Meet the Doctors: A Q&A with Dr. Heidi Choy
We have a mission at Rainier Veterinary Hospital to provide outstanding service and care to our clients and their patients. Our veterinarians focus on spending as much time as possible with every patient, and truly getting to know every client. But we also think it’s just as important that our clients know us. And so our “Meet the Doctors Series” continues, where we find out more about our four veterinarians—their passions, pets, and personalities.
Today, we’re chatting with Dr. Heidi Choy, who is celebrating her 5-year anniversary of working at Rainier Veterinary Hospital this month. Hailing from Honolulu, Dr. Choy has been an animal lover her entire life and dreamt of being a veterinarian for as far back as she can imagine. But it didn’t start with the traditional cat or dog; it was a love for bunnies. Let’s find out more!
Do you have a favorite move about animals?
Homeward Bound. With those two dogs and the cat? Such a great movie!
If you had to choose, would you say you’re more of a dog or cat person?
I’m more of a dog person, but I love cats too.
Are you partial to any breed?
Pitbulls are my favorite. I think they have such great dispositions. They can be very athletic, but they also can be very relaxed, almost couch potatoes. They’re such happy dogs!
Did you have a pitbull growing up?
No, I actually never had a cat or a dog. My parents wouldn’t let me. So I had a whole bunch of bunnies, probably about eight through the years. Mostly, we had Dwarf Lops. We had one Netherland Dwarf, and I saved a Himalayan, who was being sold for meat. And we actually found some of our bunnies and kept them; they wouldn’t have survived too long on their own.
How did it get started?
I was about 5 or 6 years old, and we adopted two bunnies from the pet store, which said they were both girls. But one day we woke up, and there were a bunch of baby bunnies. And that’s when it began.
And so how did you begin? What let you to the field of veterinary medicine?
I’m definitely one of those stories, dreaming of it since I was a little kid. But just because you like animals doesn’t mean that you should do it as a career. So I started working in vet clinics in high school, either as a kennel person or as an assistant. Even in my summers off during college, I worked at clinics just to get more experience. And in working at all of those places, I confirmed that I really liked the field and the lifestyle. There’s always something new every day, and it’s always something interesting.
What makes you stand out from other veterinarians?
I tend to be very practical. I want to focus on what is actually doable and what will work within a family’s constraints. I want to be realistic and truly look at the big picture.
Likewise, what do you think makes Rainier Veterinary Hospital stand out from other facilities?
As a whole, we’re more accessible to a lot of people. We try to work with our clients and their budgets. Plus, we’re low pressure. Some clinics can be very high pressure toward the clients, and that can be off-putting. Working with people the way we do is very important, it’s a big thing.
What do you love most about your job?
I love being able to work with people and animals. If I were in human health, it would just be people. So as a veterinarian, it’s the dual factor that makes my job most enjoyable.
Do you feel equally attached to the client and the patient when you’re working with them?
Definitely. The patient can’t talk, so the client is speaking for the animal. And the client must make all of the decisions for the patient. So as a vet, although it’s wonderful working with the animals, I need to be able to work well with people too. And most people view their pets as a member of the family, and it’s nice to be a part of that.
