Leading animal welfare charity Battersea is marking World Rabies Day (28^th September) by highlighting the vital work being done around the world to eliminate rabies, through collaborations with local organisations and international charities. 

As a longstanding animal welfare charity with over 160 years of experience, Battersea’s mission is to be a champion for every dog and cat. This extends far beyond the animals that the charity takes in at its three centres. Through its Global Programmes strategy, Battersea supports initiatives that aim to improve the lives of animals in the UK and overseas through providing funding and sharing expertise. By supporting the vital work of organisations such as the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), Funda Nenja, and the South African Veterinary Association Community Veterinary Clinics (SAVA-CVC), Battersea is helping to ensure that more animals receive the vaccinations they need to stay safe from this preventable disease, which in turn will better protect local communities where rabies is endemic. 

Simona Zito, Battersea’s Grants & Programmes Manager, said: “At Battersea, we are committed to improving the lives of dogs and cats, not only at our centres but worldwide. By collaborating with local organisations like Funda Nenja and SAVA-CVC and supporting global initiatives like those led by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, we are playing our part in the global fight against rabies. Together, we aim to achieve the shared goal of eliminating this preventable disease by 2030.” 

One of Battersea’s Grant recipients, and the creators of today’s international awareness day, is the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), an organisation with a mission to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. GARC delivers support and capacity building directly to its network of partners around the world, including instances where GARC team members are involved on the ground, ensuring sustainable vaccination efforts reach even the most remote communities. 

One such example occurred during a rabies vaccination campaign in Zanzibar, where local dogs were vaccinated despite initial challenges. In this case, a dog owner had hidden his pets from the vaccination team due to a lack of clear communication and a language barrier. He did not understand why officials were visiting his area because the campaign had not been explained in his native language. Fortunately, a vaccination campaign volunteer familiar with the language, stepped in to clarify the visit's purpose. Once the vaccination campaign was explained, the owner brought out his dogs, and they were successfully vaccinated - contributing to the broader goal of protecting the local community from rabies. 

Dr Terence Scott, Director of Programs of GARC, said: “With the hands-on support delivered by Battersea, this joint programme emphasises the true nature of collaboration in the ethos of World Rabies Day. Our joint efforts through the Communities Against Rabies initiative help to provide direct technical support to local stakeholders, building capacity and ensuring a sustainable, country-led approach to rabies elimination. This initiative is helping to deliver our joint goal to eliminate rabies and improve the lives of humans and animals globally.”   

In South Africa, the South African Veterinary Association Community Veterinary Clinics (SAVA-CVC) has been working to overcome the country’s most severe rabies outbreak, which began in September 2021. With support from Battersea, SAVA-CVC launched an initiative in March 2024 to vaccinate animals in the Eastern Cape, one of the hardest-hit regions. Since the start of the project, they have vaccinated more than 62,800 animals, including 55,732 dogs and 7,108 cats, and aim to eliminate all positive rabies cases in cats and dogs by 2026. 

SAVA-CVC’s work doesn’t stop at vaccinations. Their team is also focused on community outreach, particularly in towns like Misgund, where they’ve connected with children who previously did not see dogs as individual animals with names or personalities. After receiving rabies vaccinations, the children helped name their pets — the white dog, for example, was named “Snow,” and the brown dog “BrakenJan.” These small but meaningful engagements show how animal welfare education can strengthen the bond between pets and their owners while protecting communities from rabies. 

Funda Nenja, another South African organisation supported by Battersea, is dedicated to rabies control and community education. Operating in the Mpophomeni area, Funda Nenja holds weekly veterinary clinics, where between 40 to 70 dogs are vaccinated each Friday. Between 2023 and 2024, the charity was able to vaccinate over a thousand dogs. These clinics have helped dogs like Pixie, a four-month-old puppy, who has now been vaccinated and is protected from rabies, but they also play a crucial part in bringing awareness of why vaccinating animals is so important. 

To find out more information about Battersea’s Global Programmes work, visit the Battersea website. 

To find out more about World Rabies Day and what organisations around the world are doing to mark the day, you can visit the GARC website: https://rabiesalliance.org/world-rabies-day