Meet The Team

At Horse & Cat Vet, our team is united by a genuine love for animals and a commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality veterinary care across the Wairarapa. Our experienced and skilled staff clinic bring a wealth of knowledge, practical experience, and heartfelt care to the animals and people we meet every day.

We understand that pets and horses are part of the family, and we take pride in building trusted relationships with our clients and their animals. Whether it’s routine healthcare, specialised equine support, feline-friendly handling, or simply offering reassurance and advice, our team works together to create a calm, caring, and professional experience for every visit.

Get to know the friendly faces behind Horse & Cat Vet and learn more about the people who are passionate about keeping your beloved animals happy and healthy:

Louisa

Veterinarian

Dr. Louisa Broughton, the founder of our clinic, brings a wealth of international experience and a deep-seated passion for animal care to the Wairarapa community. After graduating from Massey University in 2003, Louisa began her veterinary career in the Wairarapa before moving to England for nearly eight years. It was in the UK that she met her husband, Dan, and furthered her professional qualifications by completing a General Practitioner’s Certificate in Equine Practice. This period solidified her enjoyment of both general practice and specialized equine work. Upon returning to New Zealand, she has proudly served the Wairarapa community as a trusted veterinarian ever since.

Louisa’s professional expertise is complemented by her personal dedication to her animals. Her beloved cat, Tripod, provided her with invaluable hands-on experience in feline geriatric care, pain management, and navigating co-morbidities. Today, her family includes two rescue kittens, Apex and Cosmic Coffee Bean, as well as horses on her lifestyle block where the clinic is conveniently located. When she isn’t caring for patients, Louisa is a devoted mother to her children, Nell and Dexter, and enjoys baking, gardening, supporting their sports activities, and travelling.

Aoife

Vet Nurse

Aoife has a bachelor’s degree in veterinary nursing and has worked in the veterinary nursing field since before starting a family in 2007. For the last few years, whilst gaining more qualifications, she has mostly worked in local mixed animal clinics. Recently she has become focused on the co operative care practice, specifically the cat friendly approach to care in clinic. She is enthusiastic about staying current with the latest research in veterinary care. At home she is a wife and mum, and a lover of cats, dogs and horses too.

Louise

Administrator

Meet Louise Wilsden, a pivotal member of our team who you may know fromour admin emails and bookings. A graduate of Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a postgraduate diploma in secondary teaching, Louise possesses a unique talent for anticipating challenges before they arise. Drawing on 25 years of experience from running a highly successful sport horse and pony stud, she has a profound understanding of our clients’ needs. Outside of her professional life, she is an avid animal enthusiast who loves riding her young horses, fostering cats for the SPCA (and often giving them a forever home), and spending quality time with her husband and son.

Nicole

Vet Nurse

We are thrilled to introduce you to Nicole Doriguzzi, one of our wonderful and experienced veterinary nurses. With a National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing and experience dating back to 2006, Nicole is a dynamic, enthusiastic, and deeply caring professional. Her profound love for animals and their welfare shines through in everything she does, from assisting with anaesthesia to her incredible efficiency in organising community desexing surgeries to help manage the unwanted cat population in the Wairarapa. Beyond the clinic, she runs Ellie’s Canine Rescue, a rehoming service for dogs, and enjoys life on her lifestyle block with her partner, son, and their many animals. You’ll rarely see her without her trademark big smile and pink scrubs.

Dan

Website Guy

Meet Dan Broughton, our indispensable IT and web communications specialist. With a degree in engineering and a background that includes working all over the world, from Brazil to his native England, Dan is the technical expert who helps ensure our clinic’s systems run smoothly. He is the one behind the scenes making sure our technology is seamless, and is an excellent website designer – www.newwebsite.co.nz

When he’s not managing our IT, Dan is a man of many talents and passions. Many in the community may know him as the DJ behind “Micro Rave Events,” where he is known for dropping sick beats in his pursuit of the perfect DJ set. At home, he is a devoted family man who enjoys cooking, gardening, and caring for his children. He also has a keen interest in his David Brown tractors, adding another unique dimension to our multi-talented team.

Vacancies

Work With Us

View any current vacancies at Horse & Cat Vet shown below:

Veterinary Nurse – Part-Time

27 May 2026

Are you a dedicated and passionate qualified Veterinary Nurse who loves cats? Horse and Cat Vet is looking for a new team member to join our small, progressive, and family-friendly clinic. Find out more.

Worried About Your Cat’s Dental Health?

10 Jun 2026

Book a Free Nurse Dental Check Today! You may have been told that your cat needs a dental - understandable! but why do they cost so much? Surely it can't be that hard, right? We thought we'd put together some information to help you understand what happens, and how...