The Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Act, 2025

Government of Goa Department of Law Legal Affairs Division

Notification 7/18/2025-LA/135 Date : 16-Sep-2025 The Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Act, 2025 (Goa Act 21 of 2025), which has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of Goa on 23-07-2025 and assented to by the Governor of Goa on 11-09-2025, is hereby published for the general information of the public. Dnyaneshwar Raut Dessai, Joint Secretary (Law). -------- The Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Act, 2025 (Goa Act No. 21 of 2025) [11-09-2025] AN ACT to provide for regulation of breeding and domestication of animals and for the matters incidental thereto. Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Goa in the Seventy-sixth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

1. (1) This Act may be called the Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Act, 2025.
2. (2) It shall extend to the whole of the State of Goa.
3. (3) It shall come into force at once.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (a) “breeding” means mating between two animals of either same or different breed to obtain offspring with desired traits;
2. (b) “community service” means the work which the Court may order a convict to perform as a form of punishment that benefits the community, for which he shall not be entitled to any remuneration.
3. (c) “competent authority” means an Officer not below the rank of the Deputy Collector authorised by the Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to perform functions of the competent authority or functions incidental thereto under this Act;
4. (d) “Director” means Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Government of Goa;
5. (e) “domesticate” means keeping or possessing an animal;
6. (f) “ferocious animal” means dangerous and violent animal which may pose a danger to humans and other animals;
7. (g) “Government” means the Government of Goa;
8. (h) “injury” means any bodily harm or hurt caused to any person or any animal;
   • (i) “Notification” means notification published in the Official Gazette;
9. (j) “owner” means the person in possession and control of an animal and includes any other person or any other organisation or association in possession or custody of such animal;
10. (k) “sterilize” means a procedure which removes the capacity of the animal to reproduce.

1. (1) The Government may, by notification published in the Official Gazette, declare any breed or class of animals to be ferocious animal.
2. (2) The Government, before issuing a notification under sub-section (1), shall issue a public notice inviting objections from the general public to the proposed notification.
3. (3) Any person intending to make any objection or suggestion may, within a period of fifteen days from the date of publication of notice under sub-section (2), forward the same to the Director.
4. (4) The Government may, after the expiry of said period of fifteen days and after considering the objections and suggestions under sub-section (3), issue a notification under sub-section (1) above.

1. (1) No person after issuance of notification under section 3, shall domesticate, breed or cause to breed any animal of the breed or class specified in the said notification issued under sub-section (1) of Section 3.
2. (2) No person after issuance of notification under section 3 shall bring or cause to bring in the State of Goa, an animal of the breed or class as specified in such notification.

1. (1) The owner of the animal which is declared to be ferocious animal under section 3 shall be solely responsible for the actions of such ferocious animal and he shall also be liable if such ferocious animal injures any other human or animal.
2. (2) The owner of such ferocious animal which has been notified under Section 3 shall within 30 days

from the publication of the notification, inform in writing to the Director about the existence of such ferocious animal in his possession, with such details and in such form as prescribed by rules.

1. (3) The owner of such ferocious animal shall, within 60 days from the issuance of notification under Section 3, sterilize or cause to sterilize such breed or class of animal and the Director shall upon application from the owner, shall issue a certificate confirming that the ferocious animal has been duly sterilized.

1. (1) Whoever domesticates, breeds or causes to breed any breed or class of animals in contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder, shall be punished with a simple imprisonment for a period which may extend to 3 months but shall not be less than 15 days, fine of rupees fifty thousand and community service.
2. (2) Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of this Act for which no separate penalty is specified

in this Act, shall be punishable with a simple imprisonment for a period upto 1 month, fine of rupees fifty thousand and community service: Provided that the court may, in its discretion having regard to the nature of the offence, the background of the accused and the circumstances of each case, order the accused to render community service in lieu of the imprisonment.

1. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, any person who is injured and in case of death, the legal representative of such deceased person, may file a claim for compensation against the owner of any animal which has caused such injury or death.
2. (2) The claim shall be filed within six months from the date of the incident before the Competent Authority having jurisdiction over the region where the incident causing injury or death took place.
3. (3) The Competent Authority shall after conducting a summary inquiry as provided under Order XXXVII of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), decide such claim within 3 months of such claim being made.
4. (4) Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Competent Authority may file an appeal to the Administrative Tribunal of Goa, within 60 days from the date of the decision of the Competent Authority: Provided that the Administrative Tribunal may for sufficient cause condone the delay in filing the appeal for a maximum period of 1 year.
5. (5) The order passed by the Administrative Tribunal shall be final and shall not be called in question in any original suit, application or execution proceeding and no injunction shall be granted by any court or other authority in respect of any action taken or to be taken in pursuance of any power conferred by or under this section.
6. (6) The remedy under this section shall not be in derogation of any civil or criminal remedy which is available to any person.

The Director shall maintain a register containing all the particulars of the owners and the ferocious animals in possession of such owners.

The Government may, by Notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.

If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Government, may, within 3 years of commencement of this Act, from time to time, by order published in the Official Gazette make such provisions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, do or cause to be done anything which may be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty.

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the Government or the statutory authority or the appellate authority, officer, in respect of anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or of any rules or orders made thereunder.

Secretariat, Porvorim-Goa. Dated: 16-09-2025. SANDIP JACQUES Secretary to the Government of Goa, Law Department (Legal Affairs).

(Published in the Official Gazette Series I No.24 [Extraordinary No.04] dated 16-09-2025)