Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has invited residents, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and animal welfare organisations to adopt stray dogs found along the state’s beaches, giving interested applicants seven days to submit their applications.
The initiative, announced by the Department of Tourism, comes amid the Supreme Court’s scrutiny of the stray dog issue in public places and aims to bring beach stray dogs under a formal management plan in line with applicable laws and court directions.
Under the proposed plan, stray dogs found along Goa’s beach stretches will undergo sterilisation and vaccination before being relocated to designated and authorised animal shelters, wherever permissible under the applicable legal framework.
The department has also provided an opportunity for individuals and animal welfare groups to take responsibility for the dogs through adoption before further action is undertaken by the authorities.
Applicants are required to submit their names and addresses, proof of address, the number of dogs they intend to adopt and an undertaking to ensure proper care, feeding, shelter and overall welfare of the animals.
Applications must be submitted to the Department of Tourism at Paryatan Bhavan, Patto, Panaji, within seven days of the notice.
The government has stated that dogs for which no adoption applications are received within the stipulated period will be managed in accordance with applicable laws and the Supreme Court’s directions. This may include sterilisation, vaccination and relocation to authorised shelters, wherever legally permissible.
The department has emphasised that the entire process must be carried out humanely, with due consideration for animal welfare and public safety.
The initiative places responsibility on the public and animal welfare organisations to support the government’s efforts to manage stray dogs along Goa’s beaches, which attract large numbers of residents and tourists.
The move also highlights the challenge of balancing public safety and tourism-related concerns with the need to ensure the humane treatment of animals.
However, the notice issued on October 9 does not specify the number of stray dogs identified along the state’s beaches, the capacity of authorised shelters or the detailed arrangements and timeline for the proposed relocation process.
