GCC promises more control over pets and stray dogs with website launch
Described as the first such integrated system in the country, the initiative aims at giving the Corporation greater control, monitoring, and surveillance over both pet and stray dogs.
CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Friday launched a revamped portal to register and microchip pets and stray dogs in the city. The service inaugurated by Mayor R Priya will run parallel with the microchipping drive, which is slated to begin on October 8.
Described as the first such integrated system in the country, the initiative aims at giving the Corporation greater control, monitoring, and surveillance over both pet and stray dogs.
The website can be accessed by Corporation officials, veterinarians, pet owners, and also for general complaints. Ward and zone-wise data on pet dogs, including numbers of abandoned animals, male–female ratios, sterilisation and vaccination coverage, and records of animal cruelty complaints, will be available for department officials. It will also track disease outbreaks and list breeders operating in each area.
Details of all licensed pets, including owners' names and addresses, vaccination and medical history, are stored in the system. Both government and private veterinary hospitals are linked, with doctors' details, including information on the availability of home visits. GCC officials said this integration will allow them to monitor health conditions and respond more quickly to outbreaks at the ward or zone level.
For a licence, owners must upload their photo, address proof, and the pet's breed, gender, photo, and anti-rabies vaccination (ABV) certificate through the website, and a fee of Rs 50 will be charged. The veterinarian records the vaccination on the platform. Followed by, GCC officials verify the details before granting a license. The licence is valid only until the ABV certificate expires, making renewal dependent on annual vaccination.
Between 2024 and September 2025, 12,393 licenses were issued, according to the officials. From November, Corporation staff will begin door-to-door checks to verify licensing and vaccination and to guide households on compliance.
The most significant addition is compulsory microchipping of pets. Each chip records the owner's details, enabling identification of abandoned or lost animals. Licences will now be issued only after microchip verification by zonal veterinary doctors. One-month deadline has been set for the pet owners to get their animals tagged. Microchipping will be offered free at six GCC veterinary centres in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Pulianthope, Lloyds Colony, Nungambakkam, Kannammapet, and Meenambakkam. Owners can also use private facilities.
Alongside pet licensing, the website is tied to the Corporation's stray dog management programme. According to GCC data, 72,345 stray dogs have been sterilised and vaccinated so far since 2021, while 12,250 have been tagged with QR-coded collars and microchips. A separate vaccination and deworming drive launched on August 9 has so far covered 67,297 dogs across eight zones, with the remaining seven zones expected to be completed by November.
