Times of India | 6 months ago | 25-11-2022 | 09:05 am
PANAJI: Admitting that the mass sterilisation of dogs has been a failure in Goa and with an increase in street dogs’ population, the state government has come out with guidelines for caregiving for stray dogs and has framed rules for feeding of “community dogs” only at designated places. The areas to be designated for feeding would be decided by the District Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) in consultation with Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) or municipality and panchayat (in case RWA is not available).The guidelines and rules were notified to avoid man vs dog conflicts arising out of differences between feeders and pet owners and society, as the percentage of street dogs to human population in Goa has risen from 3% in 2014 to 9% today (nearly 4 times the global average, and despite a 60% increase in human population). The policy also makes it clear that the pet owners should ensure their pets are healthy and clean, regularly vaccinated and have been advised to keep their dogs quiet during the night. Though the guidelines do not restrict feeding of dogs as they provide “companionship to those who feed them and act as their stress relievers”, it states that caregivers should feed street dogs in a manner it causes least inconvenience to others. “They are advised to avoid feeding street dogs immediately adjacent to areas in which children play, or people take walks, or that are otherwise crowded. Feeding must not be done in a manner that contributes to littering or dirtying any feeding site. Caregivers are advised to clean up feeding sites after feeding is over,” animal husbandry director Dr. Agostinho Misquita said in the notification. “While determining the designated area, the DSPCA and RWA/ municipality/ panchayat has to be conscious of the fact that every community dog is a territorial being and therefore, community dogs must be fed and tended to at places within their territory. It is the duty of the DSPCA and the RWAs to ensure and keep in mind the fact that community dogs live in packs and care should be taken by the DSPCA and RWAs to see that each pack, ideally, has different designated areas for feeding even if that means designating multiple areas in a locality,” the guidelines said. In the absence of caregivers or community dog feeders, it put the onus on every RWA or municipality or panchayat to ensure that every community dog in every area has access to food and water. “No person can restrict the other from feeding of dogs, until and unless it is causing harm to that other person. The residents and the members of the RWA as well as the street dog feeders have to act in harmony with each other and not in a manner which shall lead to unpleasant circumstances in the colony,” the guidelines said. The policy said street dogs perform the role of community scavengers and control rodent population in the area, thus preventing spread of diseases like leptospirosis. “In order to check the over population of street dogs in the community, it is also the responsibility of community to get their street dog population sterilized through an NGO engaged in dog sterilization programme,” the guidelines said, adding sterilization is advised as our country has excessive dog population. The policy also advised the municipalities and panchayats to coordinate with DSPCA to urgently introduce licensing for pets, “with the stipulation of compulsory sterilization, micro chipping, and for pedigree dogs, identification of source of procurement (to identify illegal breeders)”. Misquita said these guidelines and policy were framed as the rising population of dogs is a warning of far more serious problems than just feeder vs community in future.
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