Read the latest updates and messages from Veterinarians Without Borders.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective—from the experiences of VETS volunteers to the voice of one of VWB's longest-standing partners in Ghana. Meet Dr. Anthony "Akunz" Akunzule, Executive Director of the Ghana Poultry Network (GAPNET), who has spent more than four decades strengthening animal health systems, empowering rural communities, and mentoring the next generation of veterinary professionals.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local VETS program partner helping shape sustainable agriculture from within. Meet Sophoan Min, Country Representative of AVSF Cambodia, who has spent more than 25 years working alongside farming communities and VETS volunteers to strengthen farmer organizations, promote sustainable agriculture, and build more resilient rural livelihoods.
From coordinating veterinary clinics to supporting future Community Animal Health Workers, Helen Klengenberg's story highlights the importance of local leadership in strengthening animal health across Nunavut. As communities continue to build local capacity, we explore how VWB is working alongside northern partners to improve access to care.
From Community Animal Health Workers to livestock keepers participating in the Passing-on-the-Gift model, communities across South Sudan are carrying forward the skills, knowledge, and systems strengthened through the 1-SHOP project. As the project concludes, we reflect on the lasting impacts of this community-led approach to resilience.
Access to veterinary care looks different in every community. This blog explores how mobile clinics, local veterinary partners, and Community Animal Health Workers help bring care closer to animals and families in Northern Canada, Ukraine, Senegal, and beyond.
In recognition of World Zoonoses Day 2026, this article explores how community-centered One Health approaches can help detect, prevent, and respond to zoonotic diseases before they become global health emergencies.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories from the field shared by passionate VETS program volunteers. Meet Vincent Auclair, a Fundraising Advisor who spent four and a half months in Cambodia (January–May 2026) with our local partner, AVSF Cambodia, supporting proposal development, fundraising systems, and organizational capacity strengthening.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories from the field shared by passionate VETS program volunteers. Meet Daniel MacIsaac, a Communications Advisor who spent six months in Cambodia (September 2025–March 2026) with our local partner, AVSF Cambodia, helping strengthen communications systems, build staff capacity, and support the organization in telling the stories behind its work.
Veterinarians Without Borders' 2026 Spring Match campaign raised more than $83,000 to help expand access to veterinary care in underserved and hard-to-reach communities. Funds will support mobile veterinary clinics, local veterinary partners, and community-based animal health services in Northern Canada and internationally.
In this edition of Ask an Expert, we spoke with Yana Zhambekova, Ukraine Country Director at Veterinarians Without Borders North America (VWB), about the realities facing rural communities, livestock keepers, and veterinarians across Ukraine today.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Donald Hilborn, an Agricultural Advisor from Ontario who recently completed his third VETS placement in Kenya (March–April 2026) with our local partner, Meru Dairy, supporting small-scale dairy farmers in building more sustainable and resilient feeding systems.
In recognition of International Day for Biological Diversity 2026, VWB reflects on how healthy rangelands, community-led animal health systems, and pastoralist knowledge help sustain resilience across working landscapes worldwide.
Based on field insights from Senegal, this blog examines how VWB’s COHERS program is helping drive early gender-transformative change at the household level — reshaping who decides, who acts, and how families respond to risks affecting both human and animal health.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Hiya Goyal, a Communications Advisor who spent five months in Laos (November 2025–March 2026) with our local partner, Health Poverty Action, strengthening communications and knowledge sharing while exploring how listening and storytelling can bridge gaps between policy, research, and community experience.
VWB has launched its 2026 Spring Match campaign, inviting supporters to help expand access to veterinary care in underserved communities. From May 6 to June 17, every donation will be matched to help veterinary teams reach more animals with the care they need.
In many regions, the difference between a minor health issue and a serious condition comes down to whether care can be reached in time. This blog explores the practical barriers to veterinary access — from distance to disrupted systems — and what changes when care becomes available.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local VETS program partner working directly with farmers on the ground. Meet Rebecca Ndembo, an Extension Officer with Wakulima Dairy in Kenya. For several years, Rebecca has worked alongside farmers and VETS volunteers to strengthen dairy practices, improve animal health, and support more resilient rural livelihoods.
VWB’s Animals & Ales 2026 has wrapped up, raising over $102,000 through a community-driven pet photo fundraiser that brought together breweries and animal lovers across Canada and the U.S. to support veterinary care for animals and communities in need.
The Animals & Ales Pet Photo Contest has officially come to a close! Thanks to our amazing participants, voters, and supporters, we raised over $102,000 to provide critical veterinary care for animals in need. Meet the winners and runners-up.
Watch a replay of our Women's Month 2026 webinar which explored how volunteer exchange strengthens animal health systems, supports women’s leadership, and creates mutual learning between volunteers and communities.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local leader shaping change on the ground. Dr. Victoria Norgbey has dedicated over four decades to strengthening Ghana’s poultry sector and empowering women through WIPVaC-Apex Ghana, a key VETS partner.
As the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists unfolds, VWB explores why mobility is not a barrier to care — but a blueprint for designing resilient, equitable animal health systems in rangeland and remote communities.
