Dr. Darin K. Hisanaga

Dr. Darin K. Hisanaga was born and raised in Pearl City, Hawaii and graduated from Punahou High School and 1985.  He completed his bachelors degree in 1987 and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1991 from Oregon State University.

After graduation Dr. Hisanaga moved back to Hawaii and joined the Waipahu-Leeward Veterinary Clinic.  At the
time, it was a quaint veterinary clinic situated at the back
of the Waipahu Professional Center.  The staff consisted of 3 veterinarians and 2 support staff. 

In 1994 the clinic went through a major renovation and Dr. Hisanaga took over the management of the clinic.  Over the years, the clinic has grown to its present size which includes 6 veterinarians, 28 support staff, and triple of the facility size that it started with.

Dr. Hisanaga enjoys spending time with his family which includes:  his wife Ann, sons Trevor and Tyler, daughter Taylor-Ann, and dogs Feisty, Lucky, and Ally.  They can be frequently found at the baseball field, water park, beach, or the one of the local pet stores (believe it or not).

Canine reproduction is the specialty field that Dr. Hisanaga spends a  lot of his time with in the clinic.  He runs the only active canine semen freezing bank in the state of Hawaii.  He gets a lot of satisfaction to bring superior canine genetics into the state.  Dr. Hisanaga is also able to produce pups out of pets that have passed away many years prior to the use of their frozen semen.

When asked the question of why he wanted to become a veterinarian, his reply was:  "I wanted to be able to help people through their pets.  I feel that becoming a veterinarian has been a great blessing and privilege that I am forever grateful for."

Dr. Dawn S. Morikami

I was born and raised on the beautiful windward side of Oahu.  After graduating from Castle High School, I attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.  While attending UH, I spent some time volunteering at the Hawaiian Humane Society and the Honolulu Zoo veterinary clinics.  I then earned my veterinary degree at the Washington State University, School of Veterinary Medicine.  Although my main focus was in small animal medicine and surgery, I also have a great interest in exotic medicine.  In addition to my rotations at the WSU exotic ward, I also spent some time studying at the University of California at Davis exotic ward and the Wildlife Center of Virginia.  Following graduation at WSU in 2002, I joined the Waipahu-Leeward Veterinary Clinic.  I see a variety of animals including dogs, cats, small mammals (rabbits, guinea pigs, rodents), and reptiles.  Another interest of mine is small animal ultrasonography.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, going to the movies, the occasional hiking and diving, reading a good book, and of course, attending UH football!

Dr. Tyrus Watanabe

I was born on the Big Island of Hawaii.  I attended Hilo High School.  I received by Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology from U.C. Davis.  While studying at U.C. Davis
I worked at the Primate Center as a researcher and also volunteered as a veterinary technician at the U.C. Davis Veterinary Hospital.  I received my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University.  I have a special interest in critical care medicine.  My hobbies include golfing and traveling with my friends and family.

Dr. Dorene K. Nagamine

Hi. My name is Dorene Nagamine. I was born in California and moved to Hawaii when I was in elementary school. I attended Moanalua High School and graduated in 1990 (Go Menehunes!). I then went to the University of Hawaii, where I completed my Bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences (Go Warriors!). Veterinary school was my next educational stepping stone, and I attended Washington State University (Sorry Cougar fans. I was still a Warriors fan at heart). I graduated from WSU in 2002 and worked as a small animal practitioner for eight years before recently joining the Waipahu Leeward Veterinary Clinic.

I'm greatly interested in Internal Medicine, and although I'm allergic to my patients, I wouldn't change my profession for anything. My motto is "a Benadryl a day keeps the allergies and allergists away." I enjoy meeting new and interesting people with their beloved family members. I have four family members that I share with my parents...Kanani, Moki, Peaches and Koa (all of the canine variety). I am married and in my free time love to read, listen to the radio and of course, spend time at the 9th Hawaiian island...Las Vegas. My husband and I also love to watch television (especially UH football and volleyball games). Although I'm short, I also love to play volleyball and play in a mixed league once a week. I look forward to seeing everyone at the clinic!

Find out more about our doctors by clicking a name below:

Dr. Darin K. Hisanaga
Dr. Dawn S. Morikami
Dr. Nicole Y. Nashiro
Dr. Mellissa R.L. Yuen
Dr. Tyrus Watanabe
Dr. Aya Ushijima
Dr. Dorene K. Nagamine
Dr. Stephanie M. Dean