Three Dogs, Three Muzzles And One Judge Wondering How GCC Will Manage The Greater Chennai Corporation has announced that by November 24, every pet dog in the city must be licensed and microchipped. Chennai’s dogs, of course, have responded with great enthusiasm… mostly by sleeping through the announcement. / advocate harini

[14/11, 18:09] Sekarreporter: https://x.com/sekarreporter1/status/1989312225362747704?t=fHrfPDn2GKoGmGlTZSPHow&s=08
[14/11, 18:09] Sekarreporter: Three Dogs, Three Muzzles And One Judge Wondering How GCC Will Manage
The Greater Chennai Corporation has announced that by November 24, every pet dog in the city must be licensed and microchipped. Chennai’s dogs, of course, have responded with great enthusiasm… mostly by sleeping through the announcement.
Pet owners, on the other hand, are frantically refreshing the GCC website, which occasionally behaves like a shy puppy , sometimes it comes when called, and sometimes it just stares back blankly.
The Madras High Court stepped in to ask the obvious question:
“How will you license one lakh dogs in such a short time?”
A very reasonable query, considering that even counting one lakh dogs would require more patience than a parent teaching a Lab toddler not to eat the sofa.
Justice Lakshminarayanan also mentioned that he has three dogs and muzzles them during walks. Chennai dog owners instantly felt comforted: “Okay, this judge gets it. He has experience.”
Meanwhile, GCC has been conducting “awareness camps.” Dogs seem quite aware already. They are aware that walks are fun, food is great, and the doorbell is evil. The rest is negotiable.
Pet owners have been trying to upload vaccination certificates online. The portal, however, occasionally reacts as though the certificate is a prank: Upload? No. Try again? Maybe. It’s basically the digital equivalent of a Golden Retriever tilting its head in confusion.
But the rules are serious: a ₹5,000 fine for not registering and ₹500 for walking an unleashed dog.
This has led to the sudden rise of the city’s newest fitness trend: owners being walked by their dogs, both firmly leashed and totally confused.
Animal-welfare groups support the effort but gently suggest that it might help if there were more camps, cheaper microchips, and a portal that doesn’t need emotional counselling.
As November 24 approaches, the atmosphere in Chennai’s pet-owning households can be summarised as follows:
Dogs: “Walk? Snack? What’s happening?”
Owners: “WHERE IS THAT OTP? WHY ISN’T THIS PDF OPENING?”
GCC: “We are conducting camps on Sunday.”
High Court: “We are conducting reality checks.”
In the end, everyone wants responsible pet ownership.
It’s just that turning a city of one lakh wagging tails into a well-organised digital database… may require more treats, more patience, and a slightly better Wi-Fi connection.
While the Judge Walks Three Muzzled Dogs; GCC Still Struggles to Walk the Talk. If Only the Deadline Were as Well-Trained. Three Muzzled Dogs and One Unmuzzled Question: Can GCC Pull This Off?