Hanoi is considering tagging dogs in the city with geographic positioning chips to better manage them and limit dog theft, VnExpress reported.
The media noted that the project, devised by the city’s Animal Health Department in collaboration with two unnamed foreign NGOs, is expected to be proposed to the city’s administration next year for approval.
Illustrative photo. Source: Tat Dinh
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VnExpress cited Nguyen Ngoc Son, head of the animal health department, as saying that the chips, which would be tagged on each dog’s ears and collars, would contain information like the dog’s birth year, identification features and vaccination status. This data will be stored digitally.
The chips would also help reduce incidence of dog theft, which is rampant in Vietnam, Son added. Dog theft is rarely treated as a criminal offense in Vietnam, unless they are valued at more than VND2 million (nearly US$100). But it almost always stirs public anger as most of the dogs stolen are pets and they would be slaughtered in brutal ways and served in restaurants, the newspaper added.
According to the Hanoi Animal Health Department, the attachment of geo-positioning chips to dog’s ear or necklace will help the owner easily identify the dog’s location. In addition, other information such as identification characteristics, year of birth, vaccination of each dog in the city will also be easily updated and stored when managed by software.
The project would be funded by multiple sources, while the owners will be encouraged to attach chips on their dogs.
The Hanoi Animal Health Department said the plan is considered on the basis of learning management experience of some countries, contributing to limiting the free-throwing of dogs outside the street, causing unsafety and security.
According to preliminary statistics of the Hanoi Animal Health Department, the city currently has 493,000 domesticated dogs, the largest number nationwide.
In 2018, three people in Hanoi died from rabies and nearly 10,000 people had to get rabies vaccination, largely because of dog’s bites.
