Goa’s efforts to manage its stray-dog population are spread across village panchayats, municipal bodies, veterinary authorities, police and non-governmental organisations, but the absence of a consolidated database is making it difficult to assess the scale of the problem across the state.
Government records compiling complaints received by village panchayats since January 2022 show numerous instances of “Nil” entries for dog bites, attacks, nuisance and incidents involving dogs chasing pedestrians or vehicles.
However, the same records indicate that vaccination and Animal Birth Control (ABC) activities have continued in several areas.
The contrast raises questions about whether complaint figures alone provide an accurate picture of stray-dog numbers and the challenges faced by residents.
ALSO READ: Goa co-operative banks to remain open during three-day bank strike
For instance, Virnoda village panchayat in Pernem has reported no complaints, while its records also indicate that ABC and vaccination drives continued and that no issues were pending.
In Canacona, several panchayats have similarly recorded no complaints across multiple categories and years.
These entries reflect the complaints received by individual local bodies, but do not establish the actual number of stray dogs in an area or the extent of sterilisation and vaccination coverage.
Nor do they account for incidents that may go unreported or residents who do not approach their panchayats.
Responsibility for managing the issue is distributed among several agencies.
Panchayats and municipalities generally receive public complaints, veterinary authorities handle animal health interventions, and NGOs participate in sterilisation and vaccination programmes.
Police may also become involved in cases concerning animal owners, unlawful animal keeping or dogs considered dangerous.
However, the separate systems do not appear to provide a single, state-wide picture connecting complaints with dog-bite incidents, sterilisation and vaccination records, population estimates and locations where problems recur.
ALSO READ: Assam CM reviews arrangements for Bhupen Hazarika centenary finale in Delhi
This makes it difficult to determine whether areas reporting few complaints have smaller stray-dog populations or whether the figures reflect gaps in reporting.
It also limits the ability of authorities to compare the effectiveness of interventions across different localities.
A centralised database combining information from local bodies, veterinary departments, NGOs and other relevant agencies could help identify areas requiring attention and provide a clearer assessment of the impact of existing programmes, a report said.
Such a system would allow authorities to track sterilisation and vaccination coverage alongside complaints and reported incidents, helping them identify recurring hotspots and direct resources according to local requirements.
The available records do not, by themselves, establish whether Goa’s stray-dog population is increasing.
They do, however, highlight a gap in the information needed to assess the problem comprehensively and plan coordinated interventions.
Source: https://nenews.in/goa/goas-stray-dog-problem-exposes-gaps-in-data-monitoring-and-coordination/65819/