PANAJI
In 2014, the Goa government introduced the ambitious Goa Small Animal Rescue Management Scheme in a bid to curb the growing population of stray dogs through scientific management. A decade later, the scheme’s promise remains largely unfulfilled. Reason? Lack of synergy among key departments has left the government struggling to make an impact.
A senior official from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services clarified a common misconception that their department is solely responsible for controlling the stray dog menace. Speaking to The Goan, he stated that the scheme’s success centres around the involvement of local bodies and other related organizations.
“Our focus is on the health and welfare of animals, not controlling the birth population of stray animals. We however have schemes encouraging the local bodies and voluntary organisations to take up the cause. There’s a need for collaboration among departments and this is missing. Moreover, many local bodies are not taking any action on the ground,” the official lamented.
Evidence of this is that only 48 village panchayats and a handful of local bodies are registered under the scheme.
According to the 20th livestock census, Goa has 27,864 stray dogs with 15,370 in North Goa and 12,494 in the South. Around 12,000 dogs have been sterilized as part of the scheme's animal birth control initiatives over the past four years.
However, sterilization has been carried out sporadically. To ensure continuity in the exercise, the department proposed to set up two permanent centres - one in each district. “Since the process is not routinely carried out, the population of dogs has not come under control and has instead multiplied. We have proposed to set up two permanent centres to ensure regular sterilization," the official added.
Regarding the rise in dog bite incidents, the official observed that business on the seashore is down in the off-season which leaves dogs starving. “They chase and bite people. Out of starvation, they get panicky,” he explained.
It is also learnt that the tourism department could be roped in to take up initiatives and engage dog feeders during the off-season.
Divar has increasing
dog population
In unscathed Divar Island, there’s a new and unexpected challenge -- an extraordinary rise in the stray dog population. While the human population is around 6,000, the island now has about 1,500 stray dogs.
The origin of this problem is both strange and worrying as officials unearthed an ironic twist wherein certain passengers, particularly owners of pet dogs, discreetly ferry puppies to Divar, abandon them and return. The authorities are considering a countermeasure by banning transporting puppies under suspicious circumstances.
