Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The State government has officially notified the Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Act, 2025, after Governor Ashok Gajapathi Raju granted his assent on September 11.
The legislation empowers the government to declare any breed or class of animals as “ferocious” through a gazette notification. Once notified, the breeding, ownership, or import of such animals in Goa will be prohibited.
The Act also makes animal owners fully liable for the conduct of their pets. If a declared ferocious animal injures or kills a human or another animal, the owner will be required to pay compensation, including to the legal heirs of a deceased victim.
Under the provisions, existing owners of animals later classified as ferocious must report them to the Director of Animal Husbandry within 30 days. They are then given 60 days to sterilise the animals and secure an official sterilisation certificate.
Failure to comply with the law could attract penalties including simple imprisonment ranging from 15 days to three months, fines of up to ₹50,000, and community service. Courts have also been given the discretion to substitute jail terms with community service in suitable cases.
The Act further mandates the appointment of a competent authority and the framing of rules for maintaining records of such animals, along with the procedure for disclosure by current owners.
