PANAJI
Despite incidents of pet dogs attacking humans which shook the public conscience in the recent past, the Goa government is yet to move seriously on the directives to curb people from having certain ferocious breeds of dogs as pets, more than a week after such a directive issued by the Centre’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
“We have not received any directions yet from the government on the Centre’s advisory,” a top official of the State Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (DAH&VS) said.
The Centre’s directive was sent in a letter to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories to ensure that the ban is imposed with “immediate effect” from March 12.
No worry for owners of banned breeds
Those already owning dogs as pets belonging to some of these banned breeds, meanwhile, can breathe easy as the Centre’s directive permits them to hold on to their pets, albeit with strict conditions.
Their licences for the existing pet dogs will be renewed but they will have to ensure they are vaccinated and possess a ‘report’ of examination by a recognised and licenced veterinary doctor.
However, no new licences can be issued to own new pets from among the banned list of breeds.
Onus may fall on p’yats, civic bodies for policing the ban
CM had hinted ban after Taleigao incident
Days after the incident last August in Taleigao where a Rottweiler breed dog escaped from its master’s house and dangerously attacked two kids in a posh residential colony, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had hinted that the government would ban “certain ferocious breeds” of dogs.
“Certain breeds need to be banned in the State because they are aggressive and attack humans,” Sawant had said at the ‘World Rabies Day’ event last year. Yet, his government is displaying a visible lack of inertia in getting on with the practicalities of enforcing the ban imposed by the Centre.
