Who Is Maya Oakley? All You Need To Know About Dr. Michelle Oakley’s Daughter

Maya Oakley is a Canadian television personality known for appearing on Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet with her mother, Dr. Michelle Oakley. She grew up around wildlife and learned animal care from a young age. Viewers often search for Maya because of her work with animals, family background, education, and life away from television. She has also helped her mother with veterinary-related work on the show. Her sisters, Sierra and Willow, have been connected with the series as well. This article explores Maya Oakley’s age, childhood, parents, sisters, education, television journey, animal-care experience, personal life, and other interesting facts.

Quick Bio

Maya Oakley’s Early Life

Maya Oakley was born on December 2, 1998, in Yukon, Canada. She was raised in Haines Junction in the Yukon Territory. Her childhood was very different from that of many children because animals and wildlife were a regular part of her family life. Her mother worked closely with animals, giving Maya many opportunities to observe animal care from an early age. Growing up in this environment helped her become comfortable around different animals and later made her a natural part of her mother’s television work.

Maya Oakley’s Age

Maya Oakley is 28 years old as of 2026. Her birthday is December 2, and her zodiac sign is Sagittarius. She spent much of her childhood and teenage years in Yukon before becoming familiar to television viewers. Maya started appearing on her mother’s show while she was still young. As viewers followed the Oakley family, they were also able to see Maya gain more experience and confidence while assisting with animals.

Maya Oakley’s Parents

Maya is the daughter of Dr. Michelle Oakley and Shane Oakley. Her mother is a wildlife veterinarian and television personality, while her father has worked as a firefighter in Yukon. Her parents met when Michelle visited Yukon during college for a field trip involving Arctic ground squirrel ecology. Their relationship later developed, and they married in Hawaii on December 10, 1992. Maya consequently grew up in a household closely connected with both community service and wildlife care.

Who Is Maya Oakley’s Mother?

Maya’s mother, Dr. Michelle Oakley, is a well-known wildlife veterinarian. Michelle was born on September 16, 1969, in Munster, Indiana, United States. She studied animal biology at the University of Michigan and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1992. She later attended Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Her career eventually brought veterinary medicine and wildlife care to television audiences through Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet.

Dr. Michelle Oakley’s Veterinary Career

After completing her veterinary studies in 2000, Michelle Oakley interned at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada. Her professional work has involved many kinds of wild and domestic animals. She has served as an on-call veterinarian for organizations including the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, American Bald Eagle Foundation, and Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Her television appearances also include Wilderness Vet, Home & Family, and WGN Morning News. Her career gave Maya and her sisters firsthand exposure to veterinary and wildlife work.

Who Is Maya Oakley’s Father?

Maya Oakley’s father is Shane Oakley, a Yukon native who has worked as a firefighter. He met Michelle while she was visiting Yukon during her college years. Their meeting eventually developed into a long-term relationship and marriage. Unlike his wife and daughters, Shane is not mainly known for television. His career has instead centered on firefighting. Together, Shane and Michelle raised their three daughters, Sierra, Maya, and Willow, in the Yukon region.

Maya Oakley’s Sisters

Maya grew up with two sisters, Sierra and Willow Oakley. Sierra is the oldest of the three daughters, Maya is the middle child, and Willow is the youngest. All three have been connected in different ways with Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. Their childhood in northern Canada gave them considerable exposure to animals and their mother’s veterinary career. While Maya and Sierra became familiar faces to viewers, Willow appeared in fewer episodes and later became more involved with work away from the cameras.

Sierra Oakley

Sierra Oakley is Maya’s older sister. She studied at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Med in May 2019. Sierra has also been involved in hockey. She participated in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in 2012 and the Canada Winter Games in 2015. Her interests in medicine and animals influenced her education, and she later continued her veterinary studies at Murdoch University in Australia while also gaining experience with wildlife and field medicine.

Willow Oakley

Willow Oakley is the youngest of Dr. Michelle and Shane Oakley’s three daughters. She appeared in some episodes of Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet but chose not to remain heavily involved with filming. Instead, she has helped her mother and the production team with work behind the scenes. Willow later pursued college studies connected with international business and accounting. Like her sisters, she spent her early years surrounded by animals and the unusual wildlife environment of Yukon.

Maya Oakley’s Education

Maya continued her education after completing secondary school. She attended the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. In 2020, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Her chosen academic field was different from the veterinary career for which her family is widely known. Even with this educational path, Maya continued to have experience caring for animals and helping with veterinary-related activities through her family and television appearances.

Maya Oakley on Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet

Maya became widely recognized through Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. The series follows her mother as she treats animals across remote areas of northern Canada and surrounding regions. Michelle works with both domestic animals and wildlife, often traveling considerable distances to reach animals requiring treatment. Maya appeared alongside her mother and assisted with different animal-care duties. Her involvement introduced viewers to another side of the Oakley family and showed how Michelle’s daughters participated in the unusual lifestyle surrounding their mother’s profession.

