New veterinary clinic to serve Lanai’s pets
Contributed by Keoni Vaughn, Executive Director, Lanai Cat Sanctuary. Photos courtesy of Lanai Cat Sanctuary.
Originally published in the March 2023 issue of Lanai Today.
Tails are wagging as the brand new Lanai Veterinary Care readies to welcome its first pet patients on Monday, April 10; Wednesday, May 3; and Monday, May 15. After that, the mobile center will offer clinics twice a month.
Pet parents can schedule appointments for their furry loved ones online at LanaiVeterinaryCare.org. Clinic dates and appointments will be made available on the website and must be scheduled in advance. An online pet pharmacy and pet supply shop will also be available as part of the program. The community clinic will operate from the Lanai Cat Sanctuary’s mobile veterinary clinic at the Dole Administration Building (same location as The Pet Doctor previously). For more information, email info@LanaiVeterinaryCare.org or call (808) 563-0588. Calls will be returned as soon as possible.
Lanai Veterinary Care will have a Yappy Hour Open House on April 10 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., where the community will have a chance to meet the veterinary team, learn more about service offerings and have their questions answered. Light refreshments will be provided.
Lanai Veterinary Care opens as a new community health clinic for all animals as a program of the nonprofit Lanai Cat Sanctuary.
Services offered will include the following:
- Annual health exams
- Sick/injured care
- Minor surgery
- Free spay/neuter surgery
- Pet travel health certificates
- Vaccines
- Bloodwork & disease screening
- Heartworm, flea & tick preventative
- Euthanasia
*Nail trims and walk-ins will be offered in the last hour of every clinic.
Meet the Team
Dr. Aleisha Swartz, DVM
Dr. Aleisha Swartz of Oahu serves as head of animal services. She will coordinate traveling veterinary teams and also serve as a veterinarian. She has been a part of the Lanai Cat Sanctuary ohana for the last four years and has been a Hawaii veterinarian for more than a decade. She is a former president of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the state’s coalition of veterinarians. Since 2018, she has devoted herself to improving access to care for rural communities across the nation from Alaska to Tennessee. After graduating summa cum laude from University of Georgia, she got her start in private practice and has since refocused on public service, greater good initiatives that help animals in need and their people. A resident of Kaimuki, she shares her life with two dogs, two cats and five fish.
Dr. Claire Conrath, DVM
Dr. Claire Conrath is also be part of the Lanai Veterinary Care team. She graduated with honors from University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. She spent her first eight years practicing in Illinois, focusing on high quality high volume spay/neuter surgery, shelter medicine, private practice and emergency medicine. In 2017, Dr. Conrath moved to Hawaii to help animals in rescues and shelters. She also works as a base veterinarian in service to military families. In 2022, Dr. Conrath launched her own endeavor, Paws of the Pacific, to bring veterinary services statewide and to the Marshall Islands. She lives on Oahu with her two dogs Pumba and Darla.
A Meowy Mahalo
Dr. Eric Ako
Mahalo to Dr. Eric Ako of Pet Doctor Lanai. For nearly a decade, he has served Lanai’s families with pet services to the community. His semi-retirement plans include focusing on Lanai Cat Sanctuary’s feline health care programs as its needs are growing with over 650 cats.
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