The High Court of Bombay at Goa has stressed the need for reliable data on the state’s stray dog population, after the Union government placed provisional figures estimating the number at around 39,180 dogs.
The Court also suggested that, if possible, geo-tagging could be used to establish their distribution.
The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, hearing a suo motu writ petition concerning the issue, suggested that geo-tagging could be considered to establish the distribution of stray dogs across Goa.
The Bench observed that even partial geo-tagging could help authorities obtain a clearer understanding of where stray dogs are concentrated and assist in planning measures related to their management.
The provisional figure of 39,180 dogs was submitted by Advocate Somnath Karpe, appearing for the Union government through the Principal Secretary.
Karpe clarified that the figures had not been finally collated and were placed before the Court only to assist it in considering the petition.
The reliability of existing estimates was also questioned. The Bench recalled that figures placed on record earlier had shown a stray dog population equivalent to around nine per cent of Goa’s human population in November 2022, while another government estimate in July 2023 had put the figure at 4.5 per cent.
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The Bench had subsequently sought to know whether the Union government possessed any census data, even if provisional, and stressed that accurate figures were important for determining the distribution of stray dogs across different talukas and framing appropriate measures.
During Thursday’s proceedings, a respondent also referred to a media report quoting the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services as putting Goa’s stray dog population at approximately 56,000 in January 2025.
Source: https://nenews.in/goa/high-court-seeks-reliable-data-on-stray-dog-population-in-goa/63996/