Dr. Michelle Tuma is a Companion Animal Veterinary Specialist at Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
Dr. Michelle Tuma was born and raised in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 and moved back to her hometown to practice. Since 2015, in addition to working in private practice, Dr. Tuma has partnered with multiple northern animal welfare organizations to offer temporary veterinary clinics in remote Indigenous and Inuit communities across Canada's Arctic. She has been working with Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord to expand their northern reach since 2018.
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.
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.
