Our Story: From Paddock to Practice

Our clinic is fully equipped with the latest monitoring equipment and full x-ray and surgical facilities. We offer a range of friendly and professional vet services for Dairy, Sheep, Beef and companion animals.

Relatable animal healthcare from professionals who adore animals.

What began as an overgrown paddock on the north side of Geraldine, is now a busy vet clinic servicing both companion animals and livestock. The section on ‘Honey Corner’ was previously empty with a few resident woolly lawnmowers. After some massive family working bees, the transformation began.

Conscious of providing work to local trades-people, we only used Geraldine contractors for everything from the landscaping to the plastering of our purpose-built clinic.

Work was completed in the autumn of 2013 and we officially opened Gateway Vets on the 5th April of that year.

In 2021 our clinic was renovated and extended to accommodate our growing team and all the new equipment installations. Thanks to RN Building in Geraldine for all your great work.

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Our Team

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Phil

Owner / Operator, Veterinarian

Phil is the owner/operator and wearer of many hats here at Gateway Vets. He’s the mastermind behind the operation with the support of his wonderful wife, Robyn. Phil is a mixed animal vet with a special passion for large animals. While working to contain the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Yorkshire, he met his wife Robyn and a foot and mouth romance began. In his spare time, Phil can be found ripping up the squash court and supporting his three busy children.

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Robyn

Veterinarian

Robyn is a compassionate veterinarian with 16 years of experience and enjoys the busyness of a diverse mixed practice. Robyn has a keen interest in small animal orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery and critical care cases. Outside work hours, Robyn can be seen supporting three energetic children on the sports field, tramping in the beautiful outdoors or digging in her garden. Robyn is actively involved in the farming business that her and her husband own and is happy to be on the quad with their beautiful Huntaway.

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Nina

Veterinarian

Nina is our spunky local Kiwi vet who has been with us since April 2020. Since university, Nina’s been working as a vet in Ranfurly and gallivanting overseas. She works part time here at Gateway Vets and fills the rest of her week on her farm, near Cave with her partner. In her spare time she loves exploring the hills, dog training, mountain biking and keeping up with her sausage dog Shazza.

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Mel

Veterinarian

Mel is our January 2024 import, from Cornwall in the UK. Her mixed-breed heritage has taken her across the continents studying in South Africa, Slovakia and finally to Geraldine, after working as a mixed-animal vet in Cornwall. With a love for all creatures great and small, Mel hopes to bring a unique blend of expertise and humour to Gateway Vets. Accompanied by her husband, adventurous children and dogs, they are seeking out as much fishing, hunting and outdoor pursuits as they can get their hands on.

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Rachel

Veterinarian

Not everything is bigger in Texas- our Texan vet Rachel is proof! Don’t be fooled by her size though- she loves getting stuck into all aspects of large and small animal work (even if she requires a step stool every now and then to get the job done). Rachel and her husband moved to Geraldine via Scotland to join the team in August 2024. Having missed out on four years of good weather while living in the UK, she now soaks up sunny days outside of work with various outdoor adventures across the South Island.

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Eloise

Veterinarian

Eloise is our energetic fresh-faced vet from Mid Canterbury. She started with us in January 2024. Eloise has a passion for helping any animal with four legs (and the occasional three legged animal). She spends her free time whipping around the netball court and riding ponies in the mountains.

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Glesni

Veterinarian

Glesni (pronounced Gles-knee) is our amazing  Welsh vet, starting with us in January 2025. She hails from a sheep and beef farm in Aberystwyth (Wales) and now that she's in New Zealand she's seeing sunshine and blue skies for the first time in her life. Gles looks after all sized creatures, however, she has a soft spot for cattle and Huntaways.  A sucker for punishment, outside of work you will find her still working alongside her partner on their sharemilking operation or hiking up a hill for the fun of it.

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Hannah

Veterinarian

Hannah is our witty Dunedin-ite vet. Graduating from Massey in 2024, she has hit Geraldine like a storm. Hannah is a sheep fanatic and helping out on her family farm on the Otago Peninsula is one of her favourite pastimes. On the weekends you will find her whizzing around the Ice Hockey rink or tearing it up in the mud on the rugby field.

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Stacey

Veterinarian Nurse

Stacey is our superb vet nurse who has been with us since May 2022. Stacey can be found behind the scenes making sure all of the small animal surgeries and consults run smoothly. In her spare time you will find her chasing after her crazy dog Hunter and growing extra-large vegetables in her garden.

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Ashley

Head Veterinarian Technician

Ashley is our lively head vet tech. Ashley started with us in December 2022 after vet teching in the south for a few years. She enjoys being out on the farm with the bovines. In her spare time she likes to ride her very sassy horse, Pepsi and tries very hard not to get bucked off.

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Nat

Clinic Co-ordinator

Nat came to her senses in May 2025 when her and her partner moved down from the Waikato in pursuit of a change of scenery. Having worked in vet clinics her whole life, she knows a thing or two about wrangling vets, techs and farmers. If she's not out on a park run, you can find her with a well deserved glass in hand, spending time with her dogs. 

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Megan

Veterinary Technician

Megan is our amazing vet tech and receptionist. First starting at Gateway Vets in 2016, Megan has been busy juggling mum life and helping out at the clinic. In her spare time she enjoys baking up a storm.

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Clare

Receptionist

Clare is the lovely bubbly face that will greet you on your way in. Clare started with us in Spring 2021. When she isn’t at the clinic, she’s busy on the farm and out supporting her family.

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Kate

Accounts Manager

Kate is our numbers lady and jack of all trades (master of all too). Starting with us here at Gateway Vets in August 2022, this charming Canadian/Kiwi loves a good game of Rugby.