MCD to roll out microchipping, vaccination drive for stray dogs

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is set to roll out a citywide drive for microchipping and mass vaccination of stray dogs, with tenders likely to be floated within the next 15 days.

In a first, the civic body is also set to conduct a comprehensive dog census through the microchipping drive. The exercise will record key details such as age, sex, colour, location (area and ward), vaccination status, and the NGO responsible for immunisation, officials said.

An official said that the exercise will begin within two months from the completion of the tendering process. “Once the proposal receives the commissioner’s approval, tenders will be floated to onboard an agency to carry out the exercise across all wards.”

Officials further explained that preference will be given to an agency with prior experience in animal microchipping and vaccination.

“Each dog will be implanted with a microchip about the size of a grain of rice, injected at the back of the neck. The ISO-certified chips, costing Rs 200-250 each, will carry a unique 15-digit identification number,” the official said.

He said that, given the scale of the exercise, at least 35 teams, each consisting of four members, will be required to cover all 250 wards. Each team must be equipped with a vehicle fitted with essential infrastructure such as vaccine storage units and scanners.

The civic body is inclined to appoint a single agency for the project to ensure accountability.

“Since stray dogs are free-ranging, fixing responsibility in dog bite cases becomes difficult. Having one agency will make monitoring and accountability more effective,” the official said.

The civic body aims to complete microchipping of all adult stray dogs this year, while puppies below three months will be covered in the next phase, he said.