PANAJI
The popular northern tourist belt of Mandrem constituency has been witnessing a worrying trend in dog bite cases, with nearly 906 incidents reported at three beach belts in the last two and a half years.
According to figures tabled by Minister for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Nilkanth Halarnkar in the Legislative Assembly, Arambol alone recorded 163 dog bite cases in 2023, which spiked to 268 in 2024, and stood at 93 till date in 2025; totalling to 524 cases. Keri reported 55 cases in 2023, 116 in 2024 and 31 cases in 2025 so far, while Morjim saw 41, 94 and 45 dog bite incidents in the same years, respectively.
The data was provided in response to a question by Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar, who raised the issue, citing increasing danger to both locals and tourists due to stray dog attacks, especially in the three beach belts.
“Yes, the government is aware of the growing menace of street dogs in the coastal belt of Mandrem constituency, particularly in Arambol, Keri, and Morjim villages, which is posing danger to both locals and tourists,” the minister said.
The Directorate of Health Services and the Goa Police provided bite case data, while the Animal Husbandry Department outlined efforts to vaccinate and sterilise street dogs in the affected areas.
In 2023-24, 539 dogs were vaccinated in Arambol (May), 228 in Querim (June), and 499 in Morjim (June). For 2024-25, 414 dogs were vaccinated in Arambol (July), 196 in Querim (June), and 419 in Morjim (June).
“To control the stray dog menace, the government has formulated a scheme, “The Goa Small Animal Rescue Management Scheme 2014 (Amended)” through which grant-in-aid is provided to local bodies for sterilisation of street dogs through Animal Welfare Organisations,” Halarnkar said. Also, the policy for street and pet dog care given in the form of guidelines (revised) has been notified. Goa is currently home to an estimated 56,000 stray dogs and dog bite incidents have increased in the coastal belt across both districts.
In 2022, Goa recorded 8,057 dog bite cases, which increased to 11,904 in 2023 and 17,236 by the end of 2024, showing an increase of over 100 per cent in two years.
