The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has increased its efforts to control stray dogs following the Supreme Court order. This order supports humane management through sterilization and vaccination while banning culling.
In the past month, the civic body has vaccinated 46,122 dogs against rabies. It has also microchipped over 12,000 dogs for identification and mapped their locations to track sterilization and vaccination status.
46,000 Stray Dogs got vaccinated on Supreme Court order
The GCC operates five Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers throughout the city. Together, these centers can perform about 115 surgeries daily. After surgery, stray dogs stay for four to six days, receiving food, water, and medical care before being released back into the same area. This process follows the ABC Rules 2023. Officials emphasized that culling is strictly forbidden.
“Our focus is vaccination, sterilization, and prevention, not culling. Public cooperation is also necessary. Citizens must register their pets, ensure vaccinations, and avoid abandoning them. Only then can Chennai achieve long-term control of the stray dog population,” a senior GCC official said.
GCC starts Pet registration drive for vaccination
The GCC has started a pet registration drive, making rabies vaccination mandatory for all pet dogs. The registration fee is Rs 50. According to GCC data, over 13,000 dogs have already been registered.
Additionally, in August, the GCC launched a WhatsApp helpline (94450 61913) for various services, including vaccine registration for dogs, which helps eliminate the need for physical visits and long queues.
Last month, the Supreme Court modified its earlier order. It instructed civic bodies to ensure public safety without being cruel by strictly following the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules and preventing pet abandonment.
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