LMC to put chips on 1.25L dogs in Lucknow | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Stray dogs in the city will soon be fitted with microchips that record vaccination, sterilisation, and bite history, as part of a new system aimed at controlling the canine population and curbing rabies deaths. Officials estimate that Lucknow has nearly 1.25 lakh stray dogs. Each chip is expected to cost between Rs 300 and Rs 400, depending on the agency finalised. The civic body has clarified that the exercise will not be limited to a one-time drive but will be an ongoing process. Officials link the project with India’s national goal of eliminating rabies deaths by 2030. For Lucknow, it marks the first attempt to build a digital registry of stray dogs.The initiative follows directions from the urban development department, which has asked municipal corporations in the state to roll out microchipping for stray dogs. The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has begun preparations and will start the process soon.Once implanted, the microchip will give each dog a digital identity. Civic staff will be able to scan the chip to access details of sterilisation, vaccination, and whether the animal was involved in an attack. The data will also have the record for the dog attack. LMC officials said the data will help create the city’s first reliable database of strays.Under the new rules, dogs reported for the first time will be caught, sterilised, and vaccinated within 10 days, and then released at the same location with a microchip. The chip will log 16 data points, including the date of capture, release, sterilisation, and vaccination. If the same animal is reported again for the attack, the case will go before a committee which will decide whether the dog should remain in custody or be released again.Special provisions apply for strays involved in biting incidents. If a dog attacks a person who receives anti-rabies treatment at a govt hospital, it will be kept at the city’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre for 10 days. Unsterilised dogs will undergo immediate surgery, be vaccinated, and monitored for 110 days. Every case will now be tagged to the animal’s microchip ID. A second unprovoked attack will lead to lifetime confinement at the ABC centre.Animal welfare officer (LMC) Dr Abhinav Verma said the chip is a simple injectable device that does not require surgery. “Once scanned, it shows vaccination and sterilisation records, and even if the dog was involved in a biting incident, this step will enhance the record of the activities of the stray dogs and also it will help to give a safer environment for the residents of the city,” he said.Adoption rules are also being tightened. Anyone adopting a dog will have to provide identity proof and sign an affidavit promising not to abandon the animal again. Violation will invite legal action.Many residents welcomed the move, citing frequent bite cases in neighbourhoods. “In Aliganj, there have been repeated incidents of children being attacked. If microchipping helps track and monitor dogs, it will bring some relief,” said Anita Singh, a local resident.