The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken a major step towards becoming a rabies-free city by 2030. In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Maharashtra, PMC will begin implanting microchips in stray dogs to track their vaccination, sterilisation, and health details.
The move follows approval from the PMC Commissioner and the Standing Committee. The initiative will be run on a pilot basis, and around 600 stray dogs within the municipal limits will be microchipped.
A private company has donated 600 microchips free of cost for the trial run. The work of implanting the chips will begin next week. Each microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, will be injected into the shoulder area of the dogs during sterilisation surgeries.
The microchip will carry a unique 15-digit identification number, enabling officials to access details such as the dog’s age, color, vaccination status, sterilisation history, and locality. The RFID-based system will help authorities identify dogs quickly and plan follow-up vaccinations or sterilisations as needed.
PMC officials said that this initiative would make it easier to monitor the city’s stray dog population, ensure regular anti-rabies vaccinations, and respond effectively to complaints.
The pilot project will be carried out under the guidance of the Health Officer and Chief Veterinary Officer, in collaboration with the Universal Animal Welfare Society. If successful, the initiative will be expanded across all municipal zones, including the 32 newly added villages.
Dr Sarika Funde, chief veterinary officer, PMC, said, "Pune will become the first city in Maharashtra to implement the implanting of microchips in stray dogs. This initiative is in coordination with the Supreme Court decision of making India free from rabies.
This advanced animal tracking system, is already being used in Delhi, Goa, Jaipur, and Bengaluru."
