Dog Parks in Kochi: Where Dogs Are Allowed, Pet Licence

Last checked: 22 October 2026. Every rule below links to the order or news report it comes from. Kochi’s open spaces are run by different bodies, from the Kochi Corporation to the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), so the rules change from place to place, and the board at the gate is what the guards follow. This page covers Kochi (Ernakulam) and the towns around it.

The short answers

• Is there a dog park in Kochi? A part-time one: Rajendra Maidan, a GCDA ground on the backwaters, opened for dogs on Sundays, 8 to 10 am and 5 to 7 pm, in October 2023 (New Indian Express, 22 Sep 2023). The newest news report we found is from February 2024, so we couldn’t confirm it still runs.
• Can my dog run off the leash there? No, going by the rules given at the opening (Times of India, 14 Oct 2023). We found no off-leash dog park in Kochi, and no private one with its own website.
• Are dogs allowed on Marine Drive? We found no published rule either way. Keep the leash on: in March 2024 police arrested a man whose unleashed dog went for walkers there (New Indian Express, 7 Mar 2024).
• Do I need a licence for my dog? Yes. The Kochi Corporation requires one, and you apply online on K-SMART (New Indian Express, 3 Aug 2025). Steps below.
• Which places welcome dogs? Two pet cafes were reported in 2024: With Fur in Vennala, opposite Thykkattu Temple, with a lawn where pets can play (New Indian Express, 2 Aug 2024), and Bobo Cafe on KL Bernard Road, Fort Kochi, with a pet menu, grooming and boarding (New Indian Express, 9 Oct 2024). We couldn’t confirm either is still open, so call first.

Rajendra Maidan: Kochi’s Sunday dog park

Pawsome, a group of Kochi dog parents who run a yearly pet festival, took the idea to the GCDA, which owns the ground and agreed (Times of India; The Hindu, 12 Feb 2024). The Maidan is opposite the Siva temple, by the backwaters (New Indian Express, 17 Oct 2023).

What the reports from the opening say:

• Hours: Sundays, 8 to 10 am and 5 to 7 pm. Entry is free, and people without a dog are welcome too (New Indian Express, 22 Sep 2023).
• Leash on. “Pets will not be allowed to go off leash” (Times of India).
• Bring water. Water and snacks aren’t provided (Times of India).
• Pick up the poop. Carry bags; the rules said fines would be imposed if waste is found (Times of India).
• Calm, social dogs only. The organisers asked people to bring only dogs used to crowds, and to get others used to people first (New Indian Express, 17 Oct 2023).

The ground has gates, so runaways are less of a worry, and the hours are publicised so people who don’t like dogs can stay away. In February 2024 The Hindu found the Sunday sessions had their regulars.

Is it still on? The Dog’s Park Kochi page on Instagram still lists the same Sunday hours (Dog’s Park Kochi), but the page’s own newest posts that we could see are from January 2024, and we found no news report on the dog hours after February 2024. The GCDA has also planned since 2025 to make the Maidan a low-cost wedding venue (Times of India, 4 Sep 2025), and in July 2026 that plan was still waiting for approval (New Indian Express, 3 Jul 2026). Pawsome was still holding events in Kochi in August 2026 (New Indian Express, 13 Aug 2026). Check its page or ask at the gate before a Sunday trip.

Marine Drive, Queen’s Walkway and Subhash Bose Park

• Marine Drive walkway, built by the GCDA: we found no published dog rule. On 5 March 2024 an unleashed dog on the walkway went for walkers, including a High Court judge. Its walker refused to leash it, and police arrested him under section 289 of the Indian Penal Code, on negligence with an animal (New Indian Express, 7 Mar 2024). Today that is section 291 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Madhyamam, 10 Jan 2026).
• Queen’s Walkway (Chathiath Road): developed by the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA). We found no dog rule. Its kiosks have been shut since January 2026, and GIDA aims to have the revamped walkway ready by 1 January 2027 (New Indian Express, 15 Oct 2026).
• Subhash Bose Park: a Corporation park looked after by its Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development (C-HED) (Times of India, 28 Aug 2025). We found no published dog rule. Ask at the gate.
• Fort Kochi beach: we found no rule on dogs, either way.

Neighbourhood and apartment parks

There is no single rule for Kochi’s smaller parks, and some are run with the residents’ association. In Panampilly Nagar, for example, the association opens the side gates of MIG Park and Golden Park from 6.30 am to 9 pm (New Indian Express, 17 Apr 2026). We found no dog rule for either.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the statutory board under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, tells housing societies that “seeking to ban pets from gardens or parks, is short-sighted” and suggests agreeing dog timings instead; they can’t keep pets out of lifts either (AWBI guidelines, 26 Feb 2015). For public parks, in a 2016 letter to Delhi’s parks authority, the Board said leashed dogs walked by adults “will not therefore be banned”, and that parks can set reasonable dog hours instead (AWBI, 15 Nov 2016).

We found no Kerala High Court order or Corporation notice on dogs in Kochi’s parks. If your local park has a “No pets” board, don’t argue with the guard. Raise it with the residents’ association or your ward councillor.

