Dr. Michelle Tuma is the Northern Canada Veterinary Specialist for 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.
#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.
