CHENNAI: Working towards a rabies-free Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) administered anti-rabies vaccinations and endectoparasiticidal treatments to 1,50,303 stray dogs out of a target of 2 lakh stray dogs across the city in 72 days, between August 11 and October 21.

This works out to 75 per cent of the target that the civic body has set itself.

The intensive mass vaccination drive aims to protect the public from rabies. Under this initiative, dogs were vaccinated and given parasite-removal medicines across several zones, including Ambattur (21,844 dogs), Madhavaram, (15,038), Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar (13,849), Perungudi, (12,752), Tondiarpet (12,477), Tiruvottiyur (12,313), Anna Nagar (11,895), Kodambakkam (10,131), Royapuram (8,598), Teynampet (7,782), Manali (7,200), and Alandur (4,343).

The campaign is currently under way in the remaining zones. So far, 4,153 dogs in Sholinganallur, 3,985 in Adyar, and 3,943 in Valasaravakkam have been treated. The GCC has urged the public, pet owners and animal activists to cooperate by making use of the special camps to achieve the goal.