Maya Was Nervous About Being on Television

Appearing on television did not immediately feel comfortable for Maya. When filming began, Michelle gave her daughters the choice of appearing in front of the camera or helping the production behind the scenes. Maya was initially nervous and did not enjoy having cameras around her. Over time, however, she became more comfortable with filming. Her growing confidence allowed her to take a more active role while helping her mother care for animals, eventually making her a recognizable member of the series.

Is Maya Oakley a Veterinarian?

Maya is closely associated with veterinary medicine because of her mother and her appearances on Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. Her experience includes assisting with animal care and helping her mother at the animal clinic. She has also worked part-time as a vet tech at a small-animal clinic. Her university degree, however, is in Criminal Justice rather than veterinary medicine. Her role has therefore focused mainly on assisting with animal care rather than following the same educational path as her veterinarian mother.

Maya Oakley’s Work With Animals

Animals have been part of Maya’s life since childhood. Growing up with a wildlife veterinarian gave her opportunities to learn practical animal-care skills and observe veterinary work closely. On television, viewers have seen her assisting her mother with different animals and veterinary tasks. Her experience around animals extends beyond simply appearing on camera, as she has also helped at animal clinics. These experiences explain why Maya is strongly associated with veterinary work despite having pursued a different subject during her university education.

Maya Oakley’s Activism

Maya has also shown an interest in social causes. She has supported the Minnesota Freedom Fund, an organization focused on issues surrounding cash bail. She used her social media presence to raise awareness about the effects of cash bail policies, including their impact on poverty and communities of color. Maya has also helped promote fundraising efforts connected with the organization. This part of her life shows interests that extend beyond animals, wildlife, and her appearances on her family’s television program.

Maya Oakley’s Health

Maya experienced a serious health challenge in 2020 when she contracted COVID-19. She became severely ill in June of that year but recovered from the illness. Her recovery came during an important period in her life because she was also approaching her university graduation. A few weeks after dealing with the illness, Maya completed her studies. She is not described as currently dealing with any major illness and has continued with her personal and professional activities.

Maya Oakley’s Personal Life

Maya has kept much of her personal life away from the public spotlight despite growing up in a family known through television. Her relationship status is listed as single, and her public profile has focused more heavily on her family, education, animal-care experience, and television appearances. Unlike many reality television personalities, she has not made romantic relationships a major part of her public image. Her connection with the Oakley family and Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet remains the main reason viewers recognize her.

Maya Oakley’s Height and Appearance

Maya Oakley stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is approximately 167 centimeters. She weighs around 110 pounds, or 49 kilograms. Maya has blonde hair and blue eyes. Viewers became familiar with her appearance through her years on Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet, where she was often seen working alongside her mother and other family members. Her practical involvement with animals rather than glamour or celebrity lifestyle has remained an important part of her television image.

Maya Oakley’s Life Away From Television

Although television introduced Maya to a large audience, her life includes much more than appearing in a reality series. She completed a university education, has gained experience working with animals, supported social causes, and remained connected with her family. Her upbringing in Yukon continues to be an important part of her story. Maya’s experience shows how growing up around a veterinarian shaped her knowledge of animals even though her own academic education took her into the separate field of Criminal Justice.

Final Thoughts

Maya Oakley became known to viewers as the daughter of Dr. Michelle Oakley and a familiar face on Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. Born and raised in Yukon, Canada, she grew up surrounded by wildlife and veterinary work. She later graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice while continuing to gain animal-care experience. From overcoming her early nervousness around television cameras to assisting with animals and supporting social causes, Maya has developed an identity that combines her family background, education, television experience, and personal interests.

FAQs About Maya Oakley

How old is Maya Oakley?

Maya Oakley is 28 years old as of 2026. She was born on December 2, 1998, in Yukon, Canada. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius, and she grew up in Haines Junction in the Yukon Territory.

Is Maya Oakley a veterinarian?

Maya Oakley has considerable experience caring for animals and has assisted her veterinarian mother. She has also worked part-time as a vet tech. However, her bachelor’s degree is in Criminal Justice rather than veterinary medicine.

What does Maya Oakley do for a living?

Maya is known as a television personality and for her animal-care work. She appeared on Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet, assisted her mother with animals, and has worked part-time as a vet tech at a small-animal clinic.

Who are Maya Oakley’s parents?

Maya Oakley’s parents are Dr. Michelle Oakley and Shane Oakley. Michelle is a wildlife veterinarian and television personality known for Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet, while Shane has worked as a firefighter in Yukon.

Does Maya Oakley have any siblings?

Yes. Maya has two sisters named Sierra and Willow Oakley. Sierra is the oldest, Maya is the middle daughter, and Willow is the youngest. Both sisters have also been connected with their mother’s television series.