PANAJI
More than a year after it stepped back from a proposed crackdown on ferocious dog breeds amid opposition from animal lovers and activists, the Goa government has decided to push ahead with a ban — this time armed with legal backing to withstand a possible challenge.
Senior officials confirmed to The Goan that the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services is preparing to notify a prohibition on select breeds, including Pitbull, Rottweiler, Malinois, Cane Corso and Dogo Argentino, after months of internal deliberations, public suggestions and legal consultations.
“We are considering representations from animal activists to ensure there are no allegations that we did not take public views into account. We are also seeking legal opinion before notifying the ban on selective dog breeds to prevent any litigation. Once approved by the government, we will notify the banned dog breeds for Goa,” an official said.
Last February, the State had declared its intention to widen restrictions beyond Pit Bulls and Rottweilers to cover ten additional breeds considered aggressive. That earlier proposal had named Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Russian Shepherd, Tornjak, Sarplaninac and Japanese Tosa. Akita and certain Mastiff varieties were also under consideration at the time.
The current proposal, however, narrowed the list after a “legal and practical evaluation”.
Sources further stated that while future import and breeding of the notified dogs will not be permitted once the notification comes into force, all existing dogs of the identified breeds will be subjected to mandatory sterilisation to prevent further breeding.
A formal registry of such dogs is also mandatory through the ongoing enumeration of pet and stray animals with the urban bodies and village panchayats to carry out the main task.
The government is also likely to prescribe stringent penalties for those found breeding or facilitating the breeding of banned dogs.
Meanwhile, the State Monitoring Committee had last year recommended compulsory sterilisation and registration of pet dogs. Under the proposal, pet owners who fail to sterilise their dogs within six months could be required to pay a penalty. A separate proposal to levy registration fees and penalties also remains pending approval.
