September 17, 2025, 8:47 am | Read time: 5 minutes
While rabies is considered eradicated in Germany, people and animals worldwide still die from it every year. You can support the fight against this deadly infectious disease from Germany—simply by visiting your veterinarian if they collaborate with “Veterinarians Without Borders.” PETBOOK author Nina Ponath witnessed the severe consequences of rabies in dogs during her vacation and explains why this initiative is so important.
In March of this year, I was on vacation in Sri Lanka. One experience that particularly stuck with me was encountering a dog that crossed paths with my partner and me during a temple visit. From a distance, you could see how everyone the dog passed hurriedly stepped aside. I had observed such behavior in Sri Lanka before and initially wasn’t surprised. Where people are preoccupied with existential concerns, love for animals is often not a priority. However, upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn’t just that. There was a reason these people were avoiding the dog. It had foam at the mouth—a sign of rabies in dogs!
What Exactly Is Rabies?
Rabies—medically defined as a virus-induced infection of the central nervous system—leads to paralysis of the swallowing muscles, explaining the typical foam at the mouth. Behavior changes occur simultaneously: Friendly animals can suddenly become aggressive and unpredictable, or they may withdraw and appear apathetic. Later, coordination disorders, seizures, and eventually paralysis follow, almost always ending in death.
For the little dog we encountered, it was already too late. We drove on with a heavy heart and tried a quick internet search to find local animal welfare advocates. If we couldn’t help the dog, perhaps we could at least protect people and other animals from the threat of infection by euthanizing the dog?
Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful. The veterinarians we emailed and tried to call responded only days later. I don’t want to imagine how much the dog suffered before its death and how many other creatures it might have infected by then.
People Still Die from Rabies
Scenes like these make it unsurprising that rabies, considered extinct here, remains a serious and deadly problem globally. While the last case of the progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord was documented here in 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 59,000 people worldwide still die from rabies each year. Most often, dog bites lead to the spread of the virus.
How We Can Help with a Visit to Our Veterinarian
What we can do in Germany, I learned by chance during a visit to my veterinarian. The last time I was at the practice with my dog, I noticed a poster: “Veterinarians Without Borders—Against Rabies.” “We are committed to Veterinarians Without Borders,” Andrea Kersten from the Parkallee veterinary practice explained to me. Once a year, the practice organizes a vaccination day, donating 50 percent of the proceeds from vaccinations. “The money is directly forwarded to Veterinarians Without Borders,” Kersten said. From there, it funds vaccination campaigns in Africa—for vaccines, logistics, and collaboration with local communities.
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How the Vaccination Campaign Works
To understand how the vaccinations are implemented, I asked Claudia Knüpfer, PR representative at Veterinarians Without Borders. “Since 2003, we have vaccinated over a million dogs and cats against rabies in East Africa. Last year alone, more than 150,000 animals were vaccinated,” the PR representative said. What began as a small local initiative in Kenya has grown into large vaccination campaigns now running in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Each vaccination is carefully documented—now also with digital tools like the GARC app, which tracks vaccinations, bite incidents, and information measures. “This allows us to precisely understand where we stand and where gaps still exist.”
The goal is ambitious but clear: a vaccination rate of at least 70 percent of the dog population. At this threshold, the virus can no longer spread. “By protecting dogs, we prevent human deaths, preserve livestock, and even reduce risks for wildlife,” Knüpfer said.
By 2030, no one worldwide should die from rabies. To achieve this, local people are closely involved. “Dogs hold a high status in rural communities in East Africa,” Claudia Knüpfer explained, “they protect herders and their livestock, but they are also beloved family members and playmates for children. That’s why we inform early—via radio, in schools, or at community meetings—and motivate people to vaccinate their animals.” Many families undertake long walks and patiently wait in long lines for this.
A Look Back—and a Call Forward
I will never forget the dog in the temple with foam at the mouth. Even though we couldn’t help it, we can still do something: We can regularly vaccinate our own pets and support organizations like Veterinarians Without Borders. By educating and recognizing that health does not end at national borders.
The keys in the fight against rabies are clear: widespread vaccinations, reliable access to post-exposure treatments (PEP), and an informed population. When all these come together, the goal is achievable: a world where no person (and no dog!) dies from rabies anymore.
The “Vaccinate for Africa” campaign by Veterinarians Without Borders takes place annually over two weeks. During World Rabies Day, you might ask your veterinarian if they participate in such initiatives.