Raising dogs now more responsible

Kochi: In an effort to encourage responsible ownership of domestic dogs and to prevent the tendency to  abandon  aged dogs, the city corporation has launched micro-chipping and licensing for dogs. The Rs 4- lakh programme was  inaugurated by Prof. K.V. Thomas MP on Friday. Vaccination is being also given to dogs along with the micro-chipping.

The civic body has developed a software which will help it  prepare a detailed database on the over  12,000 pet dogs within the city limits. It has been proposed to introduce facility for online renewal of licence in a later phase. At present, only 40 domestic owners have taken licence for their animals.

In the pilot phase, microchips and licence will be given to 500 dogs and all the animals will be brought under the programme within the next one year. The microchip will carry the ownership and vaccination records of the animal.

It has been found that 30 to 40 per cent of the pet dogs are being abandoned by the owners which add to stray dog menace. The civic body aims at preventing such practice through the initiative.