Short-Term Volunteers | Veterinarians Without Borders
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Join a Short-Term Volunteer Team

YVP participants in Kenya

Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VWB/VSF) was founded in 2005 to facilitate volunteer work by Canadian veterinarians in developing countries around the world. Since that time, volunteers have played a very important role in our work!

Application is now closed 

About Short-Term Volunteers

As part of the VETS (Volunteers Engaged in Gender-Responsive Technical Solutions) program, short-term volunteers support the objectives of the VETS Program through mobilizing Canadian volunteers to strengthen capacity of local partners. Through targeted program activities and relevant workshops and training sessions, short-term volunteers aim to increase potential for local partner organizations to create sustainable and healthier communities. Upon completion of their assignments, short-term volunteers share about their volunteer experience with the Canadian public to improve awareness and understand of VWB/VSF’s international cooperation efforts. 

Applications are now closed.

See Positions 

Short-Term Volunteer Details

  • Fully-funded, 3-week volunteer placements in January/February 2024
  • Volunteer together with other professionals in Kenya or Ghana 
  • Build connections and cross-cultural relationships
  • Participate in pre-departure orientation 
  • Engage the Canadian public after your placement to raise awareness about Canada's involvement in international development
  • Volunteer eligibility:
    • Able to commit to the duration of the placement
    • Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
    • Relevant background and experience to carry out volunteer assignment objectives (see below)
    • Vaccination against COVID is recommended by WUSC. International volunteers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as per airline or assignment country requirements and must be able to provide proof should the airline or assignment country immigration authority require proof of vaccination.

Young boy holds a goat while a volunteer administers a vaccination.

Volunteer placements are fully-funded — thanks to Global Affairs Canada

VWB/VSF will cover the cost of predeparture training, round-trip airfare to placement country, visa/permit costs, required vaccinations, and emergency travel health insurance. Further, participants receive a modest living allowance designed to cover basic housing, food, and typical living expenses.

GAC and VWB logo

YVP Group Shot 2022

In the past, short-term volunteers have provided additional support for remote veterinary clinics, vaccination campaigns, research and data collection, and more. VWB/VSF Volunteers contribute to healthier communities around the globe!

Short-Term Volunteer Opportunities

Interested in joining a Short-Term Volunteer Team? We'd love to hear from you! Indicate which location / position you are interested in on your application form. VWB/VSF will determine placements based on the applicant's background and experience, together with the needs of our local partners. Take a look below.


KENYA - Wakulima Dairy

KENYA - Meru Dairy

GHANA - Ghana Poultry Network 

GHANA - APEX Women in Poultry 


Application deadline: October 22, 2023

What makes an effective volunteer?

International volunteers often experience new and challenging circumstances. It's hard to know how we will react until we face those challenges. However, there are personal and professional qualities that help to identify people who will be effective working and living in another country.

It is important to be flexible. International volunteers often need to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances. At times you could experience inconvenience or discomfort. Volunteers need the self-confidence to take action on their own. The most effective volunteers also thrive as collaborative team members, overcoming cultural and language barriers to share accomplishments as part of a team.

International volunteer work is an opportunity to develop and strengthen skills and abilities that will last a lifetime.

If you would like to contribute to the health of animals, people, and the planet, then a volunteer assignment may be right for you.


Questions? Email volunteer@vetswithoutborders.ca and we'll be happy to help!

Cows in Kenya

Stories From Around The World

VETS Volunteer Voices: From Community Medicine to Calf Care in Kenya

VETS Volunteer Voices: From Community Medicine to Calf Care in Kenya

Posted Jul 8th, 2025

#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.

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The Silent Threat of Anthrax: Making the Case for Community-Led Zoonotic Surveillance

The Silent Threat of Anthrax: Making the Case for Community-Led Zoonotic Surveillance

Posted Jul 4th, 2025

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.

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VETS Volunteer Voices: Business Plans and Bold Futures for Ghana’s Women Farmers

VETS Volunteer Voices: Business Plans and Bold Futures for Ghana’s Women Farmers

Posted Jun 25th, 2025

#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.

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  • My voluntary assignments in Ghana for the past three years have dramatically improved animal production in terms of reducing mortality and increasing the size of the herd/flock.
    - Joseph Ansong-Danquah

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