TN mulls inserting microchips in stray dogs

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Animal husbandry Department is mulling the possibility of inserting microchips in stray dogs that undergo birth control programs.

This is following animal rights activists petitioning the department over the strays undergoing birth control programs having health issues.

The Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation, which is in an accelerated mode in sterilizing stray dogs, has already petitioned the State Animal Husbandry Department on the matter. It is to be noted that Tiruchirappalli Corporation is sterilizing stray dogs at a rate of 60 per day and is to increase it by 120 per day.

A senior official of the Tiruchirappalli corporation while speaking to IANS said, "We want to ensure that the strays are not facing any health issues after the dogs undergo birth control programs. The current method of cropping the ears of the dogs that are subjected to birth control measures does not provide any information on these stray dogs and about their health conditions and hence contemplating the possibilities of inserting microchips in the body of stray dogs."

The Tiruchirappalli Corporation is planning to insert microchips the size of a rice grain and work on a radio frequency identification system. It is to be noted that a handheld scanner will provide details of the dog.

The State Animal Husbandry Department is planning to hold a meeting of experts, including veterinarians and animal activists before giving the green signal in implementing the microchip in stray dogs that have undergone birth control program.

Sudha Rani (41), an Animal health activist from Tiruchirappalli while speaking to IANS said, "We have been relentlessly petitioning the corporation and the state animal health department for conducting studies on the health condition of stray dogs that have undergone birth control program. The present procedure of cropping the ear of those dogs that were sterilized will not be of much help other than identifying that it was sterilized. The corporation officials informed me that they are mulling on inserting microchips into these dogs. Let there be an expert committee on this and then they decide."

She said that if there were no health issues with inserting these microchips, then it would be a good method to understand the health issues of those dogs that have undergone the birth control programs.