In the ongoing sterilisation drive, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has vaccinated 2,000 dogs and has begun fitting stray dogs in the city with GPS-enabled collars carrying QR codes to digitally record their location, vaccination status, and other details, alongside an ongoing anti-rabies vaccination drive.
Mayor Surinder Chauhan said, “Now, to minimise rabies cases where earlier, deaths were often discovered to have been caused by a dog bite only after the fact, we have started anti-rabies vaccination for dogs. So far, 2,000 dogs have been vaccinated”. He said, “We are attaching QR code collars that, when scanned, will reveal the dog’s position. Dog lovers and animal welfare groups can also track them. For aggressive dogs, we will attach a red tag so they can be identified and handled separately. We are educating the public, working with social organisations, and starting a massive sterilisation campaign.”
“We believe Shimla is the first city in the country to take such an initiative. Organisations from Goa, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Patiala, and Himachal Pradesh’s Rampur have joined us. This programme will also produce the first dog census in India, digitising details of each stray”, said Chauhan.
Shimla MLA Harish Janartha said, “In Shimla’s 34 wards, there are currently 4,000–4,500 stray dogs. This campaign will run till August 29. Anti-rabies injections for both male and female dogs would be given”. He added, “Putting GPS-linked QR code collars to stray dogs will help maintain accurate records and identify aggressive dogs. Sterilisation will follow.”
{{/usCountry}}Shimla MLA Harish Janartha said, “In Shimla’s 34 wards, there are currently 4,000–4,500 stray dogs. This campaign will run till August 29. Anti-rabies injections for both male and female dogs would be given”. He added, “Putting GPS-linked QR code collars to stray dogs will help maintain accurate records and identify aggressive dogs. Sterilisation will follow.”
{{/usCountry}}Janartha said, “If this succeeds in Shimla, it should be implemented across all urban local bodies and smaller towns in Himachal. We have also designated feeding zones for dogs. Feeding them elsewhere will be considered an offence. Currently, Shimla sees an average of 2–3 dog bite cases per day, sometimes up to four.”