
Call our 24-hour pet emergency centre
0800 PET EMERGENCY (0800 738 363)
Contact and hours
Companion Animal Hospital
- Hours
8am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Closed on Public Holidays
- vethospital@massey.ac.nz
- Routine appointments phone
- Pet emergencies phone (any time)
0800 PetEmergency (0800 738363)
- Location
Physical address
Massey Vets - Companion Animal Hospital
University Avenue
Fitzherbert
Palmerston North 4474Practice Manager
Pauline Nijman, p.a.nijman@massey.ac.nz
What we do
Our team of vets, technicians and nurses work alongside Massey's vet students to care for sick and injured pets of all shapes and sizes. Our clinic is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Routine healthcare
Bring your pet to us by appointment for all routine healthcare including:
- vaccinations
- health and dental checks
- spays or castrations.
We sell pet food, flea and worming products.
Community Practice clients book here using our client booking portal.
Bird and reptile care
Call our friendly reception to book an appointment with Wildbase Hospital for your pet bird or reptile.
Vet referrals
Vets – refer a companion animal to us for specialist care.
Emergency care
Our team is ready to give your pet emergency and critical care in our purpose-built hospital.
How to get your pet treated
1, Make an appointment first
Email or phone us to arrange an appointment, or ask your local vet to refer your pet to us.
2, Bring your pet to us
If it's your first visit, arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time to give us details for you and your pet.
If you haven't filled in a form before you arrive, bring details of:
- your pet's age and medical history
- any medication your pet is taking or has taken in the past
- any medical treatment your pet has had recently
- the vet clinic you usually go to
- your pet insurance, if you have any.
We will discuss our recommended treatment with you before starting it.
3, Pay for your pet's treatment
You need to pay on the day of your consultation.
Student involvement
When you bring your pet to us, you're helping to train the next generation of caring, highly-skilled vets.
Students learn on the job, closely supervised by our vets and veterinary nurses.
Who we are
Reception
Rachel Sturgess
Danielle Laws
Vets

Dr Thomas Odom
DVM, BSc
Group Leader - Community Practice/Radiology, School of Veterinary ScienceI completed my undergraduate training at the University of Wisconsin and my veterinary degree at the University of Tennessee (1999). I completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery in 2000. I then practiced small animal medicine in private practice in San Francisco for 15 years, the majority of that as the practice owner. I moved to New Zealand in 2014 to join Massey and now head the team of talented veterinarians in the VTH Primary Practice.
Susan Tomlin
BVSc(Hons), BSc
Companion Animal Veterinarian/Senior Practicing Veterinarian, School of Veterinary ScienceGraduated from Massey University in 1991. Owner of the Hokowhitu Veterinary Clinic from 1996-2005. Shareholder of the Central CityVets and Cattery 2005-2007. This company then became Pet Doctors Palmerston North where she worked as a small animal veterinarian until 2015. 2015- current- Small Animal Clinician, Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Dr Jon Cochrane
Kevanne McGlade

Steve De Grey
BVSc, BSc
Senior Practicing Veterinarian, School of Veterinary ScienceI'm a Senior Practising Veterinarian with 29 years experience, initially in mixed practices (rural), and since 2014 working in the School of Veterinary Science with the Massey Vet clinic.
I am also involved with the Veterinary Emergency Response Team and have training/experience in large and small animal rescue/disaster support.
Nursing
Casi Renner
Chelsea Morris
Julie Purchas
Accreditation

Cat-friendly clinic
We are proud to be an accredited cat-friendly clinic. Our staff are specially trained to make your cat's visit as positive as possible, by minimising contact with dogs and using low-stress handling techniques. Find out more about cat-friendly clinics.

Low-stress handling
Most of our staff are certified in low-stress handling for dogs and cats. They can tailor their techniques to your pet's personality and needs. Our students learn and practise these techniques while supervised by certified staff.

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
Accredited. Last evaluation: 2021. Next evaluation: 2028.

Australasian Veterinary Board Council (AVBC)
Massey’s BVSc programme is accredited by the Australian Veterinary Boards Council with minor deficiencies; graduates can work in New Zealand and Australia. Last evaluation: 2021. Next evaluation: 2028.

Related content
Bachelor of Veterinary Science – BVSc
By studying veterinary science at Massey University, you’ll join a world-leading veterinary qualification that will qualify you to work as a veterinarian in many different areas.
Veterinary science graduate profiles
View profiles of some of our veterinary science graduates.