Vets and veterinary nurses from VetPartners practices across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal and the Netherlands volunteered their time, skills and expertise this summer to support a major rabies vaccination programme in Malawi.
Organised by Mission Rabies in partnership with its sister charity, Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), and supported by vaccine donations from MSD Animal Health, the week-long campaign saw thousands of animals vaccinated, helping protect both animal and human health in local communities.
Among the volunteers was vet Przemyslaw Idzkowski – known as Shemi – from Tameside Vets in Greater Manchester, whose experience on the frontline of rabies prevention left a lasting impression.
Here, he talks about the experience of a lifetime….
THE sun had barely risen when the VetPartners volunteers set out on their mission to vaccinate thousands of dogs against rabies.
Travelling through the Mangochi region of Malawi, they moved from village to village on foot, walking 15–20 kilometres each day along dusty tracks in search of dogs and cats needing protection from one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
For Przemyslaw “Shemi” Idzkowski and his fellow VetPartners volunteers, Malawi was far more than a week of vaccination work. It was a powerful reminder that veterinary care is not confined to the whitewashed walls of a consulting room.
In communities where access to animal healthcare is limited, compassion, teamwork and clinical expertise can help protect both animals and people, leaving a lasting impact long after the volunteers have returned home.
This summer, Shemi joined vets and veterinary nurses from VetPartners practices across the UK and Europe in an international effort that saw 2,351 animals vaccinated in a single week, including 2,088 dogs and 263 cats.
Over the course of the campaign, he personally vaccinated around 300 dogs. The numbers only tell part of the story.
The work was relentless. Days started early, finished late and involved treating animals in challenging conditions.
“It was exhausting,” he admitted. “We were working long hours every day, often in intense heat, but nobody complained because we could see how much the programme mattered.”
The physical demands became even more real when Shemi was bitten by a dog while handling an animal for vaccination. After receiving treatment and following the appropriate safety procedures, he returned to work with the team.
Rather than becoming the defining memory of the trip, the incident reinforced the importance of the mission.
Rabies is not simply an animal welfare issue; it is a major public health challenge. It is a preventable disease, yet it continues to claim around 70,000 lives worldwide each year. In countries where vaccination coverage is limited, the disease can pass from dogs to people with devastating consequences. Every animal vaccinated represented another barrier against the spread of a fatal disease.
Vaccinating a dog can protect an entire community
“That was what stayed with me throughout the week,” said Shemi, who was born in Poland where he studied veterinary medicine before joining Tameside Vets four years ago.
“You realised that vaccinating a dog could help protect an entire community.”
What struck him most was the response from the communities themselves. Children gathered around the vaccination stations, eager to help the visiting veterinary teams at work.
Among all the memories he brought back to the UK, it is the children of Malawi that remain the clearest.
“The smiles on their faces will stay with me forever,” he said. “They were so happy that we were there and so grateful for what we were doing. Even after the longest day, seeing their excitement gave us energy to keep going.
“People were smiling, thanking us and doing everything they could to help. They understood that this was about keeping their communities safe. The sense of pride I saw in the children when a vaccination was carried out was priceless.”
The trip also created a remarkable sense of camaraderie among the VetPartners volunteers.
Colleagues who had arrived from different countries, speaking different languages and working in different types of practice, quickly became a close-knit team. They shared accommodation, travelled together between vaccination sites and supported one another through the long days and unexpected challenges.
“There was an amazing spirit among the VetPartners group,” said Shemi. “It didn’t matter whether someone was from the UK, Spain, Germany or the Netherlands – we were all there for the same reason.
“We shared a beautiful common goal to protect animal welfare and communities. By the end of the week, it felt like we had known each other for years.”
Veterinary professionals have a powerful wider impact
That shared purpose helped the team maintain an extraordinary pace, vaccinating hundreds of animals each day while also engaging with local communities and explaining the importance of rabies prevention.
For a vet whose day-to-day role normally focuses on individual patients, the experience offered a powerful reminder of the wider impact veterinary professionals can have.
“In practice you help one animal and one owner at a time,” Shemi reflected. “In Malawi, you could see the effect on whole communities. It showed me that veterinary medicine can play a huge role in protecting both animal health and human health.
“Working in Malawi with limited facilities and equipment challenged me to work more quickly. It made me more confident and resilient as I had to remain calm under pressure. I vaccinated 300 dogs which was so satisfying.
“I was bitten by a cat and had to have the post-exposure vaccine which was given in a remote parking lot.”
During the trip, the group was treated to a safari trip, taking in the breathtaking natural vistas and the wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, zebras, crocodiles and exotic birds.
When he returned home to Greater Manchester, Shemi brought back more than photographs and memories. He returned with a ren
ewed appreciation for the global veterinary profession and the difference that skilled volunteers can make when they work together.
Despite the heat, the exhaustion, the dog bite and the demanding conditions, Shemi has no hesitation in describing the mission as “the experience of a lifetime.”
He added: “It was one of the most challenging experiences I’ve ever had, but also one of the most impactful. Knowing that we helped protect animals, support communities and contribute to the fight against rabies is something I’ll always be proud of.
“I am so grateful to VetPartners for giving me this opportunity and to my Clinical Directors at Tameside for accommodating my request.”
For media enquiries, contact Amanda Little, PR and Communications Director: [email protected] or 07970 198492