PANAJI
Animal welfare groups in Goa have expressed deep concern, and some frustration, over the Supreme Court’s directive ordering that stray dogs be removed “forthwith” from schools, hospitals, railway stations, bus stands and similar public spaces, and kept in designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination.
The order, pronounced on Friday by a three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria, further states that the dogs “shall not be released back to the same location” and has directed uniform implementation across the country with compliance reports due in eight weeks.
But in Goa, NGOs working on the ground have argued that the order overlooks the most basic reality -- Goa has no long-term shelter capacity for housing dogs permanently. Shelters exist only for sterilisation and release.
The Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS), which runs sterilisation programs in the State, stated bluntly that the current system in Goa cannot support the Court’s direction.
“Goa only has shelters where dogs are sterilised and vaccinated, after which they are released back to their territories. There are no long-term holding shelters. If the Supreme Court says these dogs cannot be released, then a completely new infrastructure is required under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” WVS said.
Atul Sarin, Founder of Welfare for Animals in Goa (WAG), said the judgment appears detached from ground functioning. “I think the Supreme Court should have understood this before passing the judgment. These stray dogs have a strong connection to the areas they inhabit. Now, with this order, the dogs are the ones under threat,” he said.
Sarin argued that Goa must now seek more time from the apex court and financial support from the concerned to build the infrastructure.
“If the order insists dogs must remain in shelters, then provisions must be made. Goa should appeal for time and funding because setting up such centres requires heavy costs. Also, the government must bring NGOs and volunteers into the advisory process for implementation, as we have been doing this work including feeding the strays on the ground for years,” he added. “My personal opinion is not to keep them in shelters.”
Similarly, expert dog trainer Shaun Moitra, who runs DogSpeed, described the order as impractical and outdated while pointing out that stray cattle have been overlooked.
“The Court needs to understand the ground reality before passing such judgments. I don’t understand why they (SC) are not getting modernised? The order reads as if only humans exist on this planet...Why are stray dogs being singled out while stray cattle roam freely across the streets? Why target only dogs?” he questioned.
Moitra also claimed that shelters are not the answer while suggesting that there should be new ways to tackle the problem. “The real issue is community responsibility. Each neighbourhood should care for one street animal,” he further said.
Shraddha Vora, who leads field operations for Angels for Animals, which provides rescue and medical care, also echoed this concern.
Minister for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Nilkant Halarnkar and department officials remained unavailable for comments despite calls from The Goan.
