Fitting stray dogs with microchips begins in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Insertion of microchips to stray dogs in Matikere and Malleshwaram falling in the West zone of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) began on Saturday. BBMP in association Bizorbit Technologies Private Limited embarked on insertion of microchips on an experimental basis to gather data such as residing place, date of vaccination, animal birth control conducted date among others.

Insertion of microchips in stray dogs has been taken-up by several associations in BBMP limits. Based on the results, Special Commissioner Health and Animal Husbandry Suralkar Vikas Kishore said a similar exercise will be extended in other zones in coming days.

Explaining microchips, he said, the size of a microchip is similar to that of a rice grain and will be inserted underneath the skin of a dog through injection and ruled out any adverse effect on its health by insertion of a chip in its body. The inserted chip will be for a lifetime in a stray dog.

The move to insert microchips in stray dogs will eliminate repetition of administration of vaccination to stray dogs. As of now, vaccinated stray dogs get a coloured marking on their body to identify whether a stray dog has been vaccinated or not.

The coloured markings on vaccinated stray dogs vanished after about a week and by insertion of microchips, the Special Commissioner of Health and Animal Husbandry said it will help in proper identification of a vaccinated stray dog.