Rochdale vet to take off in fight against rabies

A vet is preparing to reach for the skies to help the fight against rabies after she has taken part in a charity’s latest dog vaccination programme.

Maria King will swap her practice in Greater Manchester for Mumbai next month when she joins other Mission Rabies volunteers for a week-long mission in the Indian city.

Then, after she returns to the UK and if sufficient funds are pledged, she plans to complete a skydive from 15,000ft on 23 March to further aid the cause.

Donations are already being sought online and Miss King, who is a vet at the Wendy Lane practice in Rochdale, says she hopes to raise both money and awareness of the disease, and the toll it takes.

‘Save lives’

In a social media post, Miss King wrote: “We have the tools and technology to break this cycle and save lives. The proven most effective method of fighting this deadly virus is through major canine vaccination projects.

“This is why I am flying to Mumbai in February 2024. I will join Mission Rabies with a team of fellow volunteering veterinarians.

“With one third of all global deaths occurring in India, this country is the world’s hot spot for Rabies. This has to change.”

Although more than 150 countries are estimated to be affected by rabies globally, according to World Health Organization data, as many as 20,000 deaths from the disease each year occur in India.

But significant progress has been made in recent years through the Mission Rabies programme, which is led by the Worldwide Veterinary Service and whose vaccination work led to the state of Goa being declared India’s first “rabies controlled area” in 2021.