In the early twentieth century, canine distemper was killing Britain’s dogs. But the nation came together to support the creation of a vaccine, saving the lives of their pets. Historians Michael Bresalier and Michael Worboys explain that the distemper vaccine effort was a collaboration between experts, the government, and the public. Dog owners, laboratory scientists, veterinarians, bureaucrats, and businesses all played a crucial role in the project.

Distemper had become a major problem by the 1920s. Bresalier and Worboys write that in Britain, the disease “ravaged one of the countryside’s most cherished symbols and assets–the foxhound.”

Wealthy fox hunting landowners and veterinarians led the charge against the disease, relying on new developments in science and medicine. A public fight over rabies management in Britain had recently ended because of Pasteur’s rabies vaccine, sparking hope for a distemper vaccine.

Although bacteriology was advancing rapidly, viruses were still not well understood. Bresalier and Worboys write that one failed distemper vaccine in 1903 “made it clear that the veterinary profession lacked resources and expertise to study the disease.”

They renewed their efforts after World War I and “looked to laboratory science for solutions.” In 1922, the editor of The Field magazine partnered with the Medical Research Council (MRC), giving the distemper vaccine effort a solid government platform.

The MRC’s funding was limited, however. So, The Field began the Distemper Fund to raise money through “soliciting voluntary contributions directly from small organizations and individuals,” write Bresalier and Worboys. Pathologist Patrick Laidlway began research with G. W. Dunkin. They raised “110 purpose-bred puppies,” ensuring that test animals were infection-free. While a necessary starting point, working with dogs wasn’t a great long-term solution due to practical and moral concerns. So, they began working with ferrets.

The ferrets became “invaluable partners in the research,” write Bresalier and Worboys, and research progressed rapidly. Veterinarians brought the vaccine from the lab into the field for trials. They vaccinated over 400 dogs and saw infection rates drop from 50–75 percent to around 1 percent.

The MRC and The Field worked with companies in Britain and the United States, who produced several versions of the vaccine between 1929 and 1931. But there were growing pains from both technical issues and public relations.

Bresalier and Worboys highlight vocal protests from wealthy and vocal dog owners for whom the vaccine failed, or who observed side effects. Some veterinarians also shared criticisms.

“The very networks that had facilitated distemper research and development were biting back,” they write.

The leaders of the vaccine effort wanted to turn things around. An internal inquiry found that communication between research and production teams was imperfect, and complex procedures led to inconsistency. Hasty production efforts also contributed—some vaccines had slightly higher failure rates, at around 5 percent, which damaged public perception of more effective versions. Overall, failures were still extremely rare, and observed side-effects were not necessarily connected to the vaccine.

But organizers acknowledged many of their mistakes, and lessons in hand, they refined their efforts. Ultimately, distemper went from being a widespread killer to a preventable disease.

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