Stray dog aggression in Goa reaches an all-time high: Bollywood actor Jayshree Gaikwad attacked by dogs on Benaulim beach

BENAULIM: In yet another incident of canine aggression, a Bollywood and Marathi film actor Jayshree Gaikwad was bitten by a stray dog at the Benaulim beach. The incident occurred last week when Jayshree was visiting Goa along with a group of friends and was attached by a pack of hyper-aggressive stray canines, who chased her and her friends along the beach without any reason or provocation.

She sustained bruises and cuts on her legs including a deep bite. She was given first aid and then rushed to Mumbai for further treatment. Her trip to Goa ended on a sour note, thanks to the ever-growing stray dog menace on Goan beaches.

Not too long ago, in the month of May, three tourists including a 56-yr-old American woman and two Indian women from Ghaziabad and Mumbai, both in their thirties fell victim to dog bites at the Benaulim beach. All three were attacked as they were strolling on the beach.

Benaulim and Colva beaches have emerged as hotspots for stray dog menace and the issue of stray dog aggression on beaches was raised in recent Gram Sabha meetings of villages on the Salcete coastline. Villagers complain that locals as well as tourists have been at the receiving end of stray dogs trying to charge at them.

On reaching Mumbai, Jayshree said she was disappointed with the lack of medical help on Goan beaches. “The incident occurred at around 7 pm and there were quite a few people on the beach. But there was no medical support system, or first aid and we had to go to a doctor at Margao. We took the first flight available out of Goa the same day as we were greatly disappointed with the lack of good medical facilities in the vicinity of beaches,” Jayshree told media persons in Mumbai.