Shiny collars to keep strays safe on roads

Chennai

People for Cattle in India (PFCI), an NGO formed in 2012 to control cattle trafficking and slaughter, is launching a campaign called ‘Magic Collars for Stray Animals’ to help motorists spot them in the dark. Most stray dogs and cattle in the city will soon be wearing one of these, enabling them to be visible in the dark and preventing them from getting hit by a moving vehicle.

G. Arun Prasanna, founder of PFCI, says that they received many calls for help and rescue of dogs and cattle hit by vehicles. “Hundreds of these stray animals are killed, especially on the highway. As per a survey and research conducted by PFCI and other volunteers, we found that most road kills happen due to visibility problems. The drivers say that they spot the animal only when it is too close — and then it’s too late,” he adds.

PFCI’s custom-made Magic Collars use orange nylon tape with grey reflective fabric. “The collars for the dogs cost Rs 100 each and for cattle, Rs 200. We will have a launch event where we will distribute 1,000 collars each for both dogs and cattle. Our volunteers, who will be trained in handling animals, will locate them and put the reflective collars on them. They will also vaccinate them. The target is to reach 10,000  cattle and dogs by the end of this year,” says Arun.

The reflective collars have been successfully tested and used on dogs in Bangalore, Pune and Jamshedpur. It’s the first time that they will be trying them out on cattle. “We are also looking for partnering with other NGOs. We plan to reach animals in Coimbatore, Bangalore, Delhi and Pune by May,” he adds.

The collars are an important measure, addressing a problem that will not go away as long as there are speedhogs on the road.  Recently, 24-year-old businessman Karthik N. was driving down from Puducherry to Chennai when he saw a dog limping on the road. He stopped the car and he and his friends found that two of the dog’s feet were badly injured. They covered him in a towel and took him to the nearest vet.

“We also inquired with the locals about the hit-and-run driver who had not attended to the dog. A tea shop owner said that such accidents kept happening, especially at night,” he says.