If Your Pet Is Having an Emergency
1. First, we recommend transporting your pet to:
VERC – Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center on Oʻahu
They are fully staffed 24/7 and equipped to handle serious emergencies, hospitalizations, and advanced care.
Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center (VERC)
Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center (VERC)
Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
345 N. Nimitz Hwy, Unit C, Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: (808) 735-7735
Fax: (808) 735-7736
Email: Vercinfo@Ethosvet.com
Get Directions
Located adjacent to Chinatown, next to the old FloraDec and West Marine. The entrance to parking is off N. Nimitz/Awa Street (heading east).
Getting to Oʻahu with Your Pet
Flights are available daily from approximately 6:00 am to 8:10 pm. Confirm directly with the airline.
To book travel:
Call Hawaiian Airlines Passenger Reservations at 1-800-367-5320
Pets under 25 pounds may travel in the cabin:
Cabin Pet Travel Policy – Hawaiian Airlines
Unaccompanied pets must be transported as cargo:
Call Hawaiian Airlines Cargo at 1-877-HA-CARGO (422-2746)
Ground Transportation on Oʻahu
Charley’s Taxi – (877) 531-1333
Allows dogs for a fee (confirm when booking)
Paws & Claws Pet Taxi – (808) 384-4552
Pet transport service that can pick up unaccompanied pets and deliver them directly to VERC
Uber / Lyft
What to Expect at VERC
For details on the admissions process, visit: When Your Pet Is a Patient at VERC
2. If your pet cannot be transported off-island:
Check if another veterinary clinic is open. Some clinics are open on weekdays or Saturdays.
3. If no in-person care is available:
We've partnered with VetTriage, a 24/7 veterinary telehealth service, to support our clients when the clinic is closed.
Through a live video consultation, a licensed VetTriage veterinarian will assess your pet’s condition and advise whether it can be safely managed at home until a scheduled visit—or if more urgent care may be needed.
If needed, the VetTriage veterinarian will contact our clinic to check emergency availability.
To be eligible for emergency care, your pet must have been examined by one of our doctors within the past 12 months.
If a KNSAC doctor is not available, they will provide guidance on appropriate next steps. This may include contacting another clinic on island, traveling to VERC on Oʻahu, or managing the condition at home until care is available.
A $50 consultation fee is required to initiate a VetTriage visit. This fee is paid directly to VetTriage. KNSAC does not receive any compensation for this service, and the fee is non-refundable. Paying this fee does not guarantee that a KNSAC veterinarian will be available or that emergency care can be provided.
Please Note: VetTriage is intended to help assess urgency and guide next steps based on your pet’s condition. It is not a guarantee of in-person care.
Our Clinic Hours and Commitment
We are open Thursday through Sunday, including Sundays—when all other veterinary clinics are closed. We are not a 24/7 facility, and our team may not be available outside of normal business hours.
Our team gives up their weekends with family every single week to ensure pets have access to care when no one else is available and to ensure there is veterinary clinic open 7 days a week on Kaua'i. We regularly see both established and new patients on weekends, because we know emergencies and urgent concerns don’t always wait for regular business hours.
We understand how stressful it is when urgent veterinary care is needed, and we do everything we can to be there for you, while also protecting the health and sustainability of our small, dedicated team.
Patients who have been examined by one of our doctors within the past year can be assured they will be prioritized for urgent care during our open hours.
While our clinic is closed, remote team members monitor text messages intermittently. If your pet is stable and you’re seeking care on our next business day, texting is the recommended way to reach us.
We strongly encourage you to contact us at the first sign of concern.
Many emergencies can be mitigated, or even avoided entirely, with early intervention and timely care. Don’t wait until something feels critical.
Reaching out early helps us guide next steps, prevent conditions from worsening, and provide the best possible outcome for your pet.
Thank You for Understanding
We care deeply about our patients, our community, and our team. Thank you for your kindness and understanding as we continue doing everything we can to provide excellent care within the limits of a small, independent practice on Kaua'i.