Pet owners in Chennai may soon face a ₹25,000 fine for abandoning their dogs. The Greater Chennai Corporation has proposed the penalty as part of a fresh
move to curb pet abandonment and control the city’s stray dog population.
The fine has not started yet. The proposal needs approval from the Corporation Council at its next meeting. Once cleared, the civic body plans to begin collecting the penalty from residents found abandoning pet dogs.
Why Chennai wants a ₹25,000 fine for abandoning dogs
At present, the Greater Chennai Corporation does not impose a specific fine on owners who leave their dogs on the streets.
Civic officials believe pet abandonment is adding to the stray dog population in several parts of Chennai.
The city currently has 1,15,548 registered pets across its 15 zones. Of these, 78,328 animals have been issued pet licences with microchips.
Microchipping can help authorities identify registered animals and trace their owners, making enforcement easier once the proposed penalty comes into force.
Chennai receives over 15,000 stray dog complaints
Stray dog complaints have remained high this year.
GCC data shows that 15,477 complaints linked to stray dogs were received during the first six months of 2026.
Tondiarpet recorded the highest number, with 1,869 complaints. Manali reported 280 complaints during the same period.
Madhavaram, Royapuram, Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar each recorded more than 1,000 complaints.
The Corporation has caught 26,498 dogs for animal birth control measures in residential areas over the past six months.
Rabies vaccination drive targets 2 lakh dogs
The civic body has also started a large anti-rabies vaccination campaign from August 11.
The drive begins in Tiruvottiyur, Manali and Tondiarpet and aims to cover around 3,000 dogs every day.
Over 75 working days, GCC plans to vaccinate nearly 2 lakh dogs. Pet dogs and cats will also be covered under the free vaccination programme.
Last year, around 1.47 lakh dogs were covered under the anti-rabies vaccination drive.
Residents can report dog-related civic complaints through the Greater Chennai Corporation helpline at 1913.
