The Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) recently marked its 22nd year of service to persons with disabilities in the state. The milestone was commemorated with a session focused on Cyber Crime Awareness, conducted by Cyber Yoddha Sahil Awasthi and PC Anmol from the Panaji Police Station. The session educated attendees about the various types of cyber frauds and urged vigilance before clicking on suspicious links.
DRAG President Avelino de Sa thanked the members for their steadfast support over the years and reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to integrating persons with disabilities into mainstream society. He encouraged members to follow the Cyber Dost 14C WhatsApp channel and the Goa Police Cyber Crime team’s social media handles to stay updated on cyber fraud prevention.
The event also featured the distribution of food grains to 90 families of persons with disabilities, highlighting the community spirit and support that DRAG has fostered over the past two decades.
The celebration reflected DRAG’s ongoing dedication to the empowerment, inclusion, and welfare of persons with disabilities in Goa, combining awareness, education, and tangible support for the community.
On a warm Sunday afternoon at Azad Maidan, Panaji, a large crowd of dog lovers, activists, and concerned citizens gathered under the banner of the Goa Animal Federation (GAF) in a unified show of support for humane community dog management. The event, which served both as a protest and a thanksgiving to the Supreme Court of India, was attended by several hundred animal lovers, all echoing one central demand: mass sterilization and vaccination of community dogs must begin immediately across Goa.
Prominent voices in Goa’s animal welfare movement—including Advocate Norma Alvarez, singer Hema Sardesai, K.D. Row, Prakash Kamat, Dexter Braganza, and Fidoli Pereira—were present, alongside GAF members and NGO representatives. They extended heartfelt gratitude to the Supreme Court for its recent revised order, which offers a humane, scientific, and sustainable framework to address the stray dog issue across India.
According to GAF, Goa currently has a sterilization capacity of 15,000 dogs per year, a number maintained largely by private NGOs. However, to effectively manage the stray dog population, Goa must reach a target of 50,000 dogs sterilized annually. Only then can the state hope to reach an 80–90% sterilization rate within the next three years, which would naturally reduce the population over the next 5–6 years due to the dogs’ life cycle.
“This is a public safety, animal welfare, and community health issue. Without aggressive government intervention, we’re delaying the solution,” said a GAF spokesperson.
Beyond sterilization, the GAF has also called on the government to:
Install at least two animal body incinerators in Goa for safe and hygienic disposal
Fulfill its long-standing promise of a 24×7 ambulance and veterinary clinic for stray animals
These facilities, they argue, are essential for upholding humane standards while addressing public health concerns and ensuring dignity for animals—even in death.
The Goa Animal Federation, which includes major animal welfare organizations across the state, reiterated its commitment to a lawful, scientific, and compassionate approach in line with the Supreme Court’s directives.
Their goal is clear: ensure Goa sets an example for the rest of the country in resolving the stray dog issue not through violence or fear, but through compassion, planning, and responsibility.
“Dog lovers aren’t just emotional people—they are citizens fighting for a sustainable, safe, and humane solution,” the press release concluded.
