Our Team
Meet the caring and compassionate veterinary care team of West Houston Veterinary Medical Associates in Houston! We’re pleased to provide exceptional veterinary care for your pets! Call us at (281) 493-4712 or contact us to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!
Dr. Mark Gochenour | Co-Medical Director
Dr. Gochenour, “Dr. G”, received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M in 1977, and started WHVMA 41 years ago. Mark always wanted to be a veterinarian, saving the local wildlife and strays growing up. His vision of the future of veterinary medicine in prevention and wellness care makes him our leader in continuing to improve the quality of life for our patients through his creation of the Free Vaccines for Life and Healthy Pets for Life program.
He regularly attends continuing education meetings, ultrasound seminars, and performs all of our ultrasound and echocardiogram diagnostics. If your pet needs any of these procedures, you can observe through the glass walls of the special procedures room, and even see what’s going on at the same time through our second monitor!
Dr G has an English golden retriever named Misha, 5 cats, Britta, Kitty Gaga, Tripod Bob, and Miss Priss. He also enjoys multiple sports activities; from baseball and basketball to cycling which keeps him busy in his free time.
Dr. Randy Tonking | Co-Medical Director
An Aggie through and through, our Dr. Tonking graduated class of 1981, and is our other owner of WHVMA. The outpatient area is a buzz with the high energy “Dr. T” emits while seeing our patients and taking care of their families. He always has a smile on his face and a greeting for our clients and their pet family members.
Extending the quality of life for our canine and feline friends has always been at the forefront for Dr. Tonking, and he enjoys taking time with his clients as well as their pets.
When not enjoying the latest Aggie football game, Dr. T enjoys visiting his two sons Blaine and Reid and his grandchildren. Dr. T is also very proud of his sons for serving our country.
Dr. Mallory Preston | Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Mallory Preston is a 2019 graduate of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to veterinary school, she studied zoology and evolutionary biology at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.
Dr. Preston grew up working at her father’s veterinary practice in Lubbock, Texas, where she learned to care for companion and exotic animals and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife.
Dr. Preston’s professional interests include dermatology, hospice care, and internal medicine. She is Fear Free certified and uses positive reinforcement and medication to put even the most anxious animals at ease.
In her free time, Dr. Preston enjoys salsa dancing, live music and comedy shows, interior design, and cooking. She also volunteers extensively for a non-profit organization called Not One More Vet that provides mental health support, education, and resources to veterinary professionals.
Dr. Thane Boyce | Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Boyce grew up in Muncie, Indiana, as the son of a small animal veterinarian. Growing up his family had cats, dogs, and horses. This experience showed him the importance of helping animals, he realized it can bring joy into people’s lives. He attended Brigham Young University for his undergraduate coursework and then graduated from Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020.
Dr. Boyce enjoys fostering the human-animal bond between owners and their pets and especially loves talking to new pet owners about that exciting experience.
He and his wife have two cats, Iris and Ruthie, who rule the house. In his free time, Dr. Boyce enjoys a variety of hobbies including hiking, camping, cooking, and home improvement projects.
Liat Zilkha | Associate Veterinarian
Dr Zilkha was born in Israel and raised in Houston. She has over 30 years of experience in the veterinary profession. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Texas at Austin and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.
Dr Zilkha has extensive experience treating dogs suffering from Canine Distemper, a deadly viral disease which occurs primarily in young un-vaccinated or under-vaccinated dogs and puppies. Her other veterinary interests include dentistry, client education, and internal medicine.
Dr Zilkha is an active member of the Harris County Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Outside of the vet clinic Dr Zilkha enjoys outdoor activities, DIY home projects, and spending time with her family, including her two daughters Maya and Jordan. She is thrilled to be a member of the West Houston Veterinary Medical Associates team!
Annette VerHoeven | Clinic Director
Annette was born in Long Island, New York, but most of her childhood and upbringing took place in Denmark. In fact, after graduating college, she held residencies in places like Austria and Germany.
As a child, her dream job was to be a professional translator for the United Nations, which would be fitting considering she speaks multiple languages.
Annette is known for possessing a strong inner drive, and an innate source of energy and motivation. She prides herself in her constant desire to learn, which pushes her to work harder.
When not working, Annette can be found rescuing animals. She specifically spends her time working with the Chow Chow Rescue.
Tim Bell | Kennel Manager
Tim is our kennel manager and has been with WHVMA since November of 1990. His mild manner and great smile keep us laughing, and his love of pets shows through in every aspect of animal care. Tim always makes sure to keep our pet resort running smoothly, making our patients stay as much like home as possible.
