GCC to hold dog census

In response to a recent incident where a rabies-infected stray dog bit 29 individuals on GA Road in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has revealed plans for a city-wide dog census and mass immunization program. Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced this initiative, emphasizing the need for proactive citizen involvement in reporting such incidents promptly. Expressing concern over the delay in reporting the stray dog attacks, Subramanian stated, “I don’t understand why residents waited until so many people were bitten. They should have alerted the GCC.” The incident has ignited criticism from citizen activists and health experts, questioning the civic agency’s ability to manage the dog population and maintain an accurate count. In collaboration with health workers, the GCC will conduct a comprehensive dog census across 200 wards in Chennai. The initiative aims to collect detailed information on pets, including registered ones, and categorize community dogs into six groups: male sterilized, male unsterilized, female sterilized, female unsterilized, lactating mothers, and puppies. This categorization will assist in better understanding and managing the diverse canine population in the city. Health Minister Subramanian, following discussions with GCC Mayor R Priya, highlighted the importance of this census and immunization drive. The GCC commissioner, J Radhakrishnan, emphasized that the civic body would provide training to division health workers for effective categorization and documentation. Notably, a similar survey was conducted in 2018, and this year’s initiative will integrate a mass immunization program alongside the census.