We are excited to introduce our team of passionate and experienced veterinary professionals who are dedicated to providing the best possible care for your furry friends.
Director and Veterinarian
A Howick local, Asha graduated from the University of Melbourne on a full academic scholarship in 2000.
She settled in Fiji and opened the country's first private veterinary clinic in Suva, the capital, and later a second branch in the tourist town of Nadi.
Practising in Fiji was a unique experience that involved caring for animals travelling in from smaller outer islands, check-ups on yachts, exporting and importing animals from all over the world and getting flown out to remote (and sometimes luxurious resorts like Tony Robbins’s Namale Island Resort!) destinations to check on pampered pets.
Her clinic facilitated specialist surgeries performed by visiting surgeons and also provided palliative and curative chemotherapy. Asha attended to her own after-hours calls, which piqued her interest in surgery and emergency medicine.
She later moved her family, two German Shepherds and a Ragdoll, to New Zealand in 2014 and has worked as both a general practice and emergency veterinarian in Auckland. Her passion for soft tissue surgery, ophthalmology, clinical pathology and emergency medicine led her to enroll at Massey University and pursue postgraduate studies in these fields. Asha has just been awarded a Masters of Veterinary Medicine through Massey University scoring an A grade for her dissertation. She spent a year researching and writing her paper on the benefits of prophylactic gastropexy in dogs at risk of developing gastric dilatation-volvulus ( GDV) and submitted it 2 weeks before opening the clinic!
Outside the clinic, Asha spends time with her husband Varun, three kids, and three fur babies. She loves cooking and moonlighted as a Thermomix consultant for a year. Away from her family, she enjoys the gym, hot yoga and a scenic half marathon.
Relationships with owners and pets are fundamental to Asha’s approach to veterinary medicine.
“I am so fortunate to have a wonderful team of people to work with. We can’t wait to form solid relationships with our clients and their animals. Apart from excellent veterinary care, we are here to be easily accessible, with clear client communication and tailored and affordable treatment options being some of the main reasons we hope Howick Village Vets becomes a client’s lifetime vet.”
Our Head Nurse is a multitalented Chilean native, who now calls New Zealand home.
Marianella has a wealth of experience that helps her to excel in her clinical and hospital managerial role.
She graduated from vet nursing in 2011 and vet school in 2020. She has been an emergency nurse for the past 5 years and has worked in Aucklands top tier emergency hospitals.
Fur mom of Coca, a nine year old Chilean mix breed and Coco, a two year old tabby. Coca is Marianella's shadow and you may have gotten a cuddle ( or two!) from her in our waiting room.
Outside of work, Marianella is an avid biker and weightlifter. She loves going on adventures with Coca and winds down by reading or watching sci-fi, crafting, cooking and baking.
Steph is our surgical nurse and holds a Certificate in Veterinary Nursing, which she completed in 2016. In theatre, she supports our vet throughout procedures and monitors patients closely under anaesthetic. Surgery is an area she has grown to genuinely enjoy, and she takes great pride in continuing to develop her skills and confidence.
Steph has been working with dogs since the age of 15, and that early passion has grown into a career dedicated to animal care. Over the years she has built extensive small animal experience across cattery, clinic and practice settings. She also founded her own dog walking business, giving her a deep understanding of canine behaviour and care beyond the clinic. Steph also leads our puppy school, where she helps new owners and their puppies build good habits and get off to the best possible start together.
What Steph values most about her work is building relationships with both her patients and their owners. She brings a calm, friendly and approachable manner to every appointment, and takes the time to make each pet and person feel at ease.
Outside of work, Steph is a busy mum of two and shares her home with two dogs, a cat, two axolotls and a thriving collection of fish. Her weekends are spent cheering on her children at their sports and enjoying quality time with family.
You will see Jodie's smiling face behind the reception desk during our Saturday morning clinics.
Jodie is a proud East Auckland local who completed her NZ Certificate in Veterinary Nursing at Unitec and plans to continue her journey towards a diploma in 2026. She has gained valuable experience volunteering alongside incredible people at the SPCA and remains an active canine volunteer. Her greatest passion lies in caring for animals and connecting with their wonderful owners.
Outside of work, Jodie enjoys spending quality time with her family and diving into Nora Robert novels.
Howick Village Vets is your friendly family veterinary clinic, dedicated to providing exceptional care for your animals. Located in the heart of Howick, we're committed to building strong relationships with both pets and their owners.
