According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, responsible pet ownership entails 14 key responsibilities, one of which is recognising that owning a pet requires the investment of both time and money.1 Many studies have recognised that responsible dog ownership is key in the fight against rabies.2-5 To successfully eliminate rabies, it is vital to ensure that a sufficiently high proportion of dogs are vaccinated, and responsible dog owners are more willing to pay for rabies vaccinations.6-9 A study by Mazeri and colleagues, summarised on p 281 of this issue of Vet Record , investigated the sociodemographic factors that predict low private rabies vaccination coverage in dogs in Blantyre, Malawi.10 Of the dogs recorded in this study, 99 per cent were owned, but only 3 per cent had been vaccinated independently at a private clinic. The study found that poverty, high housing density and the dog being male, a puppy, pregnant or lactating were negative predictors for private vaccination. On the other hand, neutered dogs and dogs that were …