Greater Chennai Corp Boosts Dog Sterilisation as Rabies Campaign Expands

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced an ambitious plan to vaccinate and sterilise about 200,000 stray dogs throughout the city. The citywide rabies‑prevention campaign begins in the second week of August and offers free rabies and anti‑parasite shots to both stray and owned dogs.

Last year GCC immunised roughly 147,000 stray dogs, based on an estimated stray population of 180,000. Expecting a rise in numbers, the authority lifted its target this year to two hundred thousand. The effort runs hand‑in‑hand with the expansion of GCC’s animal birth control (ABC) network. Of the fifteen planned ABC centres, eleven are already functioning. Two more centres at Nandambakkam and Perungudi will start operations next week, while the remaining two in Ambattur‑Athipattu and Sholingallur are scheduled to be online by the fourth week of August. When all facilities are active, daily sterilisation capacity should increase from about 200 procedures to roughly 400.

Sterilisation statistics illustrate steady growth: 1,490 surgeries in January, 2,493 in February, 3,058 in March, 3,259 in April, 3,637 in May, 4,765 in June, and a record 5,324 in July, totalling around 24,000 operations so far this year.

Animal‑welfare advocates have expressed concerns regarding the capture of stray dogs, the handling of vaccines, and the maintenance of cold‑chain requirements. GCC has categorically denied any mishandling, emphasizing strict storage and transport protocols for all vaccine vials.

The corporation urges pet owners, local animal caretakers, and rescue volunteers to participate actively, aiming to broaden vaccination coverage and reduce the spread of rabies in Chennai.