Panaji: Goa had 27,864 stray dogs according to the 2019 Livestock Census, with the state government now directing that stray dogs found on the premises of public institutions be removed and shifted to shelters after being sterilised and vaccinated, Animal Husbandry Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar told the state Assembly on Wednesday.
The minister was responding to a question raised by MLA Aleixo Lourenco, who sought details on the state’s stray dog population and measures being taken to address the issue. Halarnkar said updated figures on the number of stray dogs in Goa were not yet available.
He said the 21st Livestock Census, conducted by the Centre’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying between November 2024 and April 2025, had been completed, but its findings had not yet been released.
Referring to measures being taken to control the stray dog population, Halarnkar cited a Supreme Court order issued on November 7, 2025.
The order directs municipal bodies and other authorities concerned to remove stray dogs found in educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and railway stations and relocate them to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination, in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.
Halarnkar said the responsibility for implementing the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme rests with local bodies as a statutory obligation.
He said the issue primarily falls under local bodies functioning under the administrative control of the Urban Development Department and the Directorate of Panchayats. These authorities are responsible for implementing the ABC Rules in line with the directions issued by the Supreme Court, he added.
The Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, meanwhile, acts as a facilitator for the implementation of the Goa Small Animal Rescue programme, while the responsibility for carrying out the ABC programme lies with the respective local bodies, the minister said.
Halarnkar also informed the House that information on dog-bite incidents had been received from the Directorate of Health Services, the Department of Tourism and the Goa Police.
However, the Directorate of Education, Urban Development (Municipal Administration) and Directorate of Panchayats had not reported any dog-bite cases, he said.
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Police station-wise details of dog-bite incidents were also furnished by the office of the Director General of Police, though the minister did not provide the number of cases.
Source: https://nenews.in/goa/stray-dogs-in-public-institutions-to-be-shifted-to-shelters-in-goa/63080/