On August 29, a seven-year-old boy who had accompanied his mother to work, a maid at a house in Pequen-Peddem (Anjuna), was mauled by the owner’s pit bull dog, which was neither on a leash nor wearing a muzzle. After a day, the child succumbed to the serious injuries and bites caused by the dog. Apparently, the owner had asked the lady not to bring her son to work because of the dog. What if the dog had bitten the lady? The owner has been arrested and may soon be out on bail; if not, he is already out. Arresting the owners or asking them to pay compensation are just consolations since the injured kids/adults and their families would be scared of dogs and scarred for life.
In August 2023, a rottweiler attacked two kids at Taleigao, and in September the Chief Minister had considered banning aggressive dogs. Now the Minister for Animal Husbandry has stated that he will discuss with the Chief Minister bringing in some regulations and restrictions to punish those owning ferocious breeds. In these 12 months, there have been several reported dog attacks (by strays and pets) and possibly many more unreported ones, within and outside Goa.
The Centre had identified 23 foreign-bred dogs that are acclimatised (physically and mentally) to their home countries and are used by law enforcement authorities. The breeds may feel out of sorts in a tropical country; for example, Siberian Huskies thrive in cold temperatures and in India they need an air-conditioned room. But what happens when these dogs are taken for a walk in the hot sun? Hence, in one way, the owners, who have vicious pets as status symbols, are doing more harm than good, and some may not even be taking proper care. Many times, the owners are more arrogant than their ferocious pets and take them out without a leash. The government (Centre and States) should soon pass relevant laws or bring in an ordinance to ban the import, breeding, and ownership of ferocious dogs, especially the foreign varieties, before any more incidents occur.
