The fight against rabies spread by dogs in part of south-east Asia has been aided by a new ally after a Manchester charity volunteer swapped the northern city's famous rain-soaked streets for Cambodia. Heather Graham-Buswell, who usually helps pooches via Dogs Trust's Behaviour Support Line, travelled to Phnom Penh last October to support the life-saving efforts of Mission Rabies to carry out vaccinations and stop the disease from spreading. Within two weeks the team inoculated an astonishing 230,000 dogs in the Cambodian capital. Dogs Trust said someone somewhere in the world dies from rabies every nine minutes, with more than more than 99% of human cases caused by a bite from an infected dog. A spokesperson for the charity added that more than 40% of those die from the disease are children. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. Dogs Trust said millions of healthy dogs are inhumanely killed every year - despite the disease being preventable. During the vaccination drive, Heather joined volunteers from Dogs Trust, the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), local vets, and community workers to humanely catch and vaccinate dogs, before returning them. Dogs Trust shared Heather's adventure ahead of World Rabies Day this Sunday. Speaking about her experience, Heather said: “Being part of this campaign in Cambodia was life-changing. "I work with dogs every day here at Dogs Trust Manchester and never have to worry about rabies. "But in Cambodia, many people live in fear of the dogs around them, and the dogs, in turn, suffer because of that fear. "When we vaccinate and educate, we’re not just preventing disease - we’re building understanding and trust between communities and their dogs. “Rabies is preventable. "By vaccinating dogs, we’re not only saving lives but helping people and dogs live together more safely and compassionately."