Chennai Records 1.8 Lakh Stray Dogs, Corporation Informs High Court

quick Summary:

• Stray Dog Population Survey: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), in collaboration with Worldwide Veterinary Services, identified approximately 1.8 lakh stray dogs within GCC limits.
• Rabies-Free Initiative: Mass anti-rabies vaccination camps for street and pet dogs commenced on August 9,2025,aiming for “Rabies-free Chennai.” All 200 divisions of the city will be covered within 60 days.
• Pet Licensing System: GCC has made online pet licenses mandatory. Conditions include controlled breeding, immunisation, neutering of pets, prevention of public nuisance, and proper disposal of pet waste by owners. Over 11,630 licenses have been issued so far.
• Mandatory Microchipping: GCC mandated microchipping for all licensed pet dogs thru a resolution passed in January 2025.
• Stray Control Measures: Stray dogs are captured using butterfly nets and transported via specially designed vans to Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers for sterilization and vaccination before being released back to their origin points.

– In recent years:
– 2022: Captured – 16,591; Surgery Fit – Same Number
– 2023: Captured – 19,640; Surgery Fit -14,885
– 2024: Captured -20,296; Surgery Fit -14,678
– Expansion underway: Ten additional ABC centers scheduled for completion in three months with proposed capacity of conducting around 50,000 surgeries annually.
– QR code collars and microchips have been implemented since november 2024 to track strays effectively.

• Court Proceedings: Madras High Court reviewed GCC’s report filed as part of a PIL addressing human safety concerns from dog bites. Case adjourned by three months pending supreme Court orders.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The measures outlined by the Greater Chennai Corporation reflect an organised approach toward mitigating public health risks associated with stray dog overpopulation while maintaining humane treatment standards required by law. The emphasis on anti-rabies vaccination aligns with critical public health priorities-rabies continues to be a meaningful concern in India.GCC’s integration of technology like QR code collars and microchipping sets progressive benchmarks that coudl inspire other urban municipalities facing similar challenges nationwide. Pet ownership regulations appear targeted at fostering responsible practices among owners while reducing risk factors associated with uncontrolled breeding or animal hygiene violations.Though practical these initiatives may seem on paper-a potential gap lies in community-level awareness campaigns ensuring compliance among pet license holders or voluntary cooperation from unlicensed stakeholders dealing informally with strays dailyly expanded similarly mirroring-needed.map-expanding scale.adaptability.entire key-metrics Safeguarding inclusively beyond merely execution-guidacyjne.city corporatively grow.upclick read-source