Cambodian vaccination drive commences

This week Dogs Trust and Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) project Mission Rabies mass vaccination drive in Cambodia began where we are aiming to vaccinate 100,000 dogs against rabies in just ten days. 

This is part of our efforts in which we are committed to work towards the goal of eliminating human deaths caused by rabies as well as they day when no dogs die of the disease. 

Rabies is a viral disease that is fatal to dogs as well as people and sadly it is fatal once symptoms appear - it is however also 100% preventable through vaccination. Today it kills around 59,000 people from dog bites and therefore many fear dogs because of it, and tragically many dogs are killed unnecessarily and inhumanely. We hope that by removing this fear by eliminating human deaths due to the disease, attitudes and behaviour towards dogs will change and improve. 

The Cambodian vaccination drive involves teams of staff and volunteers from around the world, who are joined by local vets, hitting the streets and villages throughout Phnom Penh, under the beaming Cambodian sun, going door to door to find as many dogs as possible that need to be vaccinated while also educating communities about the risk of rabies and what to do if they get bitten. They are aiming for 100 vaccinations per team per day, which is no easy feat with the heat, the language barrier and the vast area they need to cover. 

This project brings with it different challenges which we are tackling, such as the different terrains and the scale of the project, and it’s truly encouraging to see the teams overcoming these challenges and facing each day, with the energy and dedication to keep going until the whole region has been covered. 

By the end of the fifth day, over 35,000 dogs had been vaccinated which is a tremendous effort and I hope everyone who has been involved is incredibly proud of being part of such an inspirational and worthwhile project – one that we hope can make a real long-lasting difference for dogs and their owners in Cambodia.