Non-Vet Volunteer Pack Mission Rabies was born out of a desire to make In September 2013, the project will launch a difference to the lives of millions of people with a high-profile mission to send dedicated and dogs across . India is the world’s rabies veterinary teams to ten rabies hotspots hotspot, with over a third of the reported cases (‘checkpoints’) across India with the aim of occurring here. Across India, an estimated 24 vaccinating 50,000 dogs over the course of a people a day die of the disease, the majority month, culminating in World Rabies Day. The of which are children. 99% of human cases teams will be supported by the world’s most of rabies are the result of dog bites and, in high-tech, all-terrain, self-sufficient mobile response to this statistic and due to the fear veterinary hospital vehicle, which will travel of rabies, hundreds of thousands of dogs are across India, visiting the checkpoints and indiscriminately and inhumanely killed every carrying out training and essential outreach year across India. veterinary services to improve animal welfare. By focusing our efforts on specific checkpoints, The World Health Organisation states that mass we aim to significantly reduce the incidence of canine vaccination programmes are the most rabies in these areas over a three year period effective measure for controlling rabies, and through sustained vaccination and follow-up that a vaccination target of at least 70% of the neutering campaigns. canine population in a rabies endemic area is necessary for control of the disease in both dogs With your help we can fight the growing and humans. epidemic of rabies in India and save the lives of hundreds of dogs and people. Come and make It is with this in mind that Mission Rabies was a difference with us this September and join developed. Mission Rabies!

Non-Vet Volunteer Pack 1 From the moment you arrive in India, your There will be times where things don’t go to senses go into overdrive! This rapidly-developing plan and you will have to be prepared to adapt country is a myriad of vibrant cultures, stunning to facilities and equipment that will differ from scenery, diverse cuisine and intoxicating what you are used to back home, so a flexible, smells, colours and sounds. For the first-time open-minded attitude is essential for volunteers visitor, India is usually a culture-shock, with on this trip. its huge population, frenetic pace of life and stark contrast between extremes of poverty There will be times where you will witness and wealth. However, after an initial period of upsetting animal welfare problems and human acclimatisation, India will stir your soul and fire poverty, but the reward will be knowing that you your imagination like nowhere else on earth! have made a real and lasting contribution to the health and welfare of many thousands of dogs If you are looking for a challenge and adventure, and people. whilst using your veterinary skills to make a real difference, then this is the mission for you! You As the pioneers of this project, we expect will get the opportunity to work alongside local all volunteers to be professional, dedicated, Indian vets and paravets, meet local people and friendly and polite to local people and to other see parts of the country that most tourists don’t. members of the team. You are the ambassadors of Mission Rabies!

Non-Vet Volunteer Pack 2 The checkpoints where you will be working are geographical distribution of the checkpoints, distributed across seven states of India, divided some volunteers will bypass the hub and go into North and South regions. There will be a directly to their checkpoint, where they will North and a South regional ‘hub’ supporting receive the full briefing. the checkpoints, based in Ooty, , for the South, and Kolkata (Calcutta), , Although the majority of the project will involve for the North. These hubs will serve to support vaccinating dogs, there will inevitably be sick the mission and provide additional veterinary and injured animals brought to the teams, which assistance. will require first aid veterinary treatment. Teams will be equipped with general veterinary supplies The checkpoints in the South will be operational for this purpose. for the first two weeks in September, with the North checkpoints swinging into action All volunteers will need to be prepared to ‘muck in the latter two weeks, to coincide with the in’ with any jobs that need doing to ensure the movements of the mobile veterinary hospital smooth running of the checkpoints – this may truck as it heads north through the country. include record keeping, setting up and packing Volunteers will be assigned to the North or away equipment, marking dogs that have been South regions and will arrive into either Kolkata vaccinated with indelible paint and other (Calcutta) or Bangalore, where they will be general tasks. Team spirit is essential. given a full briefing on the mission. After this, the teams (comprised of two Indian vets, two international vets and up to four veterinary students or nurses) will depart for their assigned checkpoint.

Upon reaching the checkpoint, the teams, with the assistance of local animal handlers, will begin the crucial work of vaccinating around 2500 dogs a week. Depending on the checkpoint you are assigned to, some volunteers may move on to a different checkpoint for the second week of their stay. Please also note that due to the

The mission will run for 4 weeks, beginning on the 1st September 2013. If you are volunteering for the first two weeks of the project in the South, you will need to arrive on the 31st August (note, due to the nature of the project, some volunteers will need to arrive on 30th August). Please ensure you have 29th Aug-15th September available.

The teams volunteering in the North in the second two weeks of September will need to arrive on the 14th September. Please ensure you are available for the 12th-29th September.