The pet licence

In July 2021 the Kerala High Court told the state to make every local body require pets to be registered and licensed, as the Municipality and Panchayat Acts already say, with new animals registered within three months (Times of India, 14 Jul 2021). In October 2026 the chair of the Corporation’s health standing committee said “A licence is mandatory for owners keeping pets at home” (The Hindu, 5 Oct 2026).

How to apply in Kochi Corporation limits (New Indian Express, 3 Aug 2025):

1. Log in to K-SMART as a citizen and start a new application.
2. Go to Others, then Business facilitation, then “Application for licence of pig or dog”.
3. Have ready proof of your dog’s rabies vaccination, and your ID and address proof. The committee chair at the time also said dog parents should “ensure a proper cage”.

Fee: the Corporation charged ₹105 in 2022. Neighbouring towns set their own: ₹500 in Kalamassery and ₹300 in Thrikkakara, also in 2022. After an application, health inspectors checked where the dog was kept and whether neighbours had complained (Times of India, 12 Oct 2022). We found no newer fee. Since April 2025, K-SMART also adds a ₹10 “digital cost” to new licence applications and renewals (Onmanorama, 9 Mar 2025), so check the total on K-SMART. If you live in Kalamassery, Thrikkakara or Tripunithura, apply to that municipality, not the Corporation.

What’s coming: in October 2026 the state’s Local Self-Government Minister said Kerala is preparing stricter rules: registration of every pet dog, with keeping one unregistered made an offence, a limit of three dogs per household under consideration, and a ₹10,000 fine for abandoning a pet. The draft amendments put the same ₹10,000 fine on keeping an unlicensed dog (New Indian Express, 22 Jul 2026). An official added that the proposed rules make sterilisation compulsory for pet dogs, adopted ones included (New Indian Express, 14 Oct 2026). The Corporation may also bring in microchips to trace abandoned dogs (The Hindu). We found no report that these rules were in force by 22 October 2026, so get your dog’s licence now.

Street dogs, monsoon and heat

• Street dogs. In August 2026 residents across the Corporation and in Kalamassery, Thrikkakara and Tripunithura said packs of street dogs made early morning walks frightening (New Indian Express, 28 Aug 2026). Keep your dog on a short leash, and its rabies vaccination up to date.
• Monsoon. The district health department warns that the bacteria behind leptospirosis are common in soil and muddy water, and reported 10 confirmed human cases in the first 13 days of June 2026 (New Indian Express, 16 Jun 2026). Dogs catch it through contaminated water or urine, people can catch it too, and the vaccine is usually given every year (Merck Veterinary Manual). Keep your dog out of floodwater and puddles, and ask your vet whether the lepto shot is due (vaccination schedule).
• Heat. Humid days are harder on dogs: panting, their main way to cool down, works less well when it’s humid (Dogs Trust). Walk early or late, and hold your hand on the path for five seconds: if it’s too hot for you, walk later, as Dogs Trust suggests. Take extra care with old, overweight and flat-faced dogs (Dogs Trust). See heatstroke in dogs.

What to carry

• A leash no longer than six feet, as the AWBI’s 2016 parks guidelines ask.
• Poop bags. Sanitation workers have complained about dog poop left on Kochi’s streets, parks and walkways, and the then mayor said the Corporation could bring in a penalty system (New Indian Express, 29 Nov 2024).
• Photos of your dog’s licence and rabies vaccination certificate on your phone.
• Water and a bowl. Rajendra Maidan didn’t provide water in 2023.
• A towel in the monsoon.

Puppies: wait until your vet says your puppy’s vaccinations protect it before taking it to busy places, see the puppy vaccination schedule. Ticks: check your dog after walks through long grass, see how to check your dog for ticks.

Park manners

1. Keep the leash on unless the place says otherwise.
2. Pick up every poop and bin it.
3. Ask before your dog greets another dog or a person.
4. If your dog bites a person or another dog, stay, share your number and show your dog’s rabies vaccination record. A bitten person should wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor (WHO). A bitten dog should see a vet. The Corporation’s secretary has said dog parents who don’t follow its rules will be held responsible for any damage their dogs cause (New Indian Express, 3 Aug 2025).

More for a first visit: dog park etiquette. If you know a Kochi place we’ve missed, or what the board says at Marine Drive or Subhash Bose Park, tell us and we’ll add it. If your dog runs off, search close by first, then report the lost or found dog free on FurFam: your report gets its own page to share in WhatsApp groups.

Dog parks in other cities: Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Chandigarh.

FAQs

Is there a dog park in Kochi? Only part-time, as far as we found: Sunday dog hours at Rajendra Maidan, on the leash, since October 2023 (New Indian Express, Sep 2023). We couldn’t confirm it still runs.

How do I get a dog licence in Kochi? Apply on K-SMART: New application, then Others, Business facilitation, “Application for licence of pig or dog”, with your dog’s rabies vaccination proof, your ID and address proof (New Indian Express, Aug 2025). The Corporation’s fee was ₹105 in 2022.

Are dogs allowed on Marine Drive? We found no rule that bans or allows them. Keep your dog leashed: police arrested a man in 2024 after his unleashed dog went for walkers on the walkway (New Indian Express, Mar 2024).

How many dogs can I keep at home in Kerala? We found no limit in force yet. In October 2026 the state said it was considering three per household (New Indian Express, Oct 2026), and district authorities were discussing two or three (The Hindu, Oct 2026).