PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has sought greater clarity on the actual population and distribution of stray dogs across the state, amid significant differences in estimates submitted by various authorities.
The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar was hearing a suo motu writ petition on the stray dog issue when the Union government placed a provisional estimate of around 39,180 stray dogs before the court.
Advocate Somnath Karpe, appearing for the Union government through the Principal Secretary, clarified that the figure was provisional and had not yet undergone final collation.
The Bench also considered the possibility of geo-tagging stray dogs across Goa, observing that even a partial mapping exercise could help authorities identify areas with higher concentrations of stray animals and plan interventions more effectively.
Questioning the reliability of existing data, the court noted that earlier figures had indicated a stray dog population equivalent to about 9% of Goa’s human population in November 2022, while another government estimate in July 2023 had placed it at around 4.5%.
The court had therefore sought census-related information from the Union government, including any provisional data that could provide a more reliable baseline.
During Thursday’s hearing, reference was also made to a media report quoting the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services as estimating Goa’s stray dog population at approximately 56,000 in January 2025.
Expressing concern over the conflicting figures, the Bench remarked, “I hope when the sterilisation begins, this does not turn out to be three times the figures.”
The court observed that an accurate population estimate would be crucial for determining the distribution of stray dogs across Goa’s talukas and planning measures such as sterilisation.
Meanwhile, in a related matter concerning an animal shelter, the Animal Trust informed the court that it would submit its application for technical approval within two days.
The Bench also directed the Tuem Village Panchayat to place its affidavit on record and posted the matter for further hearing on September 16.
