Muzzle your dogs or face penalty, Chennai Corporation tells pet owners

CHENNAI: Given the failure to adhere to recently issued guidelines for pet movement, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has planned to impose a penalty on dog owners who fail to muzzle their pets while taking them for a walk.

The city corporation official stated that the number of dog bite cases will decrease if pet owners follow the guidelines issued by the local body.

This decision comes against the backdrop of an incident in which two pet dogs mauled a five-year-old child at a corporation park in Thousand Lights in May 2024.

In response, the civic body issued guidelines regarding pet dog activities, stating that owners should ensure their pets are leashed and muzzled to prevent dog bites. However, as pet owners failed to follow these guidelines, the Chennai Corporation has decided to impose fines.

“As many as 23,000 dog bite cases, including those involving pet dogs, have been reported in the city so far. Because pet owners have failed to muzzle their dogs in public places, we have planned to introduce rules requiring dogs to be muzzled while being walked. However, the decision to levy a penalty has not yet been finalised,” said J Kamal Hussain, the veterinary officer of GCC, in a statement to DT Next.

The civic body is in the process of microchipping both stray and pet dogs, a measure that will make it mandatory to obtain a license for dogs in the city. This is expected to be implemented next month, and the penalties will be imposed after the fine amount is fixed.

“Following a recent survey of stray dogs, we have intensified the sterilisation of dogs across the city and procured vehicles for this drive. In 2024, a total of 20,296 dogs were caught, with ABC surgery performed on 14,678. Similarly, 4,140 dogs were caught, and 3,855 stray dogs were sterilized in the last two months,” added Kamal Hussain.