‘Goa home to about 56,000 stray dogs’

Panaji: Goa is currently home to an estimated 56,000 stray dogs, said V P Singh, the director of the animal husbandry (statistics division), on Thursday, while highlighting Goa’s progress on its rabies-free initiative and the 21st livestock census at Curti, Ponda.

“The data for the stray dog census was collected by a team of 110 enumerators and 31 supervisors, covering a collective of 675 rural villages and urban wards in Goa. The process took four months to complete,” said Singh.

He emphasised that the success of this programme depends on the cooperation of local residents as well.

“I personally checked on the fieldwork recently and ensured that the process is running smoothly. My request to the people of Goa is to provide accurate information to the enumerators when they arrive at their doorstep. This data is essential for implementing better laws and creating schemes that will improve the overall management of stray animals,” he said.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to retain the status of rabies-free Goa, where effective vaccination and sterilisation programmes are central to the strategy. By collecting accurate data on the stray dog population, authorities can better target interventions, ensuring that the issue is managed more efficiently and compassionately.

In addition to addressing the stray dog population, Singh also provided updates on the 21st Livestock Census, a nationwide effort to collect data on the country’s livestock population. Singh revealed that the census in Goa is nearing completion, with the entire project set to conclude next month.