PANAJI
The unfortunate death of seven-year-old Prabhas Kalangutkar, who was mauled by a pitbull in Anjuna, reignited the debate over the accountability of pet owners in Goa as in the past year alone, Goa recorded at least four serious pet-dog biting incidents.
Sources revealed to The Goan that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant convened another meeting with senior bureaucrats at the Secretariat and officials from the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services about implementing a revised policy that would hold dog owners responsible including murder charges, in cases of fatal attacks.
Even non-fatal attacks would lead to serious criminal action. A notification regarding mandatory registration of imported dogs, particularly the 23 breeds classified as dangerous by the Central government, is expected to be issued this week.
In one of the most severe cases from the past year, two young siblings, aged 6 and 5, were attacked by a Rottweiler while walking with their mother in Taleigao. The dog, unprovoked, leaped over the fence of its owner’s bungalow and viciously attacked the children, inflicting multiple grievous injuries to their faces, chests, skulls and necks. The children were rushed to Goa Medical College and the dog’s owner, Madhav Rao Chawan, was arrested only after public outcry.
It is now informed that the Panaji police charge-sheeted Chawan on January 29, 2024, before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (E-Court) under sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal), 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety) of the Indian Penal Code.
In December 2023, another incident involving a 10-year-old girl in Camurlim stirred panic among residents after she was bitten by a neighbour’s pet dog. The Colvale police arrested two brothers Siddharth and Aniket Khorjuvekar for negligence. Soon thereafter yet another dog bite incident occurred in Keri Priol, where a pet dog attacked and injured several residents including students.
Revised policy guidelines for
Street and Pet Dog Caregiving
No owner/person in charge of any dog, shall:
(a) Allow the pet dog to roam at large on any public street or public place without being harnessed and without being secured by a chain lead, if he knows that the dog is likely to annoy or intimidate any person.
(b) Allow any ferocious dog to be at large without being harnessed and without being secured by a chain lead.
(c) Encourage or urge any dog to attack, annoy or intimidate any person or
(d) If any dog repeatedly attacks other dogs or residents, such dogs must be removed to a private shelter by the RWA/Co-operative or Housing Societies or DSPCA.
