Dr. Warren Sakamoto was born and raise on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island. At a young age, being around a variety of animals; dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep and cattle in a country setting pointed him towards a career as a veterinarian. Dr. Sakamoto received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa where he was a member of Phi Zeta, the veterinary honor society. In 1980, he received the School of Veterinary Medicine’s G. G. Graham Award, awarded to the top graduating senior focused in small animal medicine and surgery. Upon graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Sakamoto returned to Hawaii to practice, but after a few years left for California, where he eventually owned and was the hospital director of a three-doctor, AAHA veterinary hospital in Long Beach, just south of Los Angeles. After selling his beloved practice in 2010, he returned home to Honolulu with the intent of retiring. He volunteered his surgical services at the Hawaiian Humane Society for a while, but the excitement and challenge of veterinary practice called him back to practice again.
In 1989, Dr. Sakamoto successfully completed credentialing and examinations to become a Diplomat of American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (DABVP) in canine and feline practice. He has the distinction of being the only Diplomat of ABVP (small animal) in the State of Hawaii. In 1999, Dr. Sakamoto successfully completed the veterinary acupuncture curriculum at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and passed the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) examination and practical.
Dr. Sakamoto’s interests in practice include all disciplines of medicine general soft tissue, orthopedic and ophthalmic surgery, acupuncture, physical rehabilitation, dentistry, and use of the ultrasound as a diagnostic tool. He enjoys partaking in continuing education opportunities locally and abroad, and is always looking for new techniques and tools to improve his practice of veterinary medicine and surgery.
When not working he is usually accompanied by his faithful Jack Russell terrier, “Libby Dee.” He enjoys world travel to experience and appreciate the people, cultures, and the sights that broaden one’s view of the world. He is also an avid fisherman who looks forward to annual trips to Mexico for giant yellowfin tuna, to Alaska for salmon and halibut, and to Christmas Island atoll to fly fish for bonefish and giant trevally and if time permits he goes fly fishing for bonefish along our local beaches.
