Dr. Anna Mackay is on the board of directors for Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord Canada.
Dr. Anna MacKay earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 1985 and a master’s degree in veterinary science from the University of Montreal in 1995, specializing in Pathology and Microbiology. After seven years in small animal practice, she transitioned to the public sector, working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), specializing in food safety and animal health. She served as Regional Veterinary Officer (RVO) and project manager for the National Animal Health Strategy (NAHS) framework at CFIA.
In 2015, she joined the agency's main headquarters in Ottawa as the National Manager and Project Director, where she developed and implemented a digital solution to automate risk calculation for the Establishment-based Risk Assessment (ERA) models in food and hatchery sectors. These models are designed to identify and target CFIA inspection activities at higher-risk establishments. Additionally, she initiated the development and implementation of ERA for the feed mills and renderers sectors. Until her retirement from CFIA's Science Branch in March 2024, she served as the National Manager and Project Director for the development and automation of the Work Tasking Logic Model (WTLM), an optimization tool for CFIA inspectors.
Anna joined the Veterinarians without Borders North America (VWBNA) board in 2017, contributing to fundraising efforts and serving on the Northern Program Advisory Group.
She is also actively committed in various veterinary organizations and community initiatives, such as the Association vétérinaire Québécoise de médecine de refuge (AVQMR) and the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program in her neighborhood since 2012.
Anna's background in food inspection, animal health and One Health initiatives drives her interest in the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment.
#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.
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.
#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.
