Officials said on Monday that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will start a pilot initiative to put microchips in 25,000 stray canines all throughout the city. A special smartphone app will help keep track of the movement, immunization status, and number of stray dogs.
Information about the microchip
The microchips will be the size of a grain of rice, according to PMC veterinary officials. Each chip will have a unique 15-digit number that holds information about the dog. This will let the authorities keep track of and control the stray population more effectively.
The number of stray dogs in Pune
The most recent stray dog census, which the city did in May 2023, showed that the number of stray dogs had dropped a lot, from 315,000 in 2018 to 179,940 in 2023. Also, there are over 1.5 lakh stray canines in the 34 recently combined villages that are part of PMC.
Putting the Pilot Project into action
Dr. Sarika Funde-Bhosale, the Chief Veterinary Officer of PMC, said, “We have sent a letter to a private company asking for about 1,000 microchips for free.” Local animal feeders will find these dogs and put them in the dogs, where they will be watched for two months.
During the trial phase, the microchips will be put in neighborhood dogs that are not yet part of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program. Officials added that if the pilot works, the concept would be expanded to all parts of the city.
Dr. Funde-Bhosale said, “This program will help keep better track of stray dogs and help with vaccination and population control efforts.”