2 weeks Ago
Chennai: After six years, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has counted the number of dogs in the city—1.8 lakh stray dogs roam the streets, according to the 2024 dog population survey released on Friday. The stray dog population has tripled since the 2018 census, when there were 57,366 stray dogs.
The 2024 survey also revealed that only 27% of the city's dogs are neutered, leaving 1.32 lakh unneutered stray dogs capable of multiplying and further increasing their numbers. Among GCC's 15 zones, Ambattur had the highest number of dogs—23,980, with only 18% of them neutered.
Madhavaram came in second with 12,671 dogs, and 19% were neutered. Less than 30% of the dogs in north Chennai and the Ambattur zone are neutered, unlike in central and south Chennai. For instance, Alandur had the fewest dogs—4,875, with 57% neutered.
Adyar had a 43% neutering rate . "GCC zones from 1 to 8 do not have many animal birth control (ABC) centres, resulting in poor neutering and a higher dog population. Most ABC centres and NGOs that perform sterilisation surgeries are concentrated in central and south Chennai," said Dr Karlette Anne Fernandes, Director of Companion Animal Management at Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), the NGO that conducted the survey.
WVS began the dog population survey in June, with 80 volunteers counting stray dogs on two-wheelers across 1,672 km. They uploaded data such as GPS location, age, gender, neutering status, health condition, and photos to a mobile app, and triple-checked the data. After 600 surveys, the exercise concluded in August.
GCC provided WVS with Rs. 5 lakh for fuel and logistics. The NGO covered only 20.
45% of the city's total road length. "This is just a baseline survey estimating the stray dog population," said Karlette. According to the survey, 95% of the dogs were healthy, but increasing the neutering rate is essential to control both the stray dog population and diseases.
"Every zone must achieve at least a 50% neutering rate. Additionally, more female dogs must be neutered because one female dog can give birth to 12 puppies a year," said Karlette. Around 35% of the stray dogs in Chennai are female, according to the survey.
She added that an ABC centre is needed in Ambattur, which has the highest stray dog population, and recommended an intensive neutering drive across the city to cover 90% of dogs within two years. Increasing the neutering rate will also reduce public complaints about stray dogs, according to the study. Alandur had the fewest complaints, while Ambattur had many.
"Additional ABC centres will be established in areas with higher dog populations, dog bites, and lower vaccination rates," said GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran. Two more ABC centres in Manali and Perungudi will be built, along with the five existing ABC centres in the city, to achieve 50,000 sterilisation surgeries annually..
