Dr Gavin Shepherd has taken over the reins of the group after the retirement of Peter Butterworth at the end of September 2007. Gavin is a very successful veterinarian who has also completed an MBA business degree while running his own veterinary business. With such a background in the industry he is working to steer the group towards an even bigger and brighter future.

Adam gained his Veterinary degree in Western Australia in 1985 and worked in mixed animal, equine and dairy practices in Australia, England and Ireland before moving to New Zealand in 1994. He completed a post graduate qualification in Dairy Cattle Medicine and moved to Te Awamutu in 1997. After taking a break from clinical practice in 2003 to work for Biosecurity New Zealand, he joined The Veterinary Centre in 2005. In 2008 he completed a post graduate diploma in Management Studies.

He shares a lifestyle property in Paterangi with his wife Charlotte and two daughters. He enjoys cycling and tramping, and spends a lot of his spare time fixing fences and troughs.

Karen has been with our practice since 1989. Karen has held a number of positions within our company from inwards goods, purchase officer to Office Manager. A local farmer's daughter Karen has lived in the Te Awamutu area all her life.

Neil is one of our most experienced dairy cattle vets having worked with our practice since 1991. Neil works alongside management and is involved in the day to day running of the practice.Neil's interests include dairy cow reproduction, good clinical cases and business management. Neil lives in Pokuru on a small block with Steph and their 3 children. In his spare time Neil enjoys cycling and spending time with his family.

Phil started with The Vet Centre as a locum for three months back in 2001 and liked it so much that he has stayed ever since. Phil is skilled in all areas of dairy production and medicine. He is especially interested in lame cows and is a DairyNZ healthy hoof provider. Married to Deborah he has two preschool daughters, and enjoys taking his family out sailing when not at work.

Jennie has been with our company for 5½ years. Jennie is in her 10th year of practice and has worked in Tokoroa at South Waikato Vets and had a 2½ year stint in the UK. Jennie and her partner James are milking 600 cows in Parawera in a new equity venture. In her spare time, Jennie enjoys spending time with her two sons and working on the farm.

Alison is our small animal veterinarian based in Te Awamutu. Alison is our longest standing veterinarian having started at The Veterinary Centre in 1986. Alison enjoys all aspects of feline and canine medicine. Alison also enjoys spending time on the slopes skiing, gardening, reading and travelling.

Graeme hails from a dairy farm in deepest, darkest Taranaki. He is in his second year of practice and loving it. Graeme enjoys calvings and curing sick cows as well as solving herd problems such as mastitis, lameness and BVD. Out of hours he enjoys golf, squash and fishing.

Jess graduated from Cornell University in 1988 and after 12 years of full time dairy practise in New York and New England, spent 4 years doing mastitis and milk quality work (at Cornell) before immigrating to New Zealand in 2004. Jess's areas of strength and interest are mastitis prevention and control, preventative herd health and disease control programmes and nutrition. She also enjoys large animal surgery. Jess has been involved in research projects on mastitis. When she is not working Jess can be found swimming, cycling and/or running.

Kirsty has been working at The Veterinary Centre since October 2007. She qualified 2001 as a veterinary nurse in Dorset England. Kirsty and her partner Michael have been in New Zealand for 4 years and are currently sharemilking 340 cows in Kihikihi. In her spare time she enjoys socialising, music and travelling.

Andrew is well known in the local rural industry from his previous roles as Field Support Manager for John Austin Ltd, farm manager, and most recently Livestock Nutrition Specialist for Nutritech. Andrew brings vast experience and key interest in animal nutrition. In his spare time Andrew enjoys spending time with his family.

Murray has been with our practice since 2001. Before arriving at The Veterinary Centre Murray had a short stint at Livestock Improvement. Murray is an ex-farmer having grown up on his family farm at Hairini. He is married to Margaret and enjoys spending time at his beach house in Taupo and with his grandchildren.

After years of dairy farming and using The Vet Centre for all his veterinary requirements, Donald has decided to join the team here. Donald enjoys riding his motorbike bike around the country and he also knows a thing or two about karate.

Since joining The Veterinary Centre in 2001 Mike has held a number of positions including store man, sales representative and he is now working along side Rae in the main show room. When he's not helping people at the clinic, Mike can be found cruising the countryside on his motor bike, or spending time with his family.

Vanessa is a valuable memeber of our administration team. Vanessa is a born and bred Te Awamutu Girl. Previously Vanessa worked as Office Manager at A.C. Petfoods. Vanessa, when not at work, enjoys spending time with her son Matthew and socialising with her friends.

Rae has been with our practice since 1982. Rae lives in Hamilton and enjoys travelling, watching rugby and cricket and spending as much time as possible with her children and grandchildren. Rae enjoys the contact with our clients, and many of them have become her good friends.

Katie joined our team as an animal technician in November of last year. Katie has been working in the field of cattle reproduction for over five years and has many specialist skills including bovine foetal aging and sexing, embryo transfer, in-vitro production, as well as deer and cattle AB.

Danielle graduated in 2001, and has been particularly interested in dairy, sheep and beef work ever since. She and her husband are sheep farming out of Otorohanga, and Danielle is being kept busy working part time as a large animal vet in between baby-minding and being a farmhand

Adam is a recent graduate who is returning to live in the Waikato after growing up in Hamilton. He is looking forward to practicing all aspects of veterinary medicine. Adam enjoys playing all sports and can often be found attempting to play golf or keeping fit.