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Vetoquinol joins forces with Mission Rabies for tuk tuk challenge

vetreportOctober 6, 2023

The annual Rabies Rally, a flagship fundraising event on the Mission Rabies calendar, recently took place through the stunning scenery of Cornwall’s Roseland Peninsula. Proudly sponsored by Vetoquinol, a global leader in animal health and keen supporter of Mission Rabies, this four day event saw ten tuk tuks take on a challenging course. Culminating on September 15th, the Rally not only showcased the spirit of adventure, but also raised vital funds in support of the mission.

Mission Rabies is dedicated to combatting the devastating impact of rabies, with the Rabies Rally emerging as one of the organisation’s biggest fundraisers for 2023. Over 99 percent of human rabies cases are caused by an infected dog bite and once symptoms of the disease develop, it is invariably fatal, causing the death of at least 59,000 people a year. Mission Rabies is committed to changing this picture. Scientific evidence shows that the most effective long-term rabies control strategy is through vaccination of dogs in endemic areas. The Mission Rabies team heads to rabies hotspots to run mass vaccination and education programmes, safeguarding both the human and canine populations.

Vetoquinol joined forces with DNA Vetcare for the event, with their tuk tuk team led by veterinary surgeon Dane Walker, Director and Co-Founder of the group. Dane shared his experience, saying, “The Rally provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded teammates, while also raising awareness of the crucial work undertaken by Mission Rabies. Every year, millions of healthy dogs are inhumanely killed for fear of this deadly disease. We were delighted to be able to do our bit to support animal and human health on a global scale. What’s more, with some healthy competition and the incredible power of teamwork we returned triumphant, winners of the prize for most tuk tuks vaccinated!”

Vetoquinol is deeply committed to improving the wellbeing of both animals and people. Caitrina Oakes, Vetoquinol Managing Director UK and Ireland explained, “Animal health solutions that embrace the One Health concept are at the heart of everything we do. It’s what all our teams, worldwide, work to achieve, so we are delighted to support the work of Mission Rabies, an organisation whose values align directly with our own. Sponsoring the Rabies Rally was a win-win for us – it allowed us to contribute to a vital cause that saves both human and animal lives, while giving our hard-working veterinary clients the opportunity to take part in a fun and fulfilling team-building challenge.”

Tragically, rabies claims the life of a child at least every nine minutes. The work of Mission Rabies has already enabled two million dogs to receive rabies vaccinations, helping to safeguard the wellbeing of an estimated six million children. However, there is still some way to go to achieve the ultimate aim of eliminating rabies for good. Fundraising is continuing after the event, and donations can still be made by visiting https://missionrabies.com/donate/

For further information visit www.vetoquinol.co.uk, email uk_office@vetoquinol.com or telephone 01280 814500

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