Dr. Catherine R. Belanger is on the board of directors with Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord Canada.
Catherine is a veterinarian who graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2019. After graduation, she spent time in a small animal emergency practice as well as the Meat Hygiene division of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. She has experience volunteering in both local and international veterinary outreach programs.
Currently, she is a PhD student in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph, where she is receiving training in veterinary epidemiology, zoonosis, and One Health. She concurrently works as a student epidemiologist in the Foodborne Disease and AMR Surveillance Division of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Elise Tessier, an Epidemiology Advisor who spent 10 weeks in Cambodia (March–May 2025) supporting a zoonotic disease risk reduction project with our local partner, AVSF Cambodia.
#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.
