Staff Reporter
Panaji
Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Nilkanth Halarnkar said the government is working on bringing a law mandating pet owners to register their dogs with the Department of Animal Husbandry and
Veterinary Services.
He said the government is also planning to impose fines on owners of aggressive dog breeds in the state. “The exact amount of the fines has not yet been determined, but the law is currently being prepared,” he said, noting that the government aims to introduce this bill in the next
assembly session.
Once the new rules come into effect, he said, the dog owners will be required to provide details about their pets, including the type of pet and other relevant information.
“The primary aim of this law will be to improve the management and monitoring of aggressive dog breeds and enhance public safety,” he said.
He said the central government has already issued a notice recommending ban on 23 specific dog breeds nationwide.
However, this ban has faced legal challenges in the Karnataka High Court and, as a result, the enforcement of the ban has been temporarily suspended until the court makes a
final decision.
“In view of the withholding of the ban, the ban in the state on ferocious breeds of dogs has also been kept on hold,” he said.
However, as far as Goa is concerned, the state is currently working on its own list of breeds to be banned.
The process involves identifying which breeds are considered aggressive or dangerous, and this list will be officially
announced soon.
Recently, in a tragic incident in Anjuna, a minor boy lost his life after he was brutally attacked by a pitbull while he gone to a neighbour’s with his mother. This incident has prompted the government to be serious on coming out with legislation concerning
pet dogs.
Halarnkar said the attack was particularly tragic as the pitbull involved was a pet, not a stray, and the incident occurred within the owner’s residence.
He also noted that the dog’s owner was deemed fully responsible for the child’s death.
Goa is estimated to have approximately around 1.5 lakh dogs.
