Pet owners slam GCC's shortcomings, fume at fines for delay in microchipping

CHENNAI: Two days after the December 14 deadline for mandatory pet licensing ended, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has begun door-to-door verification and enforcement, issuing fines to pet owners who failed to obtain licences despite registering their pets online.

Pet owners who completed online registration but did not obtain a licence were fined Rs 500 per pet, while those without registration and a valid licence face a higher penalty of Rs 5,000 per pet.

However, the enforcement drive has drawn criticism from pet owners, many of whom argue that the Corporation did not provide adequate infrastructure or time to complete the licensing process. According to GCC data, only about 57,626 pets had been licensed as of December 14, out of around one lakh registered pets.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mayor R Priya said, "The Corporation has extended the deadline on two occasions, and identification and fining will now be carried out."

Pet owners, however, questioned the timing of the additional arrangements. Jayanthi, a resident of Anna Nagar who obtained her pet licence on the final day, said the Corporation had opened eight additional centres only towards the end of the extended period. "Why were these centres not opened earlier? Citizens should not be penalised for administrative shortcomings," she commented.

Rajneesh, another pet owner, pointed out that the official numbers themselves reflect the problem. "If nearly half of the registered pet owners could not get licensed, it clearly shows that access and capacity were inadequate," he said, adding that long queues and crowded centres made it difficult for many owners to complete the process. He also noted that prolonged waiting hours in crowded facilities were stressful for pets.

The Corporation has maintained that the licensing process, which includes anti-rabies vaccination, microchipping and registration, is mandatory and that enforcement is necessary to ensure compliance.