Mumbai engineer’s novel solution to track stray dogs: collars with QR codes
Akshay Ridlan, a Mumbai-based engineer, has developed a unique QR code-enabled tracker for street dogs.
Stray dogs are a significant concern in India, with many of them left to survive on their own. The Mumbai civic body reported around 95,172 stray dogs in Mumbai in 2014, and since 2018, more than 3 lakh people in Mumbai have been bitten by stray dogs. To address this issue, Akshay Ridlan, a Mumbai-based engineer and dog enthusiast, has developed collars with QR codes that provide comprehensive information about a dog’s medical history, name, and contact information of their caregivers when scanned.
The QR codes can also help the government find the location of stray dogs, making it easier to devise strategies for sterilization and vaccination. Akshay plans to offer the QR codes at a nominal price, which can be used by people and organizations who feed or rescue stray animals.
The technology behind the collars is simple. The QR code is attached to the reflective collar, which can be scanned using a smartphone app. Akshay’s innovation could be a significant step in managing the stray dog population not only in Mumbai but also in the entire nation. The use of QR codes can provide an efficient and cost-effective way to monitor and track stray dogs, ensuring their safety and well-being.
