Team Goemkarponn
Panaji:In a move aimed at tightening animal welfare enforcement while addressing public health and safety concerns, the Goa State Animal Welfare Board has decided to implement a series of stringent regulatory measures across the State.
The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, in the presence of Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldessai and Animal Husbandry Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar.
The meeting marked a shift towards stronger on-ground enforcement, with the Board approving deployment of police personnel to assist authorities in the lawful and humane impounding of cattle, particularly in cases involving stray and illegally grazed animals.
Significantly, the Board also resolved to issue notifications making sterilisation and vaccination of domestic dogs compulsory, a step aimed at controlling the stray dog population and preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases.
To ensure wider reach, especially in rural and remote areas, the State will introduce Mobile Sterilisation Units, enabling animal welfare services to be delivered beyond urban centres. Another major decision was to make registration of meat traders with the Animal Husbandry Department mandatory, bringing the trade under a regulated and traceable framework to ensure compliance with animal welfare standards.
Chief Minister Dr. Sawant stated that the initiatives reflect the government’s balanced approach towards animal welfare, public health and regulatory accountability. He added that the Board remains committed to strengthening institutional mechanisms to ensure humane treatment of animals while maintaining law and order across Goa.
