To get vital information from stray dogs, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in collaboration with BIZ ORBIT has launched a pilot project to install rice grain-sized microchips on these dogs. It is considered a significant step towards better managing the stray dog population. As part of this project, stray dogs will befitted with microchips that store information like the dog’s vaccination history, sterilization surgery dates, dog location, etc. Microchips as a permanent identification method are inserted under the skin of these animals through a painless injection for a lifetime ensuring that vital information is always accessible.
The initiative, led by the BBMP’s Health and Animal Husbandry Special Commissioner, Suralkar Vikas Kishore, aims to better track and manage the street dog population using advanced technology. Suralkar Vikas Kishore, the special commissioner for the health and animal husbandry department of BBMP, informed that microchip technology has been successfully adopted and would cover an integrated dog vaccination program also. This initiative is seen as an effective management of stray dogs with accurate data. Microchip technology can correct this shortcoming and provide accurate information on vaccinations in dogs," he said.
The traditional method where vaccinated stray dogs have put paint marks that last only a week, whereas the microchip method will provide a lasting solution. The civic body believes the exercise will prevent the need for multiple vaccinations of the same canines each year. While activists argue that it will be a waste of money. Animal rights activists have pointed out that the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWB) does not include microchips in their standard operating procedures for street dog vaccinations or animal birth control measures. They argue that the procedure is invasive and could potentially damage the spinal cord or lead to infections if not performed correctly.