A rabies-free future for dogs and communities in Kenya

Rabid dogs are responsible for transmitting 99% of human rabies cases.

The fear of rabies deaths means that Governments and communities sometimes respond to outbreaks by killing innocent dogs - often by clubbing them or poisoning them with strychnine.  There is no need for this suffering. It is both cruel and ineffective.

At World Animal Protection, our aim is to end brutal culling practices and prevent threats like rabies from destroying the lives of dogs.  We work in communities and with governments to implement positive solutions instead, like dog population management programmes.

Dog population management programmes aim to improve dogs’ lives and the lives of the communities they live in. They are made up of components such as owner education, legislation and mass rabies vaccination.

Already we’ve protected hundreds of thousands of dogs across Asia and Africa from rabies and the threat of mass killing.

The impact of rabies on Kenya’s dogs and people

In Kenya, dogs are part of the family unit. They help to herd livestock and dutifully protect the family compound day and night. This September, World Animal Protection’s campaign manager Emily Mudoga, met John Munyinyi who lives in Makueni county in Kenya. Makueni has one of the highest rates of rabies in the country.

John lost his niece to rabies last year. His story shows the devastating impact rabies can have on families and their animals.

John’s niece Mbula loved to herd cattle, and she loved her dogs. But after a day’s herding, she was bitten by a rabid dog from a nearby village. Mbula could not get the right treatment and passed away soon after, leaving behind her three children.

Just a few months later, John’s granddaughter, Linnet, was bitten by one of his puppies. She quickly received post-exposure treatment at a local health centre. But because of his fear of rabies, John beat the puppy to death.

The puppy was unlikely to be rabid, as it had never left the compound and had never interacted with dogs. However after what happened to Mbula, John felt this was his only option.   

This story is not unique.  Dogs all over Kenya have suffered the same fate.  But it will not continue like this.

A guiding light for Kenya

Emily and her team are now collaborating with Kenya’s national government to implement a strategy to eliminate rabies by 2030. Kenya is the first country in whole of Africa to commit to ending rabies.

And Kenya’s Makueni county is set to become a guiding light in rabies control, meaning no one will have to suffer the same trauma as John and his family.

World Animal Protection and Makueni county are working together to prove that rabies can be eliminated through education and mass dog vaccination.

We are working to vaccinate 70% of the county’s 125,000 dogs. Next year we will also build dog welfare education programmes for local children. They will have the capacity to give their dogs long, happy and healthy lives. And with a healthy and stable dog population, Makueni will be able to eliminate rabies quickly and efficiently.   

World Animal Protection and Makueni county will set the standard for rabies elimination across the whole of Kenya. And Kenya will be set to become an example across the whole continent of Africa.

To find out more about World Animal Protection’s campaign for better lives for dogs, please visit our website.