BBMP launches pilot project to microchip street dogs

Bengaluru: Amid apprehensions from animal activists, the BBMP on Saturday began implanting microchips in stray dogs in Mattikere and Malleswaram on a trial basis. While the civic body believes the exercise will prevent the need for multiple vaccinations of the same canines each year, activists argue that it will be a waste of money.

Suralkar Vikas Kishore, Special Commissioner of BBMP's Health and Animal Husbandry Department, said the experiment of implanting microchips, the size of a grain of rice, will be extended to other zones if the trial is successful.

"The microchip technology is capable of storing the dog's place of residence, date of vaccination, date of neutering surgery and other factors. It has been adopted by several organizations. It is administered by injecting on the animal's hind. It does not have any side effects and can be used as a permanent marker," he said. 

The corporation, he said, intends to launch an integrated vaccination program for stray dogs. "At present, the vaccinated stray dogs are identified using color but the mark is detectable only for one week. Microchip technology can correct this shortcoming and provide accurate information on vaccinations in dogs," he said.

Animal rights activists have pointed out that the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWB) does not include microchips in their standard operating procedures for street dog vaccinations or animal birth control measures. They argue that the procedure is invasive and could potentially damage the spinal cord or lead to infections if not performed correctly.