India’s Bangalore aims to microchip 140,000 stray dogs, sparking concerns by animal activists

Indian technology hub Bangalore plans to implant microchips in about 140,000 stray dogs to curb their population but animal welfare activists fear authorities are ill-equipped to carry out the massive scheme and its health impact on the canines.

The city has long grappled with problems stemming from free-roaming dogs, including frequent dog bites, dogs chasing vehicles and — on several rare occasions — strays mauling children to death.

While smaller towns such as Panaji and Tiruchirappalli have experimented with microchip implants, Bangalore is the first major city in India to undertake such a scheme on a large scale.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the agency in Bangalore responsible for civic issues, often receives complaints about dogs barking incessantly at night, damaging parked vehicles, and causing traffic disruptions and accidents.

Suralkar Vikas Kishor, BBMP’s special commissioner for health and animal husbandry, said microchipping will help identify stray dogs accurately and keep their numbers in check.

“The microchip technology is a globally proven method for stray and pet animal identification,” Kishor said.

“The most important advantage of using them in stray dogs is it enables us to maintain the case history via location, sterilisation, and vaccination status.”

Given the demand of activists regarding the vaccination of stray dogs, microchipping becomes even more important to avoid issues such as repeated vaccinations or many dogs going unvaccinated, Kishor added.

Several animal welfare activists are concerned about the health of stray dogs once they are implanted with microchips and the likelihood of botched procedures. Activist Nevina Kamath pointed out that microchips are only permitted for pet