Having adhered to a vegan lifestyle for over 23 years now, one of my passions is raising awareness about the plight of animals used for food and encouraging people to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet which is healthier, more environmentally friendly, and a way to truly show compassion to all animals. As an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley I was President of Cal Vegetarians, an on-campus vegetarian advocacy group which campaigned the dorm cafeteria personnel for improved vegan options and put on several vegan food giveaway events. As a veterinary student I became involved with the Student Animal Welfare Committee and helped coordinate a surgery "wetlab" utilizing ethical-source cadavers from a willed body donation program as a humane alternative to the school's small animal terminal surgeries (which were subsequently discontinued). I graduated with my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in June 2005. After graduation I spent 20 months working at a 24 hour emergency dog and cat hospital in the San Fernando Valley. I am certified in veterinary acupuncture course through the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine. One of my professional goals is to have my own vegan-friendly integrative veterinary practice that incorporates animal advocacy into the practice. I am interested in working together with other animal advocates to realize this goal. Currently, I have a veterinary house call practice serving the West Los Angeles area and also do relief work at various clinics in the greater LA area. Past episodes from my Animal Issues with Dr. Armaiti May podcast can be downloaded from http://veganvet.net/podcastepisodes/.Specialties: Veterinary Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Veterinary Massage Therapy