Tanja Kisslinger is the Director of Communications at Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
Tanja is a senior communications leader and cross-cultural storyteller with more than 18 years of experience supporting global health, humanitarian, and international development initiatives. She has led communications, public engagement, brand and content management strategies for organizations including CARE, SOS Children's Villages, Save the Children, and Medair, working across diverse and often fragile contexts to connect local realities with global audiences.
Her work is grounded in ethical, community-centred storytelling that brings visibility to systemic inequities, humanitarian crises, and locally driven solutions. Over the course of her career, Tanja has lived and worked across Africa, Asia, and Europe, shaping narratives alongside communities affected by displacement, food insecurity, gender inequality, and health crises.
Most recently, Tanja led CARE Canada’s multi-year Feed Her Future public engagement campaign, which focused on the social and gender norms shaping nutrition and health outcomes for women and children in Southern Africa. At Veterinarians Without Borders, she leads strategic communications across international development, humanitarian response, and companion animal health programming—amplifying the organization’s One Health approach and strengthening engagement with partners, supporters, and volunteers.
Tanja holds a Master’s degree in Criminology, an Honours degree in Psychology, and professional certifications in cross-cultural and emergency communications.
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.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local VETS program partner working directly with farmers on the ground. Meet Rebecca Ndembo, an Extension Officer with Wakulima Dairy in Kenya. For several years, Rebecca has worked alongside farmers and VETS volunteers to strengthen dairy practices, improve animal health, and support more resilient rural livelihoods.
The Animals & Ales Pet Photo Contest has officially come to a close! Thanks to our amazing participants, voters, and supporters, we raised over $102,000 to provide critical veterinary care for animals in need. Meet the winners and runners-up.
