Beijing has begun to implant digital identification chips in
dogs to strengthen management of its canine population, which is
estimated at more than 1 million.
The rice grain-sized chip, containing information about the
dog's breed, birth date, inoculation record and owner information,
is injected into the neck of the animal.
All the information appears when a chip reader is held close to
the neck of the dog.
The chips were being piloted in Xicheng District, where more
than 10,000 dogs are registered, before being introduced to the
rest of the city, said a police officer in charge of dog
registration.
He said dogs were inoculated and given a digital chip with a
life span of 30 years when they were registered. The chip would be
checked annually.
The ID chips would help identify lost and homeless dogs, and
make it easier for owners to take their dogs abroad.
The ID chips would also help curb the spread of rabies, which
has been one of the most deadly infectious diseases in China.
Beijing has registered about 600,000 dogs, but statistics from
the Beijing Association of Small Animal Protection showed that
there exists an equal number of unregistered dogs in the city.
Rabies killed more than 2,000 people across the country in 2006,
according to media reports.
(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2007)