Chennai: Greater Chennai Corporation’s veterinary department issued 73,754 pet licences so far, each embedding a mandatory microchip in canines for tracking and welfare. Pet owners were given a deadline of Dec 7 last year to microchip their pets, after which defaulters faced a steep penalty of 5,000. More than 7 lakh was collected from violators as part of the crackdown.Veterinary officer Kamal Hussain told TOI that licensing began in Oct and continued until mid-Dec, during which more than 70,000 licences were issued and chips were embedded. The measure was spurred by a spate of pet attacks in the last couple of years. In May 2024, two rottweilers mauled a five-year-old girl and her mother in a park. In June, rottweilers and boxers injured people in separate incidents, including a 12-year-old boy who was left seriously hurt.An IAS officer was bitten during his morning walk in Royapettah in May 2025, while in June, a pit bull fatally mauled a man and turned on its owner when she intervened. These tragedies prompted the civic body to tighten rules, mandating leashes, muzzles, and vaccinations for pet dogs.Post-deadline, GCC collected 7.11 lakh in fines from non-compliant owners. “This enforcement aims to promote responsible pet ownership and ensure public safety,” Hussain said.The initial drive saw a registration surge. Shravan Krishnan from Besant memorial animal dispensary (BMAD) said, “Pet owners rushed to our clinic before the cut-off, but numbers plummeted post-deadline. Now, we see fewer than 10 cases a week for microchipping. We charge 750 for pedigree breeds and 500 for native breeds.” A total of 1,812 chips were embedded in the pets until yesterday at BMAD. Civic authorities continue issuing licences and embedding chips free at seven centres, operating six days a week from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 3pm.
