Mobile Vet Plans to Service Molokai

Photo courtesy of Krysta Scimeca

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

Relief for Molokai pet owners should be coming soon, as a Maui-based mobile veterinarian is planning on adding Molokai to her schedule.

Dr. Krysta Scimeca started her mobile veterinary clinic, Infinity Vet, in the immediate aftermath of the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. In fact, she’d moved from Kaneohe to Kihei only three days prior to the fires. Following the disaster, Scimeca noticed a massive need in pet care, especially as the blaze had burned down the only two veterinary hospitals in West Maui. Converting her business from a mobile animal euthanasia clinic to an animal care clinic, Scimeca began to service over 400 patients in Hana and Lahaina. Now, she’s working on expanding across the Pailolo Channel.

When the Maui Humane Society met with Molokai community members in February to announce their new role in Molokai animal enforcement, the concerns from residents dealt more with animal healthcare rather than enforcement. Molokai residents recounted difficult moments with sick animals, unable to travel to see a veterinarian or have a veterinarian consistently visiting. Following that meeting, a Molokai resident reached out to Scimeca to see if Infinity Vet would be able to help.

“The difficult reality right now is getting enough animals [on Molokai] together for me to see,” said Scimeca. She explained that the more patients that sign up with her, the more she can spread out the costs of her visit. Scimeca and her team plan on bringing the full gamut of their abilities – lugging x-ray machines, surgery and dental care equipment, vaccines and more back and forth from Maui to Molokai.

“We’re excited to bring this mobile care to Molokai,” said Scimeca, but explained that she and her colleagues are still looking for a place to set up their equipment as well as spend the night while on island.

Scimeca uses a crowd-sourcing fundraiser model in order to differ some of the costs of performing mobile animal healthcare services away from patients. The goal, she explained, is to encourage pet owners who might otherwise never have taken their animals to a veterinarian before to set up a visit with her.

“My mission is to reach any animal anywhere,” said Scimeca. “I’m hoping to reach animals who would never see a vet.”

For Molokai animals, some of the most common health concerns that Scimeca is expecting to see are heartworm and leptospirosis. Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection which can cause flu-like symptoms and eventually lead to liver and kidney damage, “is everywhere,” said Scimeca. She explained that the disease can also be transmitted via animal urine to people. In such a way, tending to the health of animals also positively affects the health of the people sharing their environment.

“We’re trying to maximize the health of our island,” said Scimeca. “It’s all interconnected.”

Infinity Vet has a tentative schedule for possible Molokai visits on April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11 and Aug. 22. Molokai residents who are interested in contacting Infinity Vet can check out infinityvet.net or call (808) 463-1838.