E Komo Mai: Welcome

Your resource for veterinary medicine in Hawaii

Whether you are a seasoned Kama’aina (long term resident), new to our beautiful islands, a veterinarian, veterinary support staff or a pet owner, we can connect you with the information you need. Learn more about who we are.

Veterinarians Moving to Hawaii

Find out what you need to do to get your license and start practicing.

Moving Pets to Hawaii?

It is possible to avoid having your pets spend time in quarantine with proper planning and preparation. Get started now.

HVMA Members, Hawaii Veterinarians, and Visitors

Latest News from HVMA

• 2026 HVMA Scholarship Recipients August 3, 2026
  HVMA would like to congratulate our 2026 scholarship award recipients: Tiana Goudreault and Riana Kaya. Your dues help to provide these annual scholarships and support our local veterinary students – thank you! Tiana Goudreault just finished her first year at Oregon State University. She has an Animal Sciences degree from the University of Hawaii and is a … […]
• Meet a Board Member – Christine Nishimoto April 5, 2026
  Christine Nishimoto, DVM, was born and raised on the west side of Kaua’i. She is a proud alumna of Kaua’i High School, and pursued her undergraduate education at Washington State University, where she received a Bachelors degree in Microbiology. In the spring of 2022, Dr. Christine obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Washington State … Continue r […]
• Letter from the President – Spring 2026 April 5, 2026
  Aloha everyone, As President of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, I want to share my deepest gratitude for making our recent social event such a success. It was wonderful to connect with all of you, and I look forward to the new opportunities for our members that will stem from our conversations. Beyond the festivities, … Continue reading "Lett […]

Legislative Alerts

• SB 874 Legislative Update August 3, 2026
  Hawaii enacted HI S.B. 874, effective 5/29/2026, which requires a veterinarian, upon request of a client, to provide a written prescription for any medication prescribed for the client’s animal patient without requiring the medication to be dispensed directly by the veterinarian. It also requires a veterinarian to inform their client of the client’s right to […]
• 2026 Legislative Update February 3, 2026
  The 2026 legislative session has begun! Here are a few pieces of legislation we are tracking as we advocate on behalf of veterinarians in Hawaii: Want to track bills of interest? Sign up for hearing notifications so you can submit testimony. Make your voice heard by your legislators! 2/2/2026 Update: SB 2158 has a scheduled hearing … Continue reading "2 […]
• AVMA News – January 2026 February 3, 2026
  Greetings from your AVMA delegates! We recently returned from the January House of Delegates meeting in Chicago, where we reviewed and approved several small updates to the AVMA Bylaws. We also spent time discussing two resolutions. The first focused on the importance of early socialization and training in animals. While there was broad support for … Continu […]

From Hawaii State Legislature: Measures of Interest to Veterinary Professionals

HB1580 RELATING TO ANIMAL CRUELTY. Amends the criminal penalties for various animal cruelty offenses by increasing the category of offense

SB2114 RELATING TO FERAL ANIMALS. Prohibits the feeding of feral animals within a certain distance from Department of Education public school campuses; establishes fines. Hearing scheduled for 2/5.

HB1527 / SB2562 RELATING TO VETERINARY MEDICINE. Prohibits animal owners and their employees from performing any surgical procedures on the owner’s animal or animals. Prohibits the elastration, or castration via banding, of a pet animal. Provides that a violation of the prohibitions is a class C felony. Clarifies that the offense of cruelty to animals in the first degree does not apply to accepted veterinary practices and cropping or docking as customarily practiced when the procedures are performed by a licensed veterinarian.

HB2086 / SB2749 RELATING TO HEALTH. Requires the administrator of the narcotics enforcement administration to make an emergency scheduling by placing xylazine into schedule III on an emergency basis. [HVMA working to include exemption for veterinary use]

SB2564 RELATING TO PET ANIMALS. Prohibits insurers from refusing to issue, refusing to renew, canceling, or establishing higher rates for a homeowners insurance policy or dwelling fire insurance policy based on the breed of any dog that is kept on the premises. Requires any pet animal found on the premises during an eviction to be given to the owner or taken in by an animal control agency. Limits the monetary amount of pet deposits and pet rent. Clarifies that a provision allowing a lien on an animal to secure payment for caring for or feeding the animal does not apply to pet animals.

SB2692 RELATING TO DANGEROUS DOGS. Establishes requirements and penalties for owners of dangerous dogs. Allows for impounding of dangerous dogs under certain conditions. Effective 1/1/2025.