Non-Vet Volunteer Pack 3 We will arrange all flights and transfers to take This information should be used as a guide only. For up the hassle out of volunteering and allow everyone to date information on vaccinations and preventative to arrive together. The South teams will fly into health measures, such as malaria prophylaxis, please Bangalore, where we will meet you and arrange your consult your doctor. You will need to allow plenty transfers. The North teams will fly into Kolkotta and of time before travelling for your vaccinations to be will be met at the airport to transfer to the hub. effective, so we recommend that you contact your doctor or a travel health clinic for advice as soon as your volunteer placement is confirmed. Most nationalities are required to get a visa prior DO NOT LEAVE THIS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. to arriving in India and you will be responsible for organising this yourself. For UK residents, we advise As you will be working with animals, Rabies and applying for a 6 month tourist visa and allow at least Tetanus vaccines are essential and it is a requirement one month for this to be processed. of this project that you arrange to have these vaccinations. You will need to provide proof of rabies Please contact the visa department at Diversity vaccination to join the mission. Travel on 0207 268 3713 or by email on [email protected] and they will be able to Please visit the following websites for advice on assist with your visa application and provide you with vaccinations: all of the forms required. www.mdtravelhealth.com www.nathnac.org When completing your online visa application, you will be asked for an Indian reference. Please use the following details for this question: We will organise your bed and breakfast accommodation in local guesthouses. Accommodation Name: Nigel Otter will not be luxurious, but it will be clean and Address: HILL VIEW FARM, MAVANALLA comfortable. Vegetarian meals and soft drinks will , 643223 be provided at lunchtime on each working day of Tel: 00914232526158 the mission. Volunteers are free to make their own arrangements for evening meals.

We hope you will be excited to be a part of this incredible adventure to India, where you will You will need to obtain comprehensive travel individually be responsible for vaccinating around insurance that specifically cover veterinary volunteer 800+ dogs and therefore saving the lives of dogs and work through Go Walkabout (for UK residents, or those people, and genuinely making a difference. We ask flying from London) or World Nomads (for non-UK for a contribution of £630 per volunteer to join the residents). mission, to cover the costs of flights, which we will arrange. We will cover the costs of accommodation, Further information can be found on their websites: meals and soft drinks on working days. http://www.worldnomads.com

We ask that volunteers cover the costs of obtaining http://www.go-walkabout.co.uk/worldwide_ a visa, appropriate travel insurance for veterinary veterinary_service_travel_insurance.php volunteer work and all necessary preventative health measures, including rabies vaccination. We ask for a You will to provide proof of travel insurance that non-refundable deposit of £300 on booking to confirm specifically covers veterinary volunteer work to take your place, with the balance paid 2 months before part in the project. departure.

Non-Vet Volunteer Pack 4 • Practical / comfortable clothes to work in • Cereal bars/treats • Wet weather gear and warm clothing is also • Sunscreen advisable • Visa • Towel • Spending money for your days off, evening • A torch – there may be power cuts! Head meals, snacks, souvenirs, etc torches are useful. • If you have any spare room in your luggage for • Padlock for your luggage veterinary supplies please contact the WVS • Camera and charger. We would be pleased to office as we can post them to you to take over. receive photos at the office from the mission! WVS supports many animal welfare charities in • Plug adaptor (and voltage convertor, if coming India so supplies are always needed. from the US) – India uses the two round pin plugs (230V, plugs C and D) You will be provided with a Mission Rabies T-shirt.

If you have any questions about the trip or would like to apply to volunteer on the mission, please contact Kate Shervell at Worldwide Veterinary Service

Email: [email protected] Tel: 01725 551123 Web: www.missionrabies.com

Non-Vet Volunteer Pack 5 What are the working hours of the project? dog vaccinated. The work will involve a lot of The mission will usually be operational from walking (and sometimes running!) to keep up Monday to Friday of each week, with the with dog catchers as they move through the weekends free for travel between checkpoints streets. You will also be required to help carry (if necessary) and sightseeing. Each working day the coolboxes of vaccines or bags containing will start early at around 7am, to make the most needles and syringes. of the best time to catch dogs on the street, and work may carry on until it starts to get dark. At times you may also be involved with the post- There will be breaks for breakfast, lunch and vaccination surveys – these involve travelling by tea breaks built into the day. You will need to autorickshaw along the routes that have been be flexible in your approach to the mission as covered by the vaccination teams, counting sometimes delays or changes to the itinerary can dogs that have been marked as vaccinated and occur. The hours may be long, but the reward those that have not, so we can assess if we have from knowing you have contributed to saving the reached our vaccination targets of 70% to direct lives of so many dogs and people will be great. the efforts of the vaccination teams.

Can I volunteer for one week or do I have to If I volunteer with a friend, will we be placed commit to two weeks? at the same checkpoints? We would prefer volunteers to commit to either Please let us know if you wish to work with a the first two weeks in September (for the South friend when you apply for the mission and we teams) or the last two weeks (for the North will arrange for you to work together at the teams), but if volunteers are keen to help but same checkpoint. can only come for a week then we will try our best to fit you in. The only prerequisite is that Will I get to drive the mobile veterinary you can commit to at least one full working hospital vehicle?! week. Please contact [email protected] to discuss The vehicle will travel between checkpoints, further. drumming up publicity for the project and providing increased outreach veterinary Can I volunteer for longer than two weeks? capacity. You won’t get to drive it, but you will Yes! We are very happy to receive volunteers get to see the vehicle and its purpose-built who wish to commit to 3 or 4 weeks, which will facilities when it arrives at the checkpoint mean you get to work in checkpoints in both you are working at. You can expect a lot of the South and North regions. You will need to excitement and interest when this eye-catching be able to commit to full working weeks. Please vehicle rolls into town! contact [email protected] to discuss this further. Do I need to learn a foreign language? What work will I be doing as a non-vet All international volunteers will be working volunteer? closely with local Indian vets and assistants who Non-vet volunteers will generally be working will all speak English – some better than others. with the vaccination teams, assisting the vets There is no need to learn Hindi, or any other by drawing up vaccines, marking vaccinated language, however, it if you learn a couple of dogs with paint, giving out information leaflets words of the local dialect, such as greetings and and vaccination cards and recording each thanks, local people will appreciate the effort.

Non-Vet Volunteer Pack 6