Only 30,000 of 1 lakh pet dogs registered: Chennai Corporation tells HC

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), on Friday, informed the Madras High Court that there are one lakh pet dogs in Chennai, of which 31,000 have been registered.

Following an increase in dog-bite incidents in the city, the City Corporation made it mandatory for pet owners to obtain licences for their dogs. It has been ordered that details of all pet dogs must be registered and licences obtained by November 24.

The Corporation has further directed that dogs taken to public places must wear muzzles, and they should not be taken outside without a leash.

It has also stated that a fine of Rs 5,000 will be imposed for not obtaining a license, and a fine of Rs 500 will be levied for failing to use a muzzle.

Challenging these orders, the People for Animals (PFA) organisation has filed a case in the Madras High Court.

The petition stated that the Corporation has limited licences to four dogs per individual, which would affect organisations that rescue and care for abandoned or injured dogs. It also expresses concern that the rule imposing a Rs 5,000 fine for keeping unlicensed dogs will lead to an increase in the number of abandoned dogs.

When the case came up for hearing before Justice V Lakshminarayanan, the Corporation stated that while Chennai has one lakh pet dogs, only 31,000 have been registered so far.

The judge asked whether it would be possible to register the remaining 69,000 dogs by November 24. Responding to this, the Corporation’s counsel explained that around 5,000 dogs are being registered per day. He added that after reviewing the number of licence applications received, a decision would be taken on extending the deadline.

Following this, the Justice directed the Corporation to provide explanations regarding the issues raised by the petitioner and adjourned the hearing to November 25.