If stray dogs have been posing all kinds of threat to motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and residents in Porvorim, the situation is likely to change, for the worse, in the near future.
Thanks to the apathy of the State and Central governments, the free sterilization of stray dogs has been stopped by an animal rights group since the past two months due to shortage of funds.
A surge in the stray dog population has become a major problem all over Porvorim, with a growing number of pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler riders frequently chased by stray dogs. Some two-wheeler riders have even sustained injuries in road mishaps, after being chased by stray dogs and losing control of their vehicles. In the absence of a primary health centre in Porvorim, the victims are forced to rush to Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim for treatment.
“I was passing on my motorcycle along the road near the Goa Cricket Academy at about 10 pm, when several dogs began chasing my motorcycle. Luckily, there was no traffic at the time and I sped away,” informed a Porvorim-based journalist.
Incidentally, the Goa Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) has expressed its inability to catch and impound the stray dogs.
“In fact, GSPCA has stopped the free sterilization of stray dogs since the last two months as it has not received funds from State and Central governments,” said a reliable source.
The issue of stray dogs has been raised in gram sabhas of several panchayats located in Porvorim, but panchayats have invariably expressed their inability to address the problem by pointing out that there is a ban on killing of stray dogs.
“The stray dog population has become extremely worrying for residents of Penha-de-Franca. At present, there are hundreds of stray dogs roaming all over the plateau and neither the panchayat nor the GSPCA, the agency which has been allotted the area, is able to tackle the problem. There is a dire need to conduct camps for mass sterilization of stray dogs,” Penha de Franca Citizens Forum Convenor Agnelo Lobo told Herald.
