This September, our very own Ewen from Swaleside Vets joined forces with colleagues from Mead and Streatham within the DNA Vetcare family to take on the Rabies Rally 2025 in Cornwall – and together they raced their way to first place! 🏆
The Rabies Rally, hosted by Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) and Mission Rabies, brings together veterinary professionals, charities, and organisations from across the world for three days of fun and learning. Alongside expert lectures on rabies control and global vaccination projects, participants hit the Cornish countryside in tuk tuks for some high-energy racing.
A Winning Team
Two teams from the DNA Vetcare family proudly took part:
- Team 1: Lucy (formerly a nurse at Streatham Hill Vets), Will (vet at Streatham Hill), and Ewen (one of our fantastic vets in Kent)
- Team 2: Radu (vet at Mead Vets), Shan (from our admin team), and Dane (Group Clinical Director)
Their teamwork, determination, and driving skills saw them claim first place overall, securing DNA Vetcare’s second consecutive Rabies Rally win but the real victory lies in helping to build momentum behind the mission to end human and canine rabies deaths for good.
More than ‘Just a Race’
Rabies remains one of the world’s most devastating, yet entirely preventable, diseases. Once symptoms appear, it’s almost always fatal.
- A child still dies from rabies every 9 minutes globally
- In over 99% of cases, the disease is transmitted by bites from unvaccinated dogs
And while rabies has been virtually eliminated in the UK, it continues to affect thousands of lives in countries where access to vaccines and education is limited.
Mission Rabies: A Global Force for Good
Founded by Luke Gamble and supported by WVS, Mission Rabies is leading the charge in high-risk areas such as India, Cambodia, Malawi, Ghana, and Thailand.
Their approach combines:
Mass dog vaccination campaigns
Public education programmes for children
Veterinary outreach and local vet training
Mobile clinics bringing care to underserved communities
When you hear Luke and his team speak about their goals with passion, scientific rigour, and unstoppable energy, it’s hard not to believe they can pull it off. In fact, you’d be daft to bet against them.
Our Ongoing Support, Powered by You
At DNA Vetcare, we’ve supported proudly supported Mission Rabies, WVS, and Care for Dogs Thailand since 2011
Thanks to our incredible clients across our practices in London, Kent and beyond, we’ve raised over £20,000 through:
Sponsored swims
Practice raffles and charity events- A 50p donation from every vaccine and consultation across participating clinics
We’ve also sent clinical team members abroad to help on the ground, most recently to India, Thailand, and Cambodia, assisting in dog vaccination drives, bite prevention education, and community vet care.
This global mission has inspired many of our team members and reminds us that the work we do here in the UK, as vets in London, Kent, and across the South East, connects to a much bigger picture.
Why It Matters
Every vaccine, every consultation, every small donation it all adds up.
You’re helping protect children. You’re helping save dogs from fear and suffering. And you’re helping our profession move one step closer to a world without rabies.
So from the team at Swaleside Vets, and all of us across the DNA Vetcare family – thank you. Your support doesn’t just make a difference. It saves lives.
To learn more about the inspiring work being done, visit:
www.missionrabies.com
www.wvs.org.uk
Let’s keep racing, vaccinating, and fighting to make rabies history.
