The clock ticked past the Supreme Court’s strict eight-week ultimatum, yet Chennai’s streets remain overrun with stray dogs. Greater Chennai Corporation’s relocation efforts are crawling due to an acute dearth of animal shelters, leaving citizens vulnerable.
The order stemmed from November 2023, when the court mandated civic authorities to clear public spaces of strays amid rising incidents of attacks and rabies fears. GCC countered with December funding: daily Rs 50 per dog for meals and Rs 750 for larger shelters.
Money alone isn’t enough. NGOs point to overcrowded facilities and missing infrastructure as barriers to participation. Authorized shelters are maxed out, per officials. TNAWB’s list of eight NGOs offers no immediate relief—all at capacity.
Talks continue with two groups, but peripheral organizations echo the space woes. Progress is scant: a recent operation cleared 40 dogs from Madras High Court, with 21 to Nemmeli shelter and others adopted. The pledged stray census? Still not started.
Pushing forward, GCC eyes two new shelters in Madhavaram and Velachery, each for 250 dogs including high-risk cases. NGO tenders are out, aiming for March-end readiness. This delay underscores systemic gaps in urban animal control. As attacks persist, Chennai demands faster action to restore safe streets.