Stray dogs outside Mumbai Airport garlanded with ‘Aadhaar’ cards and QR codes
A team of enthusiastic individuals garlanded a group of 20 stray dogs outside the Mumbai airport with unique identification cards resembling ‘Aadhaar‘ cards on Saturday morning. As per a ToI report, the cards, equipped with QR codes, contain vital information about the dogs, such as their names, contact details of their feeders, vaccination records, sterilization status, and medical history, making it easier to reunite lost dogs with their families.
Led by Akshay Ridlan, an engineer from Sion, the team worked tirelessly to attach the QR code tags and administer vaccinations to the canines starting early morning. This initiative, named ‘pawfriend.in,’ aims to create a centralized database of strays in the city, facilitating better care and management of stray animals. The collaboration also allowed BMC to vaccinate the dogs outside terminal 1 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Sahar.
Sonia Shelar, a resident of Bandra who feeds around 300 stray dogs daily, played a vital role in getting the dogs close to the team for vaccinations and tagging. The efforts involved dog-catchers from Yoda, BMC veterinarians, and airport officials.
Dr. Kalim Pathan, the head of BMC’s veterinary health services, confirmed that all caught dogs were sterilized, and basic health checks were conducted along with the vaccinations. The QR code tagging serves as a pilot project, and its success will determine further steps in this endeavor.
The initiative was undertaken in response to a recent incident reported by some media, where dogs were relocated from outside the airport terminal. The airport authorities, recognizing the importance of ensuring the safety of both passengers and stray dogs in the vicinity, enthusiastically partnered in the project.
