Goa had 27,864 stray dogs as per the 2019 livestock census, and the government has directed the removal of strays from public institutions and shifting them to shelters after sterilisation and vaccination, state Animal Husbandry Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said.
Replying to a question by MLA Aleixo Lourenco in the state assembly on Wednesday, the minister said the latest stray dog population data was not yet available.
The 21st Livestock Census was conducted between November 2024 and April 2025 by the Centre’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, but its data has not yet been published, he said.
On measures to address the stray dog menace, Halarnkar referred to a Supreme Court order of November 7, 2025, directing municipal bodies and other jurisdictional authorities to remove stray dogs found in educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and railway stations and shift them to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination in accordance with the 2023 rules.
He said the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme is the statutory responsibility of local bodies
The matter primarily concerns local bodies under the administrative control of the Urban Development Department and the Directorate of Panchayats, which are the competent authorities for implementing the ABC rules in accordance with the Supreme Court directions, the minister said.
The Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services functions as a facilitator for implementing the Goa Small Animal Rescue programme, while local bodies are responsible for implementing the ABC programme, he informed the House.
He also said that information on dog-bite cases had been received from the Directorate of Health Services, Department of Tourism and Goa Police, while the Directorate of Education, Urban Development (Municipal Administration) and Directorate of Panchayats had not reported any such cases.
The police station-wise details of dog-bite cases were also provided by the office of the Director General of Police, he said, without specifying the numbers.
(PTI)
