Meet the Veterinarians & Team of West Houston Veterinary Medical Association in Houston! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Please call us at (281) 493-4712 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!
Education: TAMU class of 1977
TAMU class of 1977, Dr. Gochenour started WHVMA 30 years ago. According to his mom, 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 programs. He regularly attends continuing education meetings, ultrasound seminars, and performs most 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! He has 4 dogs, Spotty Brutus the “unknown breed”, Precious the Sheltie, Moonie the Dachshund, and Mini Cooper the Powderpuff Chinese Crested; 5 cats, Britta, Kitty Gaga, E.R, Sox and Smokey; and 2 guinea pigs, Charlie and Peppermint. Dr. Gochenour enjoys multiple sports activities; from baseball and basketball to cycling. He has two sons; Jordan and Chase, who keep him busy in his free time.
Education: Class of 1981
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. Tonking resides out in Cypress with his family and his two dogs Hank and Orion, along with his special cat Sunny.
Cindy is one of our veterinary nurses, and joined WHVMA in Sept 2001. Cindy is always ready to help anyone out, and will lend a hand with patient care in any aspect of our hospital. She shares her home with an 11-year-old rescued Miniature Pinscher named Cricket and a 4-year-old Boxer mix, Oreo, who was abandoned at 3 weeks of age. With Cindy’s good care and kindness, Oreo is now a permanent member of the family and couldn’t be happier! Outside of work, Cindy is kept busy with her teenage daughter Nikki, camping, tubing in the Guadalupe river and playing pool. Always one to have fun, Cindy loves to make people laugh and she’s sure to brighten your day as well.
Angie is a member of our customer service specialist team and it’s her friendly face you’re sure to see when you walk in the door. Angie has been working here at West Houston since 2005 and she enjoys getting to know everyone’s fur-families. An avid Texans & Astros fan, Angie has fun following the seasons with friends and family. At home, Angie enjoys spending time with her dog “Precious” and her special kitty cat “Nala”. You can always count on being greeted with a genuine smile when Angie is at the receptionist desk.
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. Ask Tim about any of his dogs, who are at least as spoiled as any patient we see. Tim 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 he’s boarding with us? You can call and speak to Tim personally and get the news on how your pet is doing.
Cherry is our Pet Stylist and has been at WHVMA since June of 2000. Cherry makes our dogs and cats look great, either with styling or haircuts! Cherry is a native of the Philippines and 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.