Over 46,000 Stray Dogs Vaccinated In Chennai After Supreme Court Order

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has stepped up its stray dog control measures in line with the recent Supreme Court order on street dogs, which upheld humane management through sterilisation and vaccination while banning culling. 

In the past month, the civic body has vaccinated 46,122 dogs against rabies. Additionally, it has microchipped over 12,000 dogs for identification and geo-mapped them to track sterilization and vaccination status. 

The civic body runs five Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres across the city, with a combined capacity to conduct around 115 surgeries a day. After the surgery, the stray dogs are kept for four to six days with food, water, and medical care before being released in the same locality, as mandated by the ABC Rules 2023. The officials also reiterated that culling is strictly prohibited. 

"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.

The GCC has also launched a pet registration drive, making rabies vaccination mandatory for all pet dogs, with a registration fee of Rs 50. According to the GCC data, over 13,000 dogs have already been registered. 

Additionally, in August, the GCC launched a WhatsApp helpline (94450 61913) for several different services, including vaccine registration for dogs, eliminating the need for physical visits and long queues.

The Supreme Court, in its modification of the earlier order last month, also directed civic bodies to ensure public safety without resorting to cruelty, by strictly implementing the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules and preventing the abandonment of pets.

In compliance with the Madras High Court's recent direction and the top court's broader guidelines, the GCC has also framed emergency protocols for rabies-affected and suspected dogs, including special quarantine facilities with around 500 kennels.

A 2024 survey conducted with Worldwide Veterinary Services estimated the city's stray dog population at around 1.8 lakh. Over the past four years, the GCC has vaccinated 1.34 lakh dogs against rabies and sterilized more than 71,000 dogs. 

Experts, however, point out that local bodies across the country are largely to blame for the stray dog crisis across the country, accusing them of failing to effectively sterilise dogs over the years despite repeated court directions. They argue that the failure of sterilisation programmes has directly contributed to the rising stray dog population and rabies concerns.

Authorities, on the other hand, defend themselves by saying that sterilization and vaccination drives were disrupted during the COVID-19 lockdown, leading to a backlog that is only now being addressed.