GCC to vaccinate 2 lakh dogs in citywide anti-rabies drive

Chennai, Aug 5:

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will launch a large-scale vaccination campaign from next week, aiming to inoculate two lakh stray dogs across the city this year as part of efforts to curb rabies and improve animal welfare.

In addition to strays, pet dogs will also be administered anti-rabies and anti-parasite vaccines free of cost. “Similar to last year, the GCC will begin its vaccination drive during the second week of August to control rabies spread. In 2025, we vaccinated 1.47 lakh stray dogs out of an estimated population of 1.80 lakh,” a senior Corporation official said.

With indications that the stray dog population has increased, the civic body has set a higher target this year. Authorities have also appealed to pet owners to participate in the drive and ensure their animals are vaccinated.

The GCC currently has 11 functional Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres out of a total of 15. Two additional centres at Nandambakkam and Perungudi are set to become operational next week, while facilities at Athipattu in Ambattur and Sholinganallur are expected to open by the fourth week of August.

Officials said the expansion will significantly boost sterilisation capacity. “At present, around 200 animal birth control surgeries are performed daily. This will increase to 400 per day once all 15 centres are functional,” the official noted.

Since January 2026, the Corporation has carried out nearly 24,000 birth control surgeries on stray dogs. Monthly figures have shown a steady rise, with 5,324 procedures conducted in July, 4,765 in June, 3,637 in May, 3,259 in April, 3,058 in March, 2,493 in February, and 1,490 in January.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised by animal welfare activists. Leonel Praveen, a Mylapore-based activist, alleged that dog-catching methods are inhumane and that proper vaccine storage protocols were not maintained during last year’s drive. He also claimed that some vaccinated dogs went missing or died.

However, GCC officials rejected the allegations, stating that vaccines are handled and stored with due care and that proper procedures are followed during the campaign. The Corporation reiterated its appeal to residents to cooperate and make use of the vaccination initiative.