Panaji: Goa had 27,864 stray dogs as per the 20th Livestock Census conducted in 2019, while the state government has said that implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme is the statutory responsibility of local bodies.
Replying to a postponed unstarred question raised by MLA Aleixo Lourenco in the Assembly on Wednesday, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said the latest stray dog population data was not yet available.
The 21st Livestock Census was conducted between November 2024 and April 2025 by the Union government’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying through state and Union Territory departments, but its data has not yet been published, he said.
Halarnkar said the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services functions as a facilitator for implementing the Goa Small Animal Rescue programme, while local bodies are responsible for implementing the ABC programme under the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.
The minister said information on dog-bite cases had been received from the Directorate of Health Services, Department of Tourism and Goa Police, while the Directorate of Education, Urban Development (Municipal Administration) and Directorate of Panchayats had not reported any such cases.
The police station-wise details of dog-bite cases were also provided by the office of the Director General of Police, he said.
On measures to address the stray dog menace, Halarnkar referred to a Supreme Court order of November 7, 2025, directing municipal bodies and other jurisdictional authorities to remove stray dogs found in educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and railway stations and shift them to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination in accordance with the 2023 rules.
The minister said the matter primarily concerns local bodies under the administrative control of the Urban Development Department and the Directorate of Panchayats, which are the competent authorities for implementing the ABC Rules in accordance with the Supreme Court directions.
The reply on the floor of the House came in response to questions on dog-bite cases, the current stray dog population, reasons for the failure to control their numbers and measures including sterilisation, dog shelters and fencing of school premises.
