Registration process has not begun across State
MAPUSA
Nearly a year after the State government announced mandatory registration and sterilisation of ferocious dog breeds amid rising public safety concerns in the State, the policy remains largely on paper, with no registration mechanism in place and no data available on compliance across the State.
The mandate, which covers breeds such as Pitbulls and Rottweilers, is yet to be operationalised, officials from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AHVS) department have confirmed.
Despite cabinet approval and legislative backing, the registration process has not commenced across Goa.
An official from the AHVS department said the responsibility of implementing the registration mechanism had been assigned to the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA), but the process was yet to begin.
“The DMA is in the process of developing an online facility through which owners will be able to register their dogs. However, the system has not been rolled out so far,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The government first announced the mandatory registration and sterilisation of ferocious dog breeds in February last year, following a spate of dog attack incidents that raised public safety concerns.
At the time, the government had made it clear that owners of such breeds would be required not only to register and sterilise their dogs but also refrain from breeding them.
Subsequently, the State cabinet approved amendments to existing animal breeding regulations to include provisions for identifying ferocious breeds, banning fresh acquisitions, and fixing responsibility and liability on existing owners.
The policy framework was further strengthened when the Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Bill, 2025 was passed by the State legislative assembly during the monsoon session. The legislation provides the legal basis for regulating ownership of ferocious animals and compensating victims of animal attacks.
However, nearly a year after the initial announcement and months after the passage of the Bill, the absence of a functional registration system has raised questions about enforcement and preparedness.
With no official data available on registered ferocious dogs in either North or South Goa, the government’s safety initiative remains stalled at the implementation stage.
Officials said the registration drive is expected to begin once the online platform is made operational, though no timeline has been announced so far.
