Goa curses those doggone tourists

An Indian lawmaker in the state of Goa has accused foreign tourists of causing a stray dog problem on the beaches of the holiday destination by abandoning their pets when they return home.

Michael Lobo told the Goa Legislative Assembly that adopting a dog had become a “fashion” among foreign tourists, many of whom spend months soaking up the sun in the laid-back Indian resort state.

Stray dogs are a frequent cause of complaints because of their barking at night and the fouling of beaches.

“They (foreign tourists) leave the animals on the beaches, creating the menace,” said Lobo, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Tourists have been coming in increasing numbers to tiny Goa, in western India, since the days of the hippie trail in the 1960s, attracted by its long, sandy beaches and relaxed atmosphere.