Chennai Councillors Sound Alarm on Surging Stray Dog Population, Slam Ineffective Control Measures

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Council meeting on Wednesday turned into a platform for councillors to voice serious concerns over the city’s escalating stray dog crisis. Members across party lines criticised the limited impact of Animal Birth Control (ABC) surgeries and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programmes, warning that the current approach is failing to curb the rising numbers or improve public safety.

Ward 138 Councillor K. Kannan pointed to a dramatic spike in the stray population; from 40,000 four years ago to nearly two lakh today. “At this pace, we could be looking at three lakh stray dogs by next year,” he warned. Kannan pressed the Corporation for data on the effectiveness of its ABC surgeries, prompting GCC Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran to admit that the city's capacity is capped at just 85 surgeries per day.

Mayor R. Priya acknowledged the challenges, noting that sterilisation can only be performed on dogs aged eight months or older. “There’s nothing we can do if a dog reproduces before that age,” she said. While the city has received complaints about aggression in sterilised dogs, the mayor confirmed that there have been no reports of sterilised dogs reproducing. She announced that new ABC centres and veterinary clinics would soon be opened across all 15 city zones. The Corporation has also urged local Members of Parliament to raise the matter at the national level.

Frustration among councillors was evident. IUML’s Fathima Muzaffer Ahmed called for the formation of a probe committee, arguing that over-reliance on ABC procedures was proving ineffective. DMK’s floor leader N. Ramalingam accused the Corporation of indecision. “The issue of street dogs comes up every month, but no concrete action follows,” he said. Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar responded by citing Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s directive to address the issue across all local bodies and added that any new action would require legal consultation.

Congress Councillor Siva Raajashekaran suggested isolating stray dogs in a secured area, but Mayor Priya pushed back, referencing the Union government's ABC Rules, 2023, which prohibit indefinite impounding of stray animals.

Calls for legal reform also surfaced during the meeting. MDMK’s P. Subramani demanded stricter laws against pet abandonment, a key factor in the city’s growing stray population. In response, the mayor reiterated that pet licensing and microchipping are mandatory under city regulations.

DMK’s Parithielamsurithi flagged another issue: overcrowding in private shelters. He cited a case on Arasappa Street, where over 50 dogs have been housed in a single residence since 2022. “The stench is unbearable. There should be a legal cap on how many pets one person can keep,” he said.