Regina DoDaro stepped into a new role as administrator for the County of Hawaʻi Animal Control and Protection Agency on Monday, Aug. 3, with the goal to protect people and animals on Hawaiʻi Island.
The Hawaiʻi County Council established the Animal Control and Protection Agency in July 2023, making it the first county in the nation to create a standalone ACPA. Animal control services were contracted to nonprofit organizations on Hawaiʻi Island for many years, and in July 2021, moved under the Hawaiʻi Police Department for a pilot program.
DoDaro’s passion for animal welfare stems from growing up in an animal friendly household outside of Chicago, where her favorite childhood pet was a sheltie collie mix named Travis. She currently owns six rescue dogs, a rescue donkey, a sulcata tortoise rescued from the 2023 Lahaina fire, 25 chickens, one cat, fish and two birds.
DoDaro comes from a long line of public servants in her family.
“I feel like I’m simply following in their inspiring footsteps here,” she told Aloha State Daily, adding that a job in veterinary technology brought her to the Hawaiian Islands 25 years ago.
DoDaro brings experience volunteering with several animal rescue organizations as a cat colony manager, anesthesia technician for high-volume spay and neuter clinics, and as an animal search and rescue volunteer. She chaired the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Feral Ungulate Task Force and volunteered as chief dispatcher supporting the ASPCA and humane society disaster response during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.
She has also worked as executive director of the Naperville Area Humane Society in Illinois; director of operations for the Hawaiʻi Island Humane Society; director of field services and community outreach for the Maui Humane Society; and led the transition of animal control services from Hawaiʻi Police Department to the new ACPA in 2023, while serving as the County’s Animal Control Director within HPD. DoDaro holds certifications in veterinary technology, animal control and sheltering, animal welfare leadership and animal search and rescue.
“I think my diverse background both on the Mainland and here has provided me with a unique blend of operational expertise and truly a lifelong commitment to serving both people and animals.”
One unique aspect to animal control on Hawaiʻi Island is that animal control officers handle any and all kinds of animals, from cats and dogs to farm animals, to invasive species like pigs and goats, and provide medical care to any animal they impound or accept through surrender.
“It is providing resources, and that includes law enforcement, of all species of animal,” she said, noting that the ACPA staff are trained to understand the necessary care for all animals they encounter.
DoDaro added that her team at ACPA, who are dedicated to the mission of serving Hawaiʻi Island and its animals, motivate and inspire her to show compassion and grit in a difficult line of work.
“Our officers and shelter staff serve as first responders for animals every day," she said. "Whether responding to cruelty investigations, dangerous dog incidents, injured livestock, wildlife concerns, or lost pets, our team works diligently to reunite animals with their verified owners whenever possible and to place adoptable animals with our rescue partners when reunification is not an option."
DoDaro hopes to bring greater transparency to the day-to-day operations at ACPA, from expanding public access to the shelters, strengthening public safety and fostering stronger collaboration in the community. ACPA is budgeted for 48 employees and it currently has 14 openings.
ACPA’s mission statement says that aloha and kuleana guide its work. “We want to exude fairness and compassion to everyone that we work with, not just the animals,” so that the public feels seen, heard and understood," she said.
DoDaro’s priorities in this new role include addressing dangerous dogs, spay/neuter and pet overpopulation, which she said go hand in hand, and continuing improvements at the shelters to make them more efficient.
Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda congratulated DoDaro and in a news release, stating, “She has extensive knowledge with the issues the agency oversees, and I am confident that her experience, both in the nonprofit and public sectors, and dedication to the community will enhance public safety and animal welfare across our island.”
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Haley Lehman can be reached at haley@alohastatedaily.com.
