Luke Gamble (BVSc 1999) is a mixed practice vet and Founder and CEO of the international animal charities Worldwide Veterinary Service and Mission Rabies. He is an entrepreneur, author, adventurer and more, and has featured on Sky One’s Vet Adventures as well as on Animal Planet and National Geographic. This year, he is receiving an honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degree from the University of Bristol in recognition of the incredible impact of his work in the UK and across the globe. Hear from Luke about his life and career below.
On his lifelong passion
I wanted to be a vet from the age of 11. My mum bought me a huge James Herriot book and that was it, the goal was to be like him. I never thought about anything else. I’ve always been drawn to animals, but more than that, I wanted a career that made a difference. It was just a case of working hard to get into vet school and cracking on. Veterinary science is a really competitive field to get into, so I did everything I could to gain experience.
On the Bristol experience
The Bristol Vet School has an incredible reputation, and when I visited before applying I just knew it was where I wanted to be. It had a varied course with a big practical focus – one day you’re studying anatomy, the next you’re out on a farm or learning about global disease control. The course really symbolised and supported the well-rounded vet: you had all the excitement of the first three years in the city, then the final two years in Langford and a great farm department, which I loved.
It was a phenomenal time in my life, and I felt really lucky to be there. It gave me a grounding that still shapes everything I do.
On life beyond lectures
Some of my strongest memories of Bristol – aside from the pyjama pub crawls and the general undergrad mayhem – are of dashing between two very different worlds. I’d be out at the Langford farm in my pre-clinical years, covered in mud and still in my coveralls, then racing back to the city to meet my mates for a night out. Bristol had a great social scene, and the mix of hard graft and great friendships really defined my student years.
I was president of the Bristol Exotic and Wild Animal Society (which sounds grander than it was!). We organised guest lectures on a variety of exotic animal topics, and it was great fun. I was also in the Karate Club at Bristol which gave me focus and balance, and I’ve stuck with it throughout my career.
On his veterinary journey
I had a varied start to my career, building up my competence and confidence with a wide range of species through working in a mixed practice and the Donkey Sanctuary, then undertaking a clinical scholarship in large animal medicine surgery. I then set up an emergency service doing night work for critical cases, and at the same time launched a mixed vet practice in the New Forest. It truly was the James Herriot life and I loved it!
But I’ve always had a craving for travel and adventure, and charity work was always on my mind. So I set up Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) and later Mission Rabies, to provide veterinary care and tackle preventable diseases in the parts of the world that need it most.
WVS now has over 300 international staff and operates seven international training centres. Last year alone, our teams directly treated an animal every five minutes, trained over 2,000 vets, vaccinated 1.2 million dogs, and educated 3.5 million people about rabies. It’s practical, scalable help – and it works. There’s also a lovely Bristol vibe throughout WVS, as quite a few of my team also studied at the University.
On the challenges of veterinary medicine
The emotional burden is definitely the most challenging part of being a vet. You do what you can, but sometimes you have to make tough decisions, and it can be desperately sad – you’ve got to handle the emotional impact of that decision, including the reactions of the owners. People are truly broken in those moments. You witness human nature at its best and its worst, but mainly at its best and it’s really emotional.
Seeing preventable suffering is also a really difficult aspect of the job, and I’m passionate about doing what I can to address it.
In the charity sector, the most difficult part is knowing that the need is endless, but having the humility to ask for help and keep going.
On the rewards of his work
I feel privileged to be able to help animals and their owners in their moment of need. Helping to heal or ease suffering is such a great feeling. On the charity side of things, it’s so rewarding to work alongside my amazing colleagues to make a difference. In Cambodia last year, we vaccinated 230,000 dogs in 12 days with teams from 30 countries. That shared purpose and local impact, that’s what keeps me going.
A horrific statistic is that a child dies every nine minutes from rabies. The vast majority of human cases are the result of dog bites. If you vaccinate dogs against rabies, you stop people dying.
I was recently part of a team that went to a refugee camp in Bangladesh to vaccinate dogs and help some of the most vulnerable, persecuted communities in the world. We know that we can break the cycle of transmission and eliminate the disease there. That sense of contributing, even in a small way, is the fire that drives me.
On his hopes for the future of animal health
I’d like to see animal health fully integrated into global health policy. The link between human and animal health has never been more urgent, and it’s time the world caught up. It’s all about animal health, welfare and management – that’s the key to preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases.
But nobody’s really on it. I can’t believe that rabies is still around because it is so preventable. We need to focus on eliminating it from the animal population, and the problem would be sorted for future generations.
On advice for the next generation of vets
This profession is a passport, not just to help animals, but to change lives. Be bold with it. Never doubt that you can make a difference.
On receiving an honorary degree from the University of Bristol
It’s a huge honour. When I got the news, I was over the moon. Bristol set me on this path, so to be recognised by the university that started it all means the world.
On his most memorable wildlife experience
I should probably tell you about the time I was operating on a macaw in Peru and we got attacked by a howler monkey that then stole my surgical instruments. Or about performing the first lion vasectomy in Malawi. Or about helping fix a prosthetic limb to an elephant that had trodden on a landmine – equal parts awe and adrenaline.
Truthfully, the most memorable is the one where I got bitten by a squirrel. I’ve been injured by so many animals – including a horse which kicked me clean across a stable, leaving a hoof print on my stomach for a month – but nothing compared to the pain of that squirrel bite. I’m still traumatised by it.
On activities beyond work
I love writing, karate and spending time with my family. And avoiding squirrels…
Find out more about Luke’s work and his latest veterinary adventures here.
