Our Mission & Vision

Our mission is to strengthen animal health and welfare to build more resilient communities.

We do this by enhancing veterinary care, bolstering community disaster response and recovery, championing sustainable livelihoods, and improving the well-being of animals, humans, and ecosystems worldwide.

Our vision is a future where animals, communities, and ecosystems thrive sustainably through the One Health model, promoting the well-being of all life and environments through education, accessible veterinary care, local wisdom, and global collaboration.

A volunteer and a Kenyan dairy cooperative employee look over some paperwork.

One Planet, One Health

Using a One Health approach, Veterinarians Without Borders Canada works for, and with, communities in need to foster the health of animals, people and the environments that sustain us.

We work in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia to improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged rural populations through veterinary and agricultural services, sustainable animal production, training, value chain development and sustainable natural resource management.

Additionally, we support remote Northern Canadian communities to improve animal health through temporary spay and neuter clinics, reduce the spread of rabies, and work to create the conditions for long-term, community-led sustainable animal health services.

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Disease Prevention

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We keep animals and communities healthy, reducing risks of zoonotic diseases, like rabies, through local surveillance and disease control measures including community education, food safety, vaccination and treatment.

Integrated Livelihoods

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We collaborate with communities in improving food security and quality of life, investing in integrated livestock and agricultural livelihoods that harness nature-based solutions and are resilient to the impacts of climate change, including drought.

Equitable Access

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We ensure equitable access to animal health inputs, resources, and services for companion animals and livestock, specifically addressing key barriers of remote geographies, colonialism, and gender inequality, responding to the needs of the most vulnerable, especially women.

Emergency Management

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We partner with government, local organizations, and communities, to understand risk, prepare for and respond to shocks, and strengthen recovery capacity of animals, humans, and local environments.

Capacity Strengthening

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We facilitate knowledge sharing and exchange so that communities can harness their existing assets and strengthen capacity for animal, human, and environmental health.

One Health Systems

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We invest in leadership, governance, information, financing, and coordination of local systems and structures that recognize and respond to the intersections between animal, human, and environmental health.

Our Principles

One Health Integration: At VWB, we champion a unified One Health approach that acknowledges the deep connections between animal, human, and environmental health. Our actions are driven by the conviction that veterinary care enhances overall health outcomes and promotes a balanced ecosystem.
Localized Community-Driven One Health Empowerment: We commit to empowering communities by enhancing collaboration with local organizations and elevating local leaders in decision-making processes. Our goal is to deliver comprehensive One Health services tailored to all animals' specific needs, ensuring sustainable, community-driven solutions.
Ethical Integrity and Global Solidarity: VWB is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in all aspects of our work, ensuring that every veterinary engagement, community interaction, and environmental impact is conducted with integrity, compassion, and respect for the interconnected well-being of animals, humans, and ecosystems. We balance local practices with global ethical standards, fostering global solidarity to cooperatively address shared challenges.
Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action: Together with our partners, VWB is committed to actively combating climate change by integrating environmental sustainability into all aspects of our work and promoting practices that reduce environmental impact, enhance ecosystem resilience, and support the health of all species.
Inclusive Equity: We are proud to foster inclusivity and equity by championing diversity and ensuring equitable access to animal health inputs, resources, and services for both companion animals and livestock, specifically addressing key barriers such as remote geographies, colonial legacies, and gender inequality, and actively working to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable, including women, while enhancing opportunities and skills development among local veterinary professionals and community members.
Responsive & Equitable Aid: At VWB, we employ a One Health approach in our emergency and humanitarian responses to animal health crises, seamlessly integrating preparedness, response, and recovery models that address both animal health and the climate crisis nexus while partnering with governments and local organizations, and communities to enhance risk understanding and ensure neutrality, impartiality, and comprehensive support, aiming for immediate relief as well as sustained resilience and recovery of communities and ecosystems, with equitable assistance for those most in need.

Your Support Means Everything

Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord couldn't do the work we do without your support. Whether it's a financial donation or a donation of your time, by improving the health of animals you will be working to improve the health and quality of life for people throughout the world.

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