From 9 to 12 September, 13 teams, each equipped with their very own team tuk tuk, completed a series of checkpoints across the Cornish peninsula for the annual charity event, The Rabies Rally. Checkpoints included places such as St Michael’s Mount, Pendennis Castle, and Kynance Cove, with teams completing a series of challenges along the way.
The Rabies Rally is an annual event which was created by the UK-based international veterinary charity, Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), to raise funds and awareness of the charity’s Mission Rabies project. According to the World Health Organization, more than 99 percent of all human rabies cases are transmitted through dog bites and children under 15 years old are especially vulnerable, representing 40 percent of global rabies deaths.
The Mission Rabies project delivers mass dog vaccination campaigns and community education programmes in the world’s worst rabies-affected areas, working to stop people and animals dying from this preventable disease. Over five million dogs have been vaccinated and over eleven million children have been educated worldwide since Mission Rabies began in 2013.
Cornwall vet and Founder of WVS, Dr Luke Gamble, shares how the annual fundraising event came about:
“The Rabies Rally started as one of those slightly mad ideas that just wouldn’t go away. Tuk tuks are a huge part of our campaigns in Asia, and about five years ago, we were donated one here in the UK. We drove it to schools and vet shows and it was a massive hit! From there the idea grew – why not turn this into something bigger, crazier, and bit more exciting?
“The Rabies Rally is all about bringing people together who can’t necessarily join us on campaigns overseas, and giving them a chance to experience the same high-octane energy, adventure, and sense of purpose that fuels our teams in the field. It’s fun, it’s fast, it gets people talking – and most importantly, it shines a light on the global fight to end rabies!”
A team from St Clement Veterinary Clinic, located in Truro, have participated every year since the rally launched in 2023. “St Clement Vets entered The Rabies Rally for the third year this year, and with two teams for the first time. It did not disappoint! The accommodation for the first night was even better than the previous years, and food was excellent. The talks were great, and the other entrants were all good company and great fun to spend time with. Four of our team were new participants and all loved every minute of it. We are already planning a Tuk Tuk Trek team building day in the summer and hope to enter two teams again next year.”
One of the locations along the rally route was St Micheal’s Mount, an ancient tidal island with a historic castle and garden, found off the coast of Marazion. Jennifer Holme, visitor services manager at St Michael’s Mount commented on their involvement, and the arrival of the 13 tuk tuks: “We are delighted to welcome The Rabies Rally to St Michael’s Mount once again. The arrival of the tuk-tuks is always a memorable sight, and their presence helps highlight the valuable work of veterinary teams raising awareness of rabies and the importance of global animal health.”
The Rabies Rally returns to Cornwall in September 2026, with team entries now open to businesses and groups. Each team must consist of three people, and businesses are welcome to enter multiple teams if they have more participants.
The rally is sponsored by MSD Animal Health. You can find out more and sign up here. The charity has also recently launched tuk tuk away days, which are available year-round. Further information on this can be found here.
