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 University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She is currently practicing as an associate veterinarian in her family practice, Paradise Animal Clinic – Kalaheo, Kauai, HI, as a small animal veterinarian.
Dr. Nishimoto has a passion for volunteer and community service. She is a proud member of her local Rotary Club of Poipu Beach and is the current president-elect for her club. She is also the Immediate Past President of the Washington State University Alumni Associate Hawaii Chapter.
lhor Basko, DVM, beloved veterinarian and longtime member of the Kauai community passed away peacefully on February 14, 2026, at the age of 79.
He is survived by his devoted wife and partner of 45 years, Jane Winter-Basko, whose life and work were closely intertwined with his through decades of shared purpose and compassion for animals and their community. He is also survived by his niece, Alona Dakhnenko of Ukraine, his only living family member.
Dr. Basko was born on February 13, 1947, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, the son of Dmytro Basko and Luba (Sawka) Basko. He later moved to the United States, where he pursued his lifelong calling in veterinary medicine.
After completing his veterinary education, Dr. Basko dedicated his career to compassionate and integrative animal care and eventually made Kauai his home. Over decades of practice, he became widely respected for combining traditional veterinary medicine with acupuncture, herbal therapies, and nutrition-based healing approaches, helping thousands of animals locally and internationally.
His Kapahi practice was known for its peaceful outdoor setting designed to keep animals calm and comfortable. In addition to clinical work, Dr. Basko educated pet owners through consultations, teaching, and his longtime radio program, “Pets and People in Paradise.” His book, Fresh Food & Ancient Wisdom, reflected his belief in nutrition and holistic care as foundations for animal health.
Known for his quiet kindness, humility, and deep attentiveness, Dr. Basko approached every animal with patience and respect. Clients and colleagues remember him not only as an exceptional veterinarian but as a mentor, teacher, and compassionate friend whose influence extended far beyond his clinic.
Dr. Ihor Basko passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love, the morning after celebrating his birthday on Friday the 13th — his favorite day of the year. We are deeply grateful that he was able to spend that special day in joy before his peaceful transition.
Dr. B was more than a doctor; he was a truly kind, generous, and giving soul. Everyone who met him experienced his remarkable knowledge, his gentle compassion, and the sincere care he brought to every interaction. He did not simply practice medicine — he lived it, with heart.
His legacy lives on in the many lives he touched and healed. It lives in his passion for Chinese herbs, in the comfort of his home-cooked recipes, and in the deep respect and care he showed for the human–animal bond. He taught us that healing is not just treatment, but presence, intention, and love.
Thank you for being part of his extended family and for the love you have shown him throughout the years.
With love and gratitude
Dr.Basko’s Team Staff@drbasko.com All Creatures Great & Small (808) 822-4229 https://www.drbasko.com/ https://www.drbasko.com/consultations/
Dear Colleagues, Staff, and Friends, It’s that time again when the HVMA celebrates National Pet Week (May 3-9) with the sponsorship of the Hawaii Pet Expo on May 2 and 3, 2026. The association has hosted this FREE community event for the last 34 years. This event continues to draw large crowds ( over 10,000 in the weekend) and is one of the few events that welcome the attendance of pets.
This year the HVMA booth will contain exhibits on topics such as pet myths, heat stroke, and other veterinary issues. We will once again have our snack bar and “Ask-A-Vet” area. This year we will need 5 volunteers (vets and/or staff) to effectively man the booth. We also need volunteers to man our Make-N-Take It booth, Foodbank/Info booth, Pet Snack Bar, Photo and Fundraiser booths, show marshals, and greeters.
The Hawaii Pet Expo would not have been such a success all these years, without the volunteerism of veterinarians, staff, family, and friends. Volunteers work a 2 hour shift and receive an Expo t-shirt. Lunch will be included for those who participate in the 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. shift. We can never have too many volunteers! Please sign-up and also help to promote the event by posting the Expo fliers and discussing the event with your clients. Your association delegates will also call you to remind you.
Thank you for joining us at the 72nd Annual Conference at the Sheraton Princess Ka’iulani Hotel. This was a new venue for the HVMA, but we enjoyed being back in the heart of Waikiki and seeing friends old and new.
We had a packed exhibit hall with 34 exhibitors, 2 day of labs and workshops including orthopedic surgery, pain management, and fish medicine. Our 3 days of lectures featured 4 concurrent sessions with something for everyone, including a dedicated veterinary technician track. At the Annual HVMA Hui we were visited by AVMA Past-President Sandra Faeh and District X Director Dick Sullivan. We also enjoyed a wet but delicious Dinner at the Zoo on Saturday night.
Save the date for our 73rd Annual Conference November 12-15, 2026 at the Sheraton Princess Ka’iulani Hotel. Registration will open in the summer. In the meantime, keep at eye on our conference website for more information!
The new year means it’s time to renew your membership for 2026! Why be a member of the HVMA? Your participation in local organized veterinary medicine makes our voice stronger. We actively advocate to promote Hawaii’s veterinary profession in the eyes of the public and the legislature. We support you and your staff by keeping you up to date with important news that impacts you as veterinary health professionals, maintaining online resources, coordinating local veterinary disaster response, and bringing top-notch continuing education in Hawaii. Your dues help to support all of this and more.