VWB has launched Animals & Ales 2026, a community-driven pet photo fundraiser running from February 23 to March 16, bringing together local breweries and animal lovers across Canada and the U.S. to support veterinary care for animals in underserved communities and emergency situations.
VWB has joined the VSF International network in launching a global manifesto during the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026, calling for stronger protection of rangelands, recognition of pastoralist communities, and investment in One Health approaches that strengthen climate resilience and food security.
Khadia Diallo’s story reveals how women Community Animal Health Workers in rural Senegal are strengthening disease prevention from the ground up — caring for animals, supporting families, and translating One Health principles into everyday practice through the COHERS program.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers. Meet Kavitha Misra, a Gender Advisor in Vietnam from February 2021 to October 2023. Drawing on her volunteer experience — and her ongoing role as VWB’s Gender Advisor — Kavitha reflects on how her placement shaped her confidence, perspective, and approach to gender-responsive One Health work.
A community awareness event in rural Senegal offers a window into how local partners and Community Animal Health Workers are building a culture of prevention through dialogue, trust, and repeated engagement under the COHERS program.
A mass vaccination campaign in rural Senegal reveals how Community Animal Health Workers are strengthening prevention, extending veterinary services, and protecting livelihoods in hard-to-reach communities through the COHERS program.
VWB has joined 14 other Canadian organizations to launch Time to Act, a national movement unveiled on International Volunteer Day 2025 to re-energize volunteerism across the country. Running until 2027, the campaign invites Canadians to map their volunteer actions, share stories, and discover how everyday acts of service strengthen communities at home and around the world.
VWB has launched its 2025 Holiday Match campaign, doubling every donation to deliver veterinary care, CAHW training, preventive clinics, and emergency support across Northern Canada, Ukraine, Ghana, Senegal, and Cambodia. Gifts are doubled up to $60,000 until December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM EST.
In Ghana’s Upper East Region, women Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) are transforming animal care and community health. Through VWB’s VETS program, they’re improving livestock management, advancing gender equality, and building resilient One Health systems from the ground up.
Join Veterinarians Without Borders for our virtual 20th Anniversary celebration — 20 Years of Impact: A Celebration of Our Volunteers & VWB in Action. Reflect on two decades of One Health impact and connect with the people shaping a healthier world for animals, people, and the planet.
This field report from Laos shares insights from VWB’s Senior Program Officer, Megan Sylka, highlighting how the VETS program, in partnership with CARE Laos, is empowering women, improving animal health, and helping farming communities build climate resilience through sustainable agriculture and One Health practices.
VWB has launched its 2025 GivingTuesday campaign with a triple match opportunity, spotlighting Community Animal Health Workers who deliver lifesaving care in remote and underserved regions across Africa, Asia, Northern Canada, and beyond. The campaign aims to raise $45,000 to strengthen local capacity and build sustainable animal health systems worldwide.
This field report from Rwanda highlights how VWB’s COHERS program is tackling the pork tapeworm Taenia solium through a One Health approach — uniting local One Health Teams, Community Hygiene Clubs, and behaviour-change initiatives to strengthen sanitation, improve animal health, and build momentum at the community level.
This story profiles Donatha Anyinkamiye, Executive Secretary of Tare Sector, whose leadership and advocacy are helping COHERS turn One Health awareness into lasting, community-led change in Rwanda.
In this edition of Ask an Expert, we connected with Dave Shuey, a Veterinary Social Worker with IndeVets, about the growing field of veterinary social work and how innovative practice models can help bring balance, fulfilment, and sustainability back to veterinary medicine.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Grace Friesen, an Animal Health Advisor who spent three months in Kenya (May–August 2025) with our local partner, Meru Dairy, helping farmers improve herd health and milk production while learning firsthand how knowledge exchange can strengthen entire communities.
Josephine Mukagasana’s story shows how Community Hygiene Clubs are transforming health and confidence across rural Rwanda—empowering families to embrace handwashing, hygiene, and shared responsibility through the COHERS program’s One Health approach.
In this edition of Ask an Expert, we connected with Dr. Naima Jutha, Wildlife Veterinarian and Chief Veterinary Officer for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Based in Yellowknife, Dr. Jutha leads the Wildlife Health Program within the Department of Environment and Climate Change, monitoring and responding to emerging health threats among northern wildlife populations.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective—from the experiences of VETS volunteers to the voice of one of VWB's longest-standing partners in Ghana. Meet Dr. Anthony "Akunz" Akunzule, Executive Director of the Ghana Poultry Network (GAPNET), who has spent more than four decades strengthening animal health systems, empowering rural communities, and mentoring the next generation of veterinary professionals.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local VETS program partner helping shape sustainable agriculture from within. Meet Sophoan Min, Country Representative of AVSF Cambodia, who has spent more than 25 years working alongside farming communities and VETS volunteers to strengthen farmer organizations, promote sustainable agriculture, and build more resilient rural livelihoods.
From coordinating veterinary clinics to supporting future Community Animal Health Workers, Helen Klengenberg's story highlights the importance of local leadership in strengthening animal health across Nunavut. As communities continue to build local capacity, we explore how VWB is working alongside northern partners to improve access to care.
