Every year, World Rabies Day shines a light on this highly fatal, yet preventable disease, to raise more awareness and further efforts to eradicate it. While rabies can be found around the world, it remains prevalent in India, where we’re working to protect both animals and human communities from its spread.

Rabies is a highly infectious zoonotic disease, which can be spread from animals to other animals including humans, and there is no cure once symptoms appear. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it causes an estimated 59,000 human deaths around the world every year.

However, rabies can also be eliminated with strong control programs, which include vaccinations and humanely reducing the population of stray dogs through sterilization efforts.

India tragically accounts for about 35% of global human deaths from rabies, while the vast majority of cases come from dog bites, with children being especially vulnerable.

For World Rabies Day this year, our team successfully vaccinated 110 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens at our Deonar Center in Mumbai. Members of the International Veterinary Students Association Mumbai and our team of IndieVets also organized multiple anti-rabies vaccination drives at various locations and vaccinated more than 300 animals.

Some members also visited schools and conducted awareness campaigns for young children to draw more attention to efforts to eradicate this disease and the importance of seeking help if bitten or scratched. Action taken before symptoms appear is crucial to recovery, with education being the key.

We’re so happy we could help so many animals this year, and grateful to our supporters who make this lifesaving work possible. We’ll continue vaccinating animals throughout the year and hope to see rabies prioritized in discussions about public health to meet the global goal of zero human deaths by 2030, and our ambitious goal of including other animals into that figure.

You can help support our work for animals in India by making a donation.