CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that pet owners are not required to muzzle their dogs in public places, clarifying that its recent communication on muzzling was only an advisory and not a mandatory rule.
The clarification came during the hearing of a petition filed by NGO People for Cattle in India, which argued that certain breeds cannot be fitted with muzzles due to their facial structure.
Appearing before Justice V Lakshminarayanan, GCC counsel assured the court that no fine would be imposed on pet owners for not using muzzles. However, he stressed keeping dogs leashed in public places remains compulsory, and those found violating this rule will face a `500 penalty.
Responding to concerns over licencing norms issued following recent dog-bite incidents in the city, the civic body said the deadline to obtain pet licence, initially set for November 24, has now been extended to December 7, with further flexibility if required. The GCC said 82,000 online applications have been received so far, and over 35,348 dogs have been vaccinated and certified.
The corporation also clarified that microchipping is a one-time requirement, not an annual process. It further addressed complaints from animal welfare organisations, stating NGOs sheltering rescued animals may register them and later transfer the registration to adoptive owners without additional fees.
In response to a petitioner’s claim that the online portal restricted users to registering only four animals, GCC said the cap was a technical glitch and has since been fixed.
After recording the corporation’s explanations, the high court closed the petition and directed that the clarifications be published as a formal notification within a week.