In Chennai, 12% of the owners of licensed pet dogs and cats have not renewed their pet licences after getting a booster dose of anti-rabies vaccination for the animals one year later.

Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran advised residents to get the booster dose for the pets and renew their licences before June 15 to reduce the risk of exposure to rabies. Of the 78,392 pet licences issued by the GCC, 9,656 have expired owing to the delay in reporting the vaccination booster dose to the civic body.

All such residents have been requested to get booster doses of rabies vaccination for their dogs and cats and renew pet licences before June 15. The GCC will start collecting a fine of ₹5,000 from pet owners who fail to renew the licences before the deadline.

The GCC will also collect a fine of ₹500 for unleashed dogs. It has collected ₹3.81 lakh for unleashed pets, while fines to the tune of ₹4.05 lakh have been collected for unlicensed pets. “Rabies vaccination is mandatory for the renewal of pet licences of cats and dogs. Microchipping is also mandatory for dogs while it is optional for cats,” said a GCC official.

The GCC will provide anti-rabies vaccination free of cost at the 11 pet clinics across the city. Pet owners can also get anti-rabies vaccination booster doses at private veterinary clinics before renewing the pet licences. In addition to the renewal of pet licences that have expired, the GCC has also advised pet owners to get a licence for pets that have not yet been licensed.