Digital glitch, overcrowding at GCC micro-chipping centres put pet owners in a fix

CHENNAI: Time is running out for Chennai’s pet owners as the Greater Chennai Corporation’s November 23 deadline to enforce the micro-chipping rule is fast approaching. However, people who own pets are clamouring to comply even as they are plagued by long queues at the centres and a dysfunctional online portal.

According to a report in The Times of India, the corporation’s project that involves registering all pet dogs with freely provided microchips is proving to be a tough task as there are only six centres that are operating full-time. The situation has led to overcrowding issues and also a lot of chaos among pets which has forced many owners to return home after hours of waiting.

While private veterinary clinics have been authorised to ease the load, the exorbitant fees that is charged by them has proven to be a burden for pet owners as the costs ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3000.

Apart from overcrowding, pet owners are also struggling with digital failures at the centres as the GCC portal has a glitch that prevents people from updating their pets' microchip details and vaccination records. As there are no clear instructions on the website pet owners are put through a lot of inconvenience and they have requested the civic body to extend the deadline to complete the process.