The news report ‘Stray dog menace continues to plague south Goa beaches’ (TGE, Dec 6) adequately testifies to the fact that stray dogs are once again on the prowl on Goa beaches. Only last week, three senior citizens, including two foreign nationals, were badly bitten on Mobor beach by a pack of stray dogs.
Earlier, there was the case of two foreign tourists, a French woman and a Russian woman, who were attacked by a pack of 10“12 dogs on Benaulim beach while walking and cycling. All this goes to prove that the Goa government has failed miserably to make our beaches safe and free of stray dogs. What memories will the foreigners take back when they return to their country in such a frightful scenario?
I wonder what has happened to the earlier plans to provide dog shelters on the beaches to feed and house the stray dogs. Or has the experiment failed due to lack of support from NGOs, dog lovers, and the Animal Welfare Board? It is time to get our priorities right and take urgent steps to rectify the situation before more people are bitten, and Goa’s image as a safe tourist destination becomes further tarnished.
