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As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, the devastating toll on both human and animal lives continues to grow. Beyond the devastation, beloved pets who are lost, abandoned, or unable to evacuate with their owners, are in desperate need of veterinary care, food and shelter. With no infrastructure or services in frontline areas, animals like dogs and cats are at risk of disease, injuries, health issues, and death. The situation is critical with hundreds of thousands of animals needing emergency veterinary services, life-saving medications, evacuations and care.
Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amerique du Nord (VWB/VSF) is a non-profit, charitable organization who is on the ground working with local partners like 12 Guards in the most dangerous and severely damaged regions (Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk). Every day, these brave individuals put their lives on the line to rescue suffering pets and provide emergency veterinary care services with little access to resources like electricity and limited medical supplies. The unwavering drive and determination to help animals is seen in the resilience of brave volunteers like Christina, who sustained injuries after stepping on a landmine. Before she had fully recovered, she was back out on the frontlines rescuing animals from harm.
As the war in Ukraine continues to rage on, pledge your support now for brave volunteers who are risking their lives every day to ensure veterinary care remains accessible for vulnerable animals who desperately need help.
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Ian Parfitt, a GIS Mapping Advisor who spent three months in Cambodia (January–April 2025) supporting organic agriculture and digital transformation with our local partner, AVSF Cambodia.
Megan Sylka, Senior Program Officer at VWB, shares how her recent visit to Kenya revealed the powerful ripple effects of the VETS program—highlighting how Community One Health Champion Shelmith Mwai is transforming her dairy farm, her family dynamics, and her community through knowledge, leadership, and collaboration.
This article examines how a One Health approach can transform food safety systems by addressing the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment—highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration, innovations like Canada’s CFSIN, and global strategies to mitigate risks such as antimicrobial resistance, climate change, and zoonotic disease.
