Pilot Program
GoChip 2023 pilot programs
Rabies mitigation
With 500,000 feral dogs, rabies has historically been a problem on the island and continues to be an urgent issue today. Because no permanent ID exists, the government has no record of which dogs have been vaccinated and tragically, authorities have had to resort to culling animals to stop the spread of the disease and protect communities. Recognizing this method has proven ineffective for disease prevention, Bali’s government sought to create a new solution to animal management based on scientific data and modern technology. In collaboration with government officials, GoNano tags are being deployed as an effective way to keep track of vaccinated and unvaccinated animals to better protect communities while saving the lives of many healthy dogs.
Animal research
The global pandemic has made the study of animal health and community interactions more important than ever. Having clean, secure and accurate data that links back to individual animals is vital to this important research. In partnership with researchers at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, GoChip is co-developing the necessary technology required by researchers to better track and manage animals to help prevent a future pandemic.
State border animal management
Goa is the only state in India to be deemed rabies-free. However, during the pandemic, feral dogs moved across state borders and reintroduced rabies into the state. By deploying GoChip beacons along the Maharashtra/Karnataka border, our partner Mission Rabies has been able to generate crucial insights into the movement of dogs and offer data-based policy recommendations to keep Goa rabies-free.
Smart City Animal Management
A smart city is an urban area that uses digital solutions and data analysis to increase environmental sustainability and improve the quality of life for residents. Smart technologies, including information and communication technologies, are used to collect and share specific real-time data to help guide policy-making and improve operations across a city. India’s government is dedicated to innovation and is actively promoting smart city technologies and digital solutions throughout the country. Panjim, capital city of the state of Goa, is one of 100 cities selected in India’s national Smart City Challenge.
Animal Registration Program
The relationship between communities and dogs vary greatly from country to country. In many parts of the world, the concept of “community dogs” is well-established and while it is common for communities to care for dog populations, it makes identification and guardianship a complicated issue. In many places, the health and welfare of the community depends on on the government’s ability to easily identify and manage community dog and feral populations.
In partnership with the Municipality of Panjim, GoChip technologies will be deployed so the government can develop an effective census to track dog populations. In this pilot project, approximately 3,000 dogs will be microchipped and assigned a GUDI to create a registration database to better manage the number, health, and movement of community dog and feral populations.
Smart Licence Program
Most municipal governments in North America struggle to increase dog licensing beyond 30 percent compliance. In other parts of the world, including the Indo-Pacific region, mandatory licensing is considered a new policy initiative. In partnership with the Municipality of Panjim, GoChip’s vision is to introduce a “Smart Licence” the city can use to effectively keep track of pets. With approximately 30 million pet dogs in India, this partnership will lay the foundation for an effective licensing model that can be deployed throughout India and North America.
