Tambaram Online Pet Licensing Program Receives Indifferent Response

Chennai: The Tambaram Municipal Corporation’s online pet licensing program is off to a sluggish start. Since the portal was launched on May 3, 2024, only 317 licenses have been issued when the corporation’s health department was expecting upwards of 2,000 licenses to be issued during the period. 

Thus far, the department has received 503 applications for pet licenses online and has set June 20, 2024, as the last date to apply online for a pet license. Officials are hopeful that applications for pet licenses will increase in the coming days.

According to the corporation’s chief health officer, Dr Arul Anand, many applications were rejected due to being incomplete; pet owners did not submit up-to-date information regarding rabies vaccinations and the vaccinations record of their pet, with some applications even containing incorrect information about their zone. 

“This might seem like a minor detail, but it’s crucial for the corporation to maintain an accurate pet database. Each zone and ward might have specific regulations or upcoming vaccination drives, so ensuring correct details is essential,” he said.

To solve this issue, the corporation has planned campaigns to educate pet parents about the registration and licensing requirements, the reasoning behind pet registration, and the application process. In the meantime, residents of Tambaram want the corporation to maintain a record of the stray dogs in the zone, citing the lack of a dog census since the corporation’s inauguration. 

The veterinary officers of the municipal corporation believe the portal will be a valuable tool. “By analysing licence applications, we can identify zones with higher pet populations,” said the corporation’s veterinary officer, Dr Shakthi Devi.