Shelter for stray dogs need of the hour

Against the backdrop of the recent dog attacks on visitors on the Benaulim beach belt, this question was posed to Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte during his visit to Colva in late May last to inaugurate the Spirit of Goa festival.  The Minister was quick to concede that problem of stray dogs is an issue not just on the beach belt, but across the state, while batting for a holistic solution.

Attacks by dogs have not stopped on the beach belt since then, and there’s neither any sign of an early solution forthcoming from the government or the Tourism department. A high-level meeting chaired by South district Collector, Asvin Chandru to address the menace on a request from Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz had set in motion the process to evolve a solution with Mission Rabies volunteering to take up the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme along the beach belt. 

There’s, however, a catch “ who will provide a piece of land along the coastal belt for Mission Rabies to set up a dog shelter to house the canines?

District Collector Chandru has promised to write to the government to scout for land for the proposed dog shelter, but a host of questions remains unanswered. One, who will provide the required land to set up the dog shelter and when it would be made available to set up the shelter? Will the Tourism department part with a small portion of land in Benaulim, Colva or Cavelossim to set up dog shelters to take care of the strays?

Local Panchayat bodies, including Colva and Benaulim had been knocking the doors of the government over the years  to get the Tourism department part with a small parcel of land on the beach belt to shelter the strays, but in vain.

Says Colva Sarpanch Suzie Fernandes: “The Colva panchayat has  no land to set up a dog shelter. But, the Panchayat is ready to run a dog shelter if the Tourism department provides a piece of land at Colva for the purpose. In the past, the panchayat had written letters to the Tourism department to take care of the strays on the beach, but there’s been no response”.

Suzie pointed out that a small dog shelter catering to the strays can be set up at Colva provided the Tourism department makes available the land.

Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Pereira has echoed similar sentiments. “The issue of stray dogs falls in the domain of the Tourism department. Hence, the government should set up a shelter for the strays to ensure the safety of visitors on the beach”.

Benaulim-based Fisherman, Pele said he has come across at least 5-6 dog bite incidents at the Benaulim beach since late May last. “We have asked the government to shelter the dogs at some place to ensure the safety and security of visitors. The Tourism department has drawn up plans to levy two per cent tourism sustainable  fee on hotels, restaurants and even tea stalls. Instead of levying more taxes and overburdening the stakeholders, the government should take steps to rid the strays from the beach belt and save tourism”, he added.

CSR to tackle 

the menace

Will the stakeholders step in to provide a small parcel of land to set up dog shelters on the beach belt as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

This question has becomes a subject of debate in tourism circles with many a starred resort is owning huge properties along Salcete coastal belt. Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz said the local Panchayat body is exploring the possibility of resolving the burning issue at the village level by roping in the tourism stakeholders. “When the South district Collector Asvin Chandru called a  meeting of stakeholders to address the stray dog issue, Mission Rabies volunteered to take up the  ABC programme provided land is made available. The Collector has promised to write to the government to look out for land, but the panchayat too is in the process of exploring the possibility stakeholders leasing out small portion of land on temporary basis for the ABC programme,” Dixon added.