The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) veterinary department has launched a plan to use microchips for monitoring stray dogs in the city. This initiative is designed to track their movement, verify vaccination status, and assess the population of stray dogs. The civic body is in discussions with private firms to implement this technology.
As per the plan, microchips will be implanted around the neck of stray dogs, and the veterinary department will use a mobile app to collect details about each dog. Dr Sarika Funde, Veterinary Superintendent at PMC, mentioned that the use of microchips in stray populations is already in practice in cities like Jaipur, Bengaluru, and Goa. The PMC aims to adopt a similar approach to stay informed about the vaccination and sterilisation status of stray dogs in Pune.
Dr Funde gave additional details, stating that the microchip would carry a unique 15-digit number containing details such as age, sex, colour, vaccination status, sterilisation, and other relevant information about each stray dog. This approach will assist in mapping the stray population in PMC limits and conducting a census in the newly merged 34 villages within PMC limits.
Despite the reduction in the estimated stray canine population from 3.15 lakh in 2018 to 1.79 lakh in 2023, based on a stray dog population census conducted by the civic body in May 2023, the number of dog bite cases in the city continues to rise.
