our lives. She has many fur babies who have stolen her heart over the years and is lucky enough to have a family who are just as animal crazy.

Natalya joined the Vets North Kumeu team in September 2019 as a Kennel hand. She then pursued her dream of becoming a qualified Vet Nurse and now works in the Helensville clinic. Natalya has always enjoyed being around animals and shows genuine care for their wellbeing.

Natalya shares her home with her family, dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens as well as horses & cows.

In her spare time, Natalya enjoys reading books, photography, walking her dog on the beach and making jewellery.

Petra graduated from Unitec in 2017 with a diploma in Veterinary Nursing. She joined the Vets North team in 2021. Petra grew up around many different species of animals and was a keen equestrian for over 10 years.  Petra strives in providing excellent patient care and nursing each patient as if it was her own.

Petra lives locally with her partner Chris. Her animal entourage consists of Fin a Blue Heeler, Olive a SPCA special and Irwin a Ragdoll she hand-reared. In her spare time Petra enjoys camping, 4WDing, weightlifting, reading and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Rachel joined Vets North in 2021, after graduating with her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing. She now works predominantly out of Vets North Silverdale. Rachel grew up on the Hibiscus Coast before settling on a lifestyle block in Wainui to raise her three children. Rachels pets include sheep, kune kune pigs, runner ducks and a cat she adopted from our Waimauku branch (coincidently also named Rachel). In her free time, she loves to craft, garden and hunt through op shops for vintage treasures.

Rachelle grew up in Auckland and has spent many of her years travelling overseas! Making the decision to study Veterinary Nursing as an adult, Rachelle has now been in the industry for 15 years. For the last 20 years Rachelle has lived in Tahekeroa with a menagerie of animals including horses, donkey’s, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, cats and fish. When Rachelle is not spending time at home with her animals or gardening you’ll catch her outdoors with her son. Having been a keen mountain biker for 35 years, it’s something Rachelle and her son enjoy doing together.

Samantha qualified with a Diploma in veterinary nursing in 2015. Since then she has since worked for two other clinics in the west Auckland area before joining the Vets North team. Sam’s interests are patient care, surgery and radiology. Sams always been an animal lover growing up in Massey with a few dogs and cats over the years but for now she has just two cats which she absolutely loves. When she’s not working, she is busy with partner Sean their two boys Blake and Karter on the rugby field, at the beach or just out for an adventure.

Sami joined the Helensville Customer Service Team in June 2019 and is now their Team Leader. Sami always wanted to work with animals so when the opportunity arose she left her career in another industry to pursue her dream. Sami enjoys spending time with her family including rescue kitten Nacho and American Bulldog Mukka.

Sarah joined our Customer Services team back in 2015 and then decided that she would like a change in her career path. She has since gained her Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing through Unitec in 2020 and now works across all our clinics as a veterinary nurse. Sarah has also had the opportunity to nurse in Tonga with South Pacific Animal Welfare charity in 2018 and 2019.

I am a friendly enthusiastic year 12 student. I love all animals, and really enjoy working with both animals and people.

My most favorite place is Muriwai beach, where I regularly spend my free time, walking my dog Jada, and enjoying the water!

My hobbies include surfing, hiking, volleyball, camping and gardening.

I joined the Vets North team in June 2019. I am currently in Yr 12 at Kaipara College, I am passionate about Wildlife Photography, Surfing, and my horses. I live in Muriwai and love taking my horses for gallops down the beach as well as competing in eventing and show jumping. 

Stefanie is one of our Customer Service Superstars in Kumeu and has been with us since 2015.

Stefanie has grown up with animals all her life, from rescuing & bringing up baby ducklings found in drains, to stray cats & dogs, to even having a wild boar living inside with her.  Steff has also had an epileptic dog called Patch who she cared for in her later years.  She now has two dogs, a young American Staffordshire terrier called Mila & a retired pig hunting dog called Boss.  She also has a 7kg ginger cat!

Outside of work Steff enjoys fishing, camping & all things outdoors.

An experienced vet nurse, Steph studied at Massey before working both in New Zealand and overseas. Having finished up her travels she has now settled back into the kiwi life with her partner – a fellow Vets North employee.

Stevie has been surrounded by all kinds of animals most of her life. Her current entourage consists of  Keira, A staffy x, Pumpkin, a Chihuahua & Armani, a Rottweiler.  She has competed in equestrian sports for over a decade. In her spare time you’re likely to find Stevie, her daughter and the rest of the clan off on a muddy, sandy, wet adventure of some kind.

Taylor is currently completing her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing
while working as a vet nurse assistant in the Waimauku clinic. She lives on a lifestyle block with 2 cats, 2 dogs, chickens, ducks and sheep.

Trina moved to Auckland from Taranaki in 2015 to study Vet Nursing, during this year she began working for Vets North. Trina comes from a large dairy farming family and enjoys getting hands on within the clinic and at home.  Trina lives in West Harbour and brings her well known rescue dog Peaches with her to work daily.  Trina oversees stock management of all the Vets North clinics along with other admin duties such as student placements, vet rosters, ordering and invoicing.

Vanessa joined Vets North in 2022 in an Accounts Administrator role. Previously completing a diploma in Hospitality Management, Vanessa found working in accounts and admin based roles the most enjoyable.  Vanessa has lived in Huapai since 2012 with her partner, primary school aged son and two Labradors. Outside of work she enjoys spending time in her garden and attending her sons sports games.

Verity is originally from the UK, and emigrated with her family to NZ as a teenager. She joined the Vets North team in July 2018. Graduating as a veterinary nurse in 2009 she gained a few years’ experience at a small animal practice before her and her partner Dave did the big OE over to London, back packing in Southeast Asia for 3 months along the way. She worked in a busy first opinion practice in North West London for a number of years and after plenty more travelling the call for home was too strong. She and Dave moved back to NZ, settled down and had two daughters. They live in Kaukapakapa with their dog Finn and cat Obi-Wan.