Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to launch a comprehensive dog census in the capital city, covering both stray and pet dogs. The initiative will involve ear-tagging and microchipping to create a detailed database of the canine population, Mayor Sulochana Das announced on Friday.
The census will record ownership details of pet dogs as well as track the movement patterns, sterilization, and vaccination status of stray dogs. All such information will be stored in microchips, enabling authorities to monitor the health and numbers of the city’s dogs.
Preliminary estimates suggest that Bhubaneswar is home to over 80,000 dogs, though the exact figure will only be available after the census is completed.
Mayor Das said the program had been slightly delayed due to the ongoing monsoon but would be rolled out immediately after the rains. She stressed that systematic tagging would not only support animal welfare but also contribute to urban safety and aesthetics.
“This census will help us know whether a dog has been sterilized or vaccinated and allow us to track its movement. Monitoring will become scientific and effective once all the details are in the database,” the Mayor explained.
