In the ongoing Assembly, the Minister for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services stated that in Mandrem constituency, in the last two-and-a-half years, there were 906 dog bite cases (TGE July 31). The three popular beaches”Arambol, Keri, and Morjim”witnessed 163 (in 2023), 268 (2024), and 95 (till date 2025); 55, 116, and 31; and 41, 94, and 45, respectively. In 2024, for some reason, the number of incidents was nearly double at the three beaches. The tourism ministry could compare to check if the number of tourists reduced at these places because of the stray dogs.
The increase in stray dogs may be attributed to their being fed with leftover food from shacks and by restaurants. There are also people who do their good deed for the day by feeding the strays”either out of compassion, conscience, or for reels. Once done, they go back in satisfaction, leaving the others (beachgoers, walkers, pedestrians, etc.) to their fate and at the mercy of the dogs. Do these people have pets at home? If not, and as the Supreme Court asked, why cannot the Samaritans take the strays home and take good care?
The old adages “Let sleeping dogs lie” and “Barking dogs do not bite” are nowadays redundant. The strays have evolved with time and chase instead of lying idle on the sunny beaches, and bite along with their bark. Charles Darwin’s theory of “Survival of the Fittest” aptly applies to the stray dogs. When will Goa’s beaches be free from stray dogs and cattle?
