PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday implied the need for reliable data on Goa’s stray dog population, after the Union government placed provisional census figures of around 39,180 dogs. The Court also suggested that, if possible, geo-tagging could be used to establish their distribution.
The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, hearing a suo motu writ petition on the issue, suggested that even partial geo-tagging of the stray dog population could give authorities a clearer picture of their locations among other related details.
Meanwhile, the provisional figure of around 39,180 was placed on record by Advocate Somnath Karpe, appearing for the Union government through the Principal Secretary. Karpe clarified that the data was not finally collated and had been placed before the court only to assist it in hearing the petition.
“I hope when the sterilisation begins, this does not turn out to be three times the figures,” the Bench thereafter remarked.
The issue of conflicting estimates had come up before the court on September 1, when the Bench questioned the substantial variation in the stray dog population figures cited by the government.
Referring to records placed before it, the Bench had noted that a figure equivalent to nine percent of the human population was recorded on November 17, 2022, while the government cited a 4.5 per cent figure in July 2023. It had sought to know whether the Union government had any census data, even if provisional.
It also stressed that reliable population data was necessary to ascertain the distribution of stray dogs across talukas and to formulate appropriate measures to address the issue.
During Thursday’s hearing, one of the respondents referred to a media report quoting the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services as stating that Goa had around 56,000 stray dogs as of January 2025.
Hearing a separate-yet-connected petition regarding the animal shelter, the Animal Trust informed the high court that it will apply for the technical approval within the next two days. The Bench then instructed the Village Panchayat of Tuem to file its affidavit in the meantime, and adjourned the matter to September 16.
