Reflective collars for stray dogs in Agra to reduce road accidents

Agra: To enhance road safety and protect stray dogs, the Agra Municipal Corporation (AMC) has launched a drive to fit them with radium-coated reflective collars. Teams from the civic body fitted the collars on around 300 stray dogs in the city, including in accident-prone zones such as Dayalbagh and Sanjay Place, over two days starting Wednesday.Dr Ajay Singh, AMC's animal welfare officer, said stray dogs frequently fall victim to road accidents at night and during foggy conditions. "Vehicle headlights reflect off radium-coated collars, making the dogs visible from a distance. We regularly receive cases of dogs being injured. Based on accident data, we identified high-risk areas and are concentrating our efforts there," he said.Officials emphasised that the initiative would continue throughout the fog season, with plans to expand it to other areas of the city in the coming weeks. Residents and animal lovers are also being encouraged to help fit reflective collars, with AMC providing the collars to volunteers. "If residents take responsibility in their localities, accidents will significantly decrease," he said.