Chennai: Over 1.47 lakh stray dogs vaccinated in special anti-rabies drive

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has completed a large-scale anti-rabies vaccination drive, covering 1,47,538 stray dogs across the city over a period of 175 days. The initiative was launched by Chennai Mayor R Priya in August 2025.

Despite the completion of the drive, residents in parts of north Chennai have reported frequent dog bite incidents over the past month. Many residents have urged the civic body to step up Animal Birth Control (ABC) procedures to manage the stray dog population more effectively.

A GCC official said that as per benchmarks laid down by the World Health Organisation and global animal welfare standards, vaccinating and sterilising at least 70% of the stray dog population is essential to control population growth. “In this regard, the corporation has successfully immunised about 81% of the stray dogs within city limits,” the official said.

The mass immunisation campaign, covering all 15 zones of the Chennai Corporation, is seen as a significant step towards controlling rabies and improving public health and animal welfare.

Data released by the GCC showed wide variations in coverage across zones. Ambattur recorded the highest number of vaccinations, with 18,634 stray dogs covered. This was followed by Sholinganallur with 14,995 dogs, Valasaravakkam with 12,744, and Madhavaram with 11,671.

In contrast, Alandur reported the lowest coverage, with only 3,726 dogs vaccinated. Manali recorded 5,174 vaccinations, Teynampet 7,088, and Adyar 7,937.

Raising concerns over the implementation of the programme, D Neelakannan, president of the Tamil Nadu Alliance of Resident Welfare Associations, said: “Issues have been reported in Madhavaram and surrounding areas. Dog catchers are not returning all captured dogs to their original locations, and several stray dogs are reported to have gone missing.”

Ward 4 Councillor R Jayaram said the stray dog menace was increasing in his locality and that several councillors had flagged the issue during council meetings. “People feeding dogs in public places are contributing to the rise in numbers. The corporation should consider setting up shelters for stray dogs in every zone,” he said.

Admitting that catching stray dogs continued to be a challenge, the GCC official said, “Only around 6 animals are caught for every 10 targeted, as the rest often escape. To strengthen population control measures, new ABC centres in Tiruvottiyur and Madhavaram zones are scheduled to be inaugurated by the end of this month.”