Mumbai: A 23-year-old data engineer has created a mechanism for getting a one-stop database of information on a community animal, including their location and caregivers contact number, to help them if they lose their way. The animal will wear the QR code – one unique to them – on their collar.
The QR code can be scanned using a mobile camera or any UPI app. Microchipping is an alternative, but it's expensive and requires a special device to read them. A person who finds a lost or illegally relocated animal can thus help such an animal get to its location by contacting their caregiver.
Initiative launched on Valentine's Day
Akshay Ridlan was driven to create this after his beloved Kalu – a community dog he was feeding along with around 50 other animals in the Antop Hill area – suddenly went missing in May 2020. “I had a close bond with him and still miss him a lot. The incident motivated me to create something for caregivers like me to help find our animals in such situations,” he said.
He launched the initiative on Valentine's Day as a way of expressing his love for the community animals.
Apart from having contact details of the caregiver, it will comprise the location the animal belongs to. Street animals that are in a new territory, after they have fled due to sudden loud sounds or other reasons, face numerous risks like being attacked by other animals. Ridlan said the database will also contain important medical information. “Many street animals are old and have kidney problems or other ailments. Having important medical information on their ailments or if they have undergone any surgery, etc will help in deciding any safe course of treatment, if need arises,” he explained.
He said that the tech-savvy initiative could be of help to the BMC to keep the population of community animals in check, while keeping a tab on their sterilisation status.
