Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality developed a Vetnet program in order to register stray animals living in Istanbul. Thanks to this application, all processes applied to stray animals and their physical features can be registered. Every animal gets a serial number with a microchip implanted by vets under their skin and is registered to the system. In the registration, all the relevant information, including the race, sex, color, birth date and age of animals along with their vaccinations, medicines and operations is recorded.

The progress of the animals can be followed through the system by means of this data.

Pet owners can also benefit from this microchip application paying a certain amount of money.

Fatih Animal Vaccination and Treatment Center Chief Physician İbrahim Gülbayrak told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the microchip application is so useful to distinguish animals from each other and to follow their progress.

Noting that they have implanted microchips into 30 animals this year, Gülbayrak said that the chip, which is the size of a grain of rice, is implanted under the skin of the animals' nape, and this process does not cause any harm to the animal.

He remarked that they provide many services such as treatment of disease, spaying-neutering programs and emergency response methods, reporting that they also conduct work on control and education activities.

Stressing that stray animals have serious problems, Gülbayrak continued, "Animals live in difficult conditions during the winter months. Our citizens can give a cup of water and food to them at least."