Chandigarh Administration to Start Dog Census After 6-year Hiatus

After a pause of six years, the Chandigarh’s animal husbandry department will conduct a census of dogs and livestock starting November 7, 2024. The census will include both stray animals and pets or domesticated animals, with completion expected in February. 

A senior UT officer said UT adviser Rajeev Verma will launch the census on Thursday. In a first, the census will be conducted using an app on mobile phones, marking this census as the first of its kind where real-time data collection is being conducted. 

The last census in 2018-19 recorded 12,922 stray dogs and 11,006 pet dogs. The bovine population was 25,617, with a total livestock population of 26,990, including 1,440 stray cattle. According to a tentative survey conducted by the Municipal Corporation in 2023, the stray dog population was 9,503. The new survey will reveal the updated figures to help management and policy-making decisions, and is approved by the Union ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying. 

As the census is being conducted out under the Ministry’s Livestock Census and Integrated Sample Survey Scheme, it will be conducted using a mobile app, which will be supported by a web-based dashboard to better track and manage the figures. Offline data will also be collected and included, so the census can cover all areas, regardless of how urban or rural they may be.