Starting Friday, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will collect a fine of ₹10,000 from pet owners who abandon licensed dogs and cats. It passed a resolution to this effect at the council meeting on Friday.
The fine was reduced from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000 following councillors’ objections.
The GCC will also launch a facility for registering complaints about missing pets. Owners will not be penalised if they registered a complaint and the animals were subsequently rescued by the Corporation. A total of 40 dogs abandoned by their owners were rescued by NGOs in the past few weeks. An official said the penalty was expected to deter residents from abandoning pets.
Scanners will be provided for all 40 vehicles used in dog-catching operations, with 320 dog catchers, to identify the owners of dogs and cats and penalise violators.
The Corporation has also begun collecting a fine of ₹5,000 for unlicensed pets and ₹500 for pets found unleashed. An official said the civic body had collected ₹7 lakh so far.
Over 1 lakh dogs vaccinated
The GCC has administered anti-rabies vaccines and ectoparasiticides to 1,00,378 stray dogs between August 11 and September 25, a press release said. Thirty teams have been deployed since August 11, with each team expected to vaccinate about 100 dogs a day. About 3,000 dogs are vaccinated daily, with 10 teams operating simultaneously in three zones, the release added.
The campaign has so far covered Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Ambattur, Anna Nagar and Alandur zones in 41 days. Drives in Kodambakkam, Thiru.Vi.Ka Nagar and Perungudi will be completed over the next 34 working days, the release said.
Published – September 26, 2026 12:48 am IST
