MARGAO
With 14 tourists attacked by dogs in as many days on the beach belt, the Village Panchayat of Cavelossim, along with tourism stakeholders, went into a huddle on Sunday to take stock of the situation and put systems in place to keep the strays at bay.
Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz has warned people feeding stray dogs on the beach belt, requesting dog lovers to feed the dogs at the dog shelter erected by the village Panchayat near Old Anchor.
Claiming that the beach belt has reported as many as 14 dog attack cases in the last two weeks, Dixon, along with local panchayat member Jesus D’Costa and local stakeholders, including representatives of the starred resorts, took stock of the emerging situation.
It was pointed out that the attacks by dogs had taken place when tourists were taking a walk on the beach, especially during the evening hours before sunset, when a couple of dogs in packs attacked the tourists in certain areas.
Panch member Jesus D’Costa, a fisherman who operates water sports, said that the main reason could be that some people feed the dogs occasionally and not on a regular basis. “This has made the strays aggressive, attacking human beings, including foreigners and domestic visitors,” he said.
Ex-Panch member Sofia Silva Monteiro, an animal lover, who is managing the dog shelter run by the panchayat, has appealed to people not to feed the dogs on the roadside. Instead, she has made an appeal to the public to call her or the panchayat, since the Panchayat is regularly feeding the dogs twice a day, besides taking care of them.
Sarpanch Dixon Vaz has sent a warning that no one should feed the dogs just for the sake of it, but instead work with the panchayat and donate to the panchayat, as the body has engaged a person who will feed the dogs regularly and at various designated places. “We are not against dogs or animals, but the situation has gone out of hand, and we need to act now. As a panchayat, we are doing our best with a dog shelter. Also, we have dog cages and have roped in a dog lover who feeds dogs twice a day with cooked food and clean water. We give medication to the sick dogs,” Dixon said, while exuding confidence that people will see positive results in the coming days.
