CareVets Porirua

Ellen studied at Massey University in Palmerston North, graduating with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2013. Since then, she worked as a Locum Veterinarian at all five Wellington region CareVets clinics and is now a full-time Veterinarian at CareVets Porirua. Her particular areas of interest are pathology, post-mortem and avian patients. Ellen is owned by a Manx cat called Ace and an elderly moggy called Tankette. In her (rare) free time, she enjoys science fiction and learning languages, including Esperanto.

Jona is a new graduate who completed his BVSc in Vet Science from Massey University Palmerston North in 2022. In his spare time he enjoys spending time in the outdoors and woodworking.

Faith has worked as a receptionist and retail assistant in the veterinary world for the past seven years and has recently rejoined the Porirua team as Clinic Coordinator. She has a strong passion for retail, pet nutrition, and parasite prevention, and is dedicated to creating a positive, welcoming experience for both clients and their pets. In her free time, Faith enjoys exploring new bush walks, hikes, and beaches around the Greater Wellington Region with her dogs. She also adores all things Guinea Pig and shares her home with six of them—enthusiastic little foodies who happily munch through her ever-expanding veggie gardens.

Charlotte originally started out as a chef while completing a BA at Victoria University. It took 3 years of Philosophy and a few years of working in the real world to discover that the secret to her happiness is animals. With that in mind, she went back to school in 2020 and joined the CareVets Porirua team in 2021 after obtaining her certificate. She is now the proud holder of a NZ Veterinary Nursing Diploma. Her partner in crime is a domestic short haired tabby cat called Captain and they are fortunate enough to live with a sookie Greyhound called Emilio and a Tortie princess called Agnes. When Charlotte is not stopping to say hi to every animal she meets on the street, you’ll find her playing boardgames with friends.

Ebony began her journey with CareVets Porirua as a veterinary nursing student and officially joined the team in September 2023 after a successful year. She graduated with her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing from Otago Polytechnic in 2024. Ebony has loved animals since childhood, having been raised with cats, Dobermanns, and Cockatoos, and has lived with at least one cat her entire life. She is passionate about making every vet and cattery visit as enjoyable and stress-free as possible for both pets and their owners. In her spare time, Ebony enjoys spending time with family, getting crafty, and dancing whenever she gets the chance. She currently lives with four cats—Smooch, Jellybean, Ghost, and Gus, her newest addition after the recent loss of her beloved 14-year-old cat, TacoBella.

Kaitlyn first started at CareVets Porirua as a student in 2020 while studying her Certificate in Veterinary Nursing, then officially joined the team in May of 2021 as a reception/retail assistant. After gaining her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing through WelTec/Otago Polytechnic at the end of 2021, she is now a full time Junior Veterinary Nurse. From 5 years old and growing up with an obsession of watching Animal Planet and Steve Irwin documentaries, Kaitlyn knew she wanted to work with animals. When she’s not giving all the dogs treats when they visit the clinic, you’ll often find her talking about her own animals, Ruby the princess Cavoodle, Lily the cuddly Cavachon and Skyla the bossy British Blue.

Kiera first joined CareVets Porirua in 2023 as a veterinary-nursing student and, by year’s end, was on board as retail staff while she continued her studies through Otago Polytechnic. After a busy 2024 she graduated with her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing and is now excited to begin her career as a qualified vet nurse. Kiera has loved animals for as long as she can remember; she grew up alongside a German Shepherd named Vader—twice her size at the time—which sparked her enduring affection for big dogs. Outside work she enjoys catching up with friends (and their pets) and taking her current German Shepherd, Phoenix, on long, adventurous walks.

Saasha joined Porirua as retail staff in 2022. After graduating with her Certificate in Veterinary Nursing in 2021 she has decided to dive in the deep end and work towards getting her Diploma. Saasha has always wanted to work with animals since she was a small girl, and she feels great to finally be able to put her dreams into action. She has 3 cats – Greycie and Tabby who were found as young kittens in her backyard with their mother (who has passed since); and Kera, her newest addition after winning her heart while being treated at CareVets Porirua.