The Greater Chennai Corporation will launch an online pet dog registration system on April 1 for better monitoring post-COVID-19.
Currently, less than 15% of the 10,000 pet dogs in the city have obtained licences from the Corporation.
Residents who obtain licences for their pet dogs would get anti-rabies vaccine from pet clinics for free, said an official.
Officials pointed out the risk of rabies for pet dogs because of the large number of rodents reaching residential areas from spaces with a lot of greenery.
“Pet dogs may get infected because of a bite from rodents. Residents have to be careful. Residents who get licences from the Corporation will get anti-rabies vaccine every year for their pet dogs. This will reduce the risk of rabies infection. Many residents do not get anti-rabies vaccine for their pet dogs every year,” an official said.
The Corporation veterinary officials will help pet owners get vaccination at centres before issuing licences online.
According to estimates, around 75% of the pet owners depend on private veterinary clinics for anti-rabies vaccine. Many do not get licences because of the difficulty of the process. Many were not aware of the ₹50 fee collected yearly for pet licences, officials said.
The online system is expected to create awareness on various aspects of the risks associated with owning pets. The new system is expected to facilitate better monitoring of civic issues reported by residents in each neighbourhood. For instance, the civic body will monitor complaints from residents about pet dogs that show aggressive behaviour in any residential area.
Residents have registered around 1,000 complaints pertaining to aggressive behaviour of community dogs this month in the city’s 15 zones. Of these, a number of complaints were regarding pet dogs that roam the streets.
In 2019-20, 12,000 dogs were sterilised at the centres of the Corporation, Blue Cross and the Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals. However, in 2020, owing to COVID-19, just 6,000 dogs were sterilised due to the lack of NGO members, officials said.