Need to check on your pet while they're boarding with us? You can call and speak to Tim personally, and get the news on how your pet is doing!
Zach Greenwood | Nurse Manager
As a son of a USAF Sargent, Zach has grown up living all over the globe. He began his Veterinarian Technician career in 1998 at Greater Houston Veterinary Specialists, and has also worked at places like Veterinary Emergency Referral Group and Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists Diagnostic Imaging.
Zach's dream career as a child was to be a part of United State's military branch. He is known to be an efficient multitasker in all areas of veterinary medicine, and has a FastScan Certification as well as an American Association for Laboratory Animals Certification, too.
When not caring after pets, he can be found volunteering at youth sports organizations, or playing joker!
Emily Alford | Administrative Assistant
Emily is 24 years old, born and raised in Houston, Texas. After being given an opportunity to join the marketing team for a restaurant located in Pasadena, TX, her passion for hospitality and community involvement really began.
Her passion for animal has ALWAYS existed. Growing up Emily had multiple family members working in the vet industry and those who were firefighters. Her dream job as a child was to be a firefighter, but a traumatizing death of a family member changed her course. Emily was in the Army for three years, but when offered to work with WHVMA after returning home, she finally feels like she belongs in a industry which could not be more perfect.
Emily has a knack for thriving in stressful situations. Multitasking, problem solving, quick thinking, and level-headedness are strengths. She has a great sense of humor and can make light of any situation. While attending a seminar at LSU, Emily was voted, "most likely to succeed.
Emily strives to support her team, both professional and personally. This job means the world to her and feels it is an important time to be kind in this world.
Paulette Lomas | Client Service Specialist
Paulette grew up in Sugar Land, Texas. When she was a child, she dreamt of being a ballet dancer, or artist. Ironically, now she is known for her versatile skills in accounting, domestic and international pet shipping, and more.
On the weekends, Paulette can be found at the farmers market, going to the beach, or just relaxing at home.
Cherry Buske | Grooming
Cherry is our Pet Stylist and has been at WHVMA since June of 2000. With over 25 years of grooming experience, Cherry makes our dogs and cats look great, either with styling or haircuts!
Cherry was born and raised in the Philippines, but has also lived in Singapore and California. She loves to share stories from back home. Cherry also loves helping our neighborhood animal pets in need. She has been rescuing and adopting local pets for the past 4 years and although it takes a great amount of time, she enjoys it as a labor of love.
When not spending time making your pets look fabulous and with her vast four-legged family at home, she enjoys visiting her family all over the U.S.
TATIANNA HERRERA | KENNEL TECHNICIAN
Tatianna was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where she received her high school diploma in 2020.
Ever since she was a child, she has been wanting to pursue her dream career as a veterinarian. As our kennel technician, not only is Tatianna known for being reliable, but for her outstanding pet-care as well.
When Tatianna is not working, she can be found attending academic classes- or studying for them!
Jazmine Guillen | KENNEL TECHNICIAN
Jazmine born and raised in Houston, Texas, where she recently graduated from the College of Healthcare Professionals with flying colors. This guided towards her true passion and what she actually loves-- dealing with furry friends!
Jazmine always had a variety of animals in the house growing up, which nourished and grew her love for animals today. She was also part of an organization in High School for four years, called PAWS Club, that entailked helping animals in need of food and shelter.
Jazmine is known for being reliable, passionate, a hardworker, and... bilingual! When not at work, she can be found at the dog park or in her backyard playing with her miniature poodle.
Alison Scott | Patient Advocate and Nurse
Alison was raised in Sugarland, Texas, but completed her high school education in Cypress, where she also attended veterinarian technician classes at Lonestar Community College.
She knew since she was a child that she wanted to be involved in helping veterinarians in their hard work. Alison has now been in the veterinarian field for almost 15 years! She is known for her great client communication skills and proper medicinal protocol, such as drawing blood and placing IV catheters.
In her free time, Alison likes to spend her time volunteering for Texas Adaptive Aquatics (TAA), but also enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and dancing!
Breyn Pulcher | Receptionist
Breyn has been all about animals for as long as she can remember, and has always been an advocate for the fur babies that don't have a voice.
As a child, her dream job was to become a marine biologist. She is known for her punctuality, multitasking abilities, and most importantly keeping a positive and fun environment with her energetic personality! Breyn is also known for giving back to the community, in 2016 she raised over $6,500 for breast cancer awareness.
When not at work, Breyn can be found creating different kinds of arts, such as painting, or resin crafting.
