The Northern Animal Health Initiative is focused on improving animal health in Canada's North by providing services for underserved communities across Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
The Northern Animal Health Initiative clinics offer a unique opportunity to veterinarians (licensed in a Canadian province/territory) and RVTs to contribute to the health and well-being of animals in remote communities, while gaining valuable experience in veterinary practice.
Recruitment for the NAHI autumn 2025 clinics is now finished. We encourage you to check back in the fall for recruitment for future clinics.
To learn more about these clinics, we encourage you to click here and watch this video, which will provide you with information about the Northern Animal Health Initiative. While the video is slightly dated, most of the information remains relevant, with only a few minor changes.
Thank you for your interest!
We appreciate your interest in volunteering and contributing to our mission and look forward to the possibility of working with you.
Please note: We are a small (but mighty) team. For that reason, we cannot always reply to individual emails and only the candidates who are selected will be contacted.
Thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm for animal health.
Questions? Please reach out to: northernprogram@vwb.org
What makes an effective volunteer?
Beyond the technical skills necessary for volunteer placements, we seek individuals who embody a growth mindset and bring a genuine passion for contributing to meaningful change.
Effective volunteers possess a positive attitude and the ability to demonstrate the following key competencies:
These competencies enable volunteers to thrive in dynamic, cross-cultural environments and make a lasting impact.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you inspiring stories from the field, showcasing the impactful work of our dedicated VETS program volunteers. Meet Dr. Riley Bauman (DVM), an Animal Health Advisor who spent two months in Kenya (April–June 2025), working alongside smallholder dairy farmers and Meru Dairy staff to promote animal health, gender equity, and sustainable livelihoods.
This article explores the persistent threat of anthrax and the critical need for community-led surveillance in preventing zoonotic outbreaks. It highlights how VWB’s One Health approach—through the COHERS program, CAHW training, and gender-responsive outreach—strengthens local capacity to detect and manage neglected diseases, protecting both human and animal health in vulnerable communities.
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog was written by Guy Audet, a Business Development Advisor who supported our VETS program partner, WIPVaC-Apex, in Ghana from March to May 2025.
