Shimla Becomes First City in India to Use GPS Collars and QR Codes for Stray Dogs

In a unique initiative, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started attaching GPS-enabled collars with QR codes to stray dogs. This innovative move will help track the dogs' location, maintain their vaccination status, and record sterilisation details.

Alongside, a rabies vaccination drive has been launched to curb rabies-related deaths and improve public safety.

Vaccination and Sterilisation Drive in Shimla

Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan explained that the vaccination and sterilisation campaign has been active for some time.

Over 2,000 stray dogs have already been vaccinated against rabies.

Dogs are being sterilised to manage the rising stray population.

QR code collars allow scanning to check the health and vaccination details of each dog.

"For aggressive dogs, we will attach a red tag so they can be identified and handled separately. This will help both residents and animal welfare groups," said Chauhan.

Tackling Dog Bite Incidents

Shimla MLA Harish Janartha highlighted that dog bite cases remain frequent in the city. Past attempts to manage stray dogs often faced objections from NGOs and courts.

Currently, Shimla has 4 to 4.5 stray dogs per ward across 34 wards. The new campaign aims to address this issue systematically with vaccination, sterilisation, and digital monitoring.

Collaborative Efforts with NGOs

The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with organisations from:

Goa

Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Patiala

Rampur (Himachal Pradesh)

For the first time in India, a digital dog census is also being conducted to create a permanent record of stray dogs in Shimla.

Campaign Timeline and Future Plans

The vaccination and tagging campaign began on 15 August and will continue until 29 August.

In the first phase, stray dogs are being vaccinated and tagged.

In the second phase, GPS collars will be introduced.

After completion, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh will formally conclude the programme.

Shimla Sets an Example for India

With this initiative, Shimla becomes the first city in India to introduce GPS and QR-coded collars for stray dogs. By combining vaccination, sterilisation, and digital tracking, the city aims to reduce rabies cases and ensure public safety while protecting animal welfare.