50,000 rabies vaccines donated to project

Small animal referral practice, Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS) has pledged its support for Mission Rabies, a project which aims to tackle the disease in India.

The project, which was announced at this year's British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) congress, aims to supply cheap and effective rabies vaccines and monitor the prevalence of the disease in India.

It is estimated that a child dies from rabies every hour in India, and the disease is usually contracted from dog bites, generating animal welfare issues due to the fear in which dogs are held in the country.

Mission Rabies, which begins in September 2013, aims to vaccinate 50,000 dogs in the first month, and will also provide surgical training programmes in rabies hotspots, in order to train local vets the best techniques for vaccination and dog population control.

The long-term intentions are to vaccinate two million dogs in rabies hotspots in India within three years.

DVS have donated 50,000 vaccines to be used during the first month of the project, and Ian Battersby, an member of the DVS internal medicine team and one of the organisers of the mission, will also be travelling to India in September.

DVS managing director Clive Elwood, says: "This is a very important project, delivering veterinary care and expertise that will have a real impact on human lives. We are delighted to be able to help such a worthwhile cause."

Image: Ian Battersby with Luke Gamble of Sky TV’s Vet Adventures, with the Mission Rabies truck.