Yet most people in the country are intimately aware of the disease: An Indian child dies of rabies every hour, in nearly every instance from a dog bite.

That shocking statistic galvanized British veterinarian Luke Gamble, a 37-year-old Ironman triathlete and black belt in karate, whose career was destined when his mother gave him a book by James Herriot.

Ten years ago, Gamble founded the World Veterinary Service (WVS), a nonprofit to improve animal welfare in far-flung places by providing supplies, disaster response, and training.

Until now, WVS had never tackled a pandemic like rabies.

Gamble assembled a team of more than 500 volunteers—veterinarians, vet nurses, and vet students from 14 different countries, together with Indian vets and local men trained