Dr. Melissa Shaw

Since her graduation from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine with a focus on Aquatic Animal Medicine; Dr. Shaw has dedicated her career to the wellbeing of animals wild and free. During her ten years as an aquatic animal veterinarian Dr. Shaw has worked with migrating sea birds, Hawaiian 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.

Recently becoming acutely aware of the severity of the world’s animal overpopulation crisis, Dr. Shaw has turned her attention and energy towards this dilemma, which threatens animal welfare as well as human health. Compassionately crusading for humane population reduction and health care for those animals otherwise uncared for, has become the main direction of her career.

When not crusading for animals overseas, Dr. Shaw can be found on Kauai, practicing holistic medicine. Rehabilitation and regenerative medical modalities such as VINA (like chiropractic), Regenerative Injection Therapies (RIT), Nutrition, and Hydrotherapy, to enhance quality of life, are her main interests.
In her free time she enjoys traveling, learning foreign languages, yoga, swimming, sailing, and SUP.

I can speak some Spanish and some French and fluent in Nepali.