Category: Veterinary Professionals

CE- Hawai‘i Animal Law & Forensic Investigations Conference

We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming Hawai‘i Animal Law & Forensic Investigations Conference taking place January 8–9, 2026, at the ʻAlohilani Resort in Waikīkī.

This event is sponsored by the Hawaiian Humane Society, the National Animal Care & Control Association, Maddie’s Fund, the University of Florida, and the ʻAlohilani Resort.

We will be joined by Mike Wheeler, a specialist in animal law enforcement, and Dr. Adam Stern, an expert in forensic veterinary medicine, as well as other local and national experts.

If you are interested in learning more or would like to attend, please click the flyer below and complete the registration form provided.

Save the Date – Hawai’i Animal LawDownload

AVMA News – July 2025

This July, your Hawaii AVMA delegates traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent our state and participate in important AVMA business during the annual convention. It was a very productive and meaningful meeting.

We were joined by many dignitaries from veterinary medical associations around the world, who shared messages of hope, warmth, collaboration, and common challenges faced by our profession globally.

A highlight of the convention was the induction of Dr. Michael Bailey as the new AVMA President. Dr. Bailey is the first African-American to serve in this role, marking a historic moment for the organization. In his opening remarks, he emphasized the importance of professional advocacy, stating, “We must shape our own story instead of letting others shape our story for us.”

The AVMA continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as support for the federal veterinary workforce.

In addition to our House of Delegates work, we visited Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and advocate for issues important to veterinary medicine. We met with the offices of Representative Jill Tokuda, Senator Brian Schatz, and Senator Mazie Hirono to encourage their support of the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act and the Stopping Illicit Xylazine Act. We encourage all veterinary professionals to contact their representatives and ask them to support these important initiatives. These “Hill Visits” are made possible through the non-partisan AVMA PAC, and we encourage you to consider contributing so we can continue to extend our reach and represent veterinary interests on the national stage.

Additionally, several policy updates and resolutions were passed, including:

  • Pediatric sterilization
  • Therapeutic pet food claims
  • Sow housing
  • Declawing
  • Recognition of pain in animals
  • The Model Veterinary Practice Act
  • A new policy on workplace hazards in veterinary settings

Read more about the resolutions that were passed here.

If you have any questions about these topics or the work of the AVMA House of Delegates, please feel free to reach out to your Hawaii AVMA Representatives. We are always here to represent you and keep you informed!

Aloha,
Carolyn Naun, Hawaii Delegate
Jenee Odani, Hawaii Alternate Delegate

Meet a Board Member – Heidi Choy

Heidi Choy, DVM
Oahu County Representative

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.

2025 HVMA Scholarship Recipients

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.

2025 HVMA 72nd Annual Conference Registration NOW OPEN

This year we are moving our annual conference back to Waikiki at the Sheraton Princess Ka’iulani Hotel! Labs will be offered on Nov 5-6, 2025, including Essentials for Fracture Repair for General Practitioners and Stabilization of Unstable Joints, Dental Radiography Positioning, Physical Medicine and Pain Management Workshop, and a hands on Laser Lab. See more lab details here.

Multiple track lectures will fill Nov 7-9, 2025, including ophthalmology, internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, anesthesia and analgesia, and an equine track on Saturday. Veterinary technician specific lectures will be offered on Saturday and Sunday. The HVMA Hui (Annual Business Meeting) will occur over lunch on Saturday, and we will be holding our annual social event with dinner at the Zoo on Saturday evening.

Registration is now open for attendees and exhibitors. Remember to log in to your HVMA online account to receive the discounted registration rates for active members. Discounted group room rates at the Sheraton Princess Ka’iulani will be posted soon and must be booked by October 1, 2025.  

Check out our conference page for more information as we will continue to post details such as the conference schedule and speaker bios. Please join us for great RACE-approved CE, our lively exhibit hall, food, and fellowship with your local vet community! 

AVMA July 2025 Resolutions

These resolutions will be voted on at the AVMA House of Delegates meeting July 18-22, 2025. Please send comments/opinions to our HVMA House of Delegate Reps: Carolyn Naun and Jenee Odani

Resolution 9: Pediatric Sterilization of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits

Resolution 10: Therapeutic Pet Food Health Claims

Resolution 11: Sow Housing

Resolution 12: Declawing of Domestic Cats

Resolution 13: Pain in Animals

Resolution 14: Model Veterinary Practice Act

Resolution 15: Mitigating Hazards in the Veterinary Workplace

One Health Lecture

Species-Spanning Medicine for Humans and Other Animals

Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz will be presenting a One Health lecture sponsored by UH John A Burns School of Medicine. Dr. Natterson-Horowitz is a cardiologist and evolutionary biologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, and the School of Medicine at UCLA. Her research focuses on evolutionary biology and the natural world as sources of insights for human health and development. A leader in the field of evolutionary medicine, she co-chairs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Board on Animal Health Sciences, Conservation, and Research (BAHSCR). 

Zoobiquity, her best-selling popular science book co-authored with K. Bowers, was a finalist in the American Association for the Advancement of Science Excellence in Science Books Award, a Smithsonian Top Book of 2012, and a Discover Magazine Best Book of the Year. Her recently published Wildhood chronicles the transition from juvenile to adult biology and behavior across vertebrate species. Dr. Natterson-Horowitz earned her B.A. and M.A. at Harvard University and her M.D. at University of California, San Francisco. 

Her presentation “Species-Spanning Medicine for Humans and Other Animals” will be held at the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kaka’ako.

Friday May 9, 2025
5:30pm
Room 102

RSVP here

Legislative Update – Spring 2025

The 2025 Hawaii legislative session is wrapping up. Here are the bills still winding their way through the legislative process:

It’s easy to stay informed and get involved in our local legislative process!

2025 Legislative Update

The 2025 Hawaii legislative session is in full swing. Here are some bills HVMA is keeping tabs on this session:

  • HB456 / SB962 Relating to Raw Milk – HVMA opposes
  • HB544 / SB1026 Relating to Pet Insurance – HVMA supports
  • HB1427 / SB1591 Relating to Avian Influenza – HVMA supports
  • SB493 Relating to Veterinarians – HVMA opposes (due to workforce development fee on vet license renewals and logistical challenges of developing new program/fund)
  • SB1021 / HB49 Relating to Wildlife – HVMA opposes
  • SB874 Relating to Veterinary Medicine – HVMA would submit comments that AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics already requires vets to provide written prescriptions upon request. Would prefer to include language specifying that posting signage in the lobby to inform the client of their right to request a written prescription is sufficient.

Keep an eye out as we may call on you to submit testimony on these bills as hearings arise, particularly SB874.