Choose the automatic annual renewal option and never forget to renew your membership again! If you can’t remember whether you signed up for automatic renewals, feel free to email us to check before registering again. Automatic renewal option will be available until February 28. Your renewal date will be one year from registration.
Born and raised on Oʻahu, Dr. Blaine Ishizu serves as the new graduate representative for the Hawaiʻi Veterinary Medical Association (HVMA). He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa before attending Colorado State University, where he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2022.
Blaine currently practices mixed animal medicine at Veterinary Associates in Waimea, providing comprehensive general and emergency care for dogs, cats, horses, and livestock. He is committed to supporting Hawaiʻi Island’s pets and livestock through compassionate, community-focused veterinary care.
When he is not working, Blaine enjoys spending time with his three German Shepherds—Mana, Icee, and Anna—while exploring the Big Island. He looks forward to meeting everyone at the next conference.
The New Year is here, and we wanted to send a friendly reminder that it’s time to renew your membership with the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association.
Your annual dues directly fund the key activities that benefit you and our community:
Advocacy: We support legislative work specifically aimed at advancing your veterinary profession here in Hawaii. There are several bills in the upcoming legislative session that could impact you!
Continuing Education (CE): We organize professional development and educational events to support your ongoing learning. We are hoping to include more events throughout the year in addition to the annual conference.
Network: We facilitate collaboration among Hawaii’s veterinary and animal advocacy groups, strengthening your professional connections.
Since her graduation from veterinary medical school with a focus on aquatic animal medicine; Dr. Shaw has dedicated her career to the wellbeing of animals wild and free. (And to those living with humans too).
During her field time as an aquatic animal veterinarian; Dr. Shaw worked with migrating sea birds, Hawaiian green sea turtles, fishes, and endangered marine mammal species, such as the Hawaiian monk seal (HMS), among others. Playing a pivotal role in the success of the HMS Critter Cam project, and other telemetry studies, Dr. Shaw facilitated further understanding of the habits of the HMS as well as protection of their prey species, foraging/feeding grounds, and pupping habitat.
Upon becoming acutely aware of the severity of the world’s animal overpopulation crisis, Dr. Shaw had also turned her attention and energy towards solving this dilemma, which threatens animal welfare as well as human health.
Compassionately crusading for humane population reduction and health care for those animals, often otherwise uncared for, became the main direction of her career before 2020. She has put together large volume reproductive control clinics or joined others already doing so in Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Samoa, and domestically as well.
When not crusading for animals overseas, Dr. Shaw can be found on Kauai as well as traveling to share her abundant knowledge of holistic medicine.
Dr. Shaw uses rehabilitation and regenerative medical modalities such as: acupuncture, chiropractic, frequency medicine, healing laser, herbs, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, ozone therapy, regenerative injection therapies, deep tissue massage, myofascial release, Rolf method of structural integration, TCVM, and nutrition, to enhance the quality of life of her patients.
Dr. Shaw firmly believes it’s not just about adding years to their lives but adding quality to those years…
In an effort to become even better at this goal, Dr. Shaw is pursuing a Masters degree in TCVM through Chi university in Florida.
In her free time she enjoys helping babies be born peacefully at home, sailing, swimming, scuba, surfing, traveling, learning foreign languages, practicing and teaching yoga as well as dabbling in plant based cooking.
Dr. Heidi Choy is a small animal vet currently practicing at Oahu Veterinary Clinic. She is originally from Mo’ili’ili and graduated from Maryknoll High School. She received her Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from Santa Clara University and her veterinary degree at Purdue University in Indiana. After school, she moved to Seattle, where she spent six years working at Rainier Veterinary Hospital and volunteering at the Seattle Humane Society and PAWS.
In 2016, Dr. Choy returned to Hawaii to be closer to family. She spent many years as the treasurer for the Honolulu Veterinary Society.
Dr. Choy has a 13 month old little girl who keeps her busy! She loves traveling (especially to National Parks), hiking, solving escape rooms, and she has a Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Bowie.
HVMA would like to congratulate our 2025 scholarship recipients this year! We had a record number of applicants and it was very difficult to choose our awardees. Your dues help to provide these scholarships and support our local veterinary students – thank you!
Kylie Ebisuya Washington State University
Kylie Ebisuya is a rising third year student at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine who intends to practice in small animal clinical medicine when she returns to Hawaii. She has a strong interest in organized veterinary medicine and serves as the WSU Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) President. She is also a WSU Clinical Skills lab peer instructor, a position that requires strong clinical skills, approachability, creativity, calm demeanor, and the ability to work with all types of people. Kylie received a B.S. in Animal Sciences and a B.A.in Japanese from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. While an undergraduate student, she worked at The Pet Clinic in Honolulu and was active in the research laboratories of Dr. Birendra Mishra and Dr. Jenee Odani.
Eric Fukawa Oregon State University
Eric Fukawa will also be starting his third year at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University this September. Eric grew up in Mililani and is a proud graduate of Damien Memorial School Class of 2016. His aim is to focus on small animal general practice with interest in small animal surgery. Eric is looking forward to coming back to Hawaii to serve his community when he graduates.
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