Morocco Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Stray Animals Amid Pledge for Welfare Reforms

Morocco World

8 hours ago

Rabat – A young man ran onto the field during the Club World Cup match between Wydad Casablanca and Manchester City on Wednesday, holding a sign that read, 'Morocco: Stop shooting dogs and cats.'
A viral video documented the pitch invasion, which aimed to draw attention to the situation of stray animals in Morocco. It particularly criticized the methods reportedly used by some locals to control the stray animal population, including poisoning.
The video sparked mixed reactions across social media, dividing public opinion in Morocco and beyond. While many sympathized with the activist's message and called for more humane treatment of stray animals in the North African country, others criticized the stunt as a staged provocation.
Some commentators argued that such actions reflect broader narratives promoted by certain Western media outlets and NGOs, which tend to overlook or downplay Morocco's efforts.
Many magnify problems in countries like Morocco while downplaying or ignoring similar or worse practices at home, critics argue. For instance, when Morocco was named co-host of the 2030 World Cup, many Western commentators didn't celebrate this achievement and instead began listing all the challenges the country might face, framing Morocco as unfit or incapable.
In recent years, Morocco has taken steps to address the issue more sustainably. By the end of November 2024, Morocco had deployed nearly MAD 80 million ($8 million) to support a national program to address the proliferation of stray dogs in the country.
In May this year, Minister of the Interior Abdelouafi Laftit announced a new program with a budget exceeding MAD 1 billion ($100 million) to address the situation.
In addition, Morocco is implementing the TNR Program (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return), whereby dogs are captured, treated, vaccinated against diseases like rabies, tagged, and released. This approach both controls the population and ensures public health safety.
The government has also signed agreements with the Ministry of Health, the Office for Food Safety (ONSSA), and the National Order of Veterinarians to sterilize and vaccinate stray animals and build shelters and dispensary centers in various provinces.
In addition, officials, including Mohamed Roudani from the Interior Ministry, have denied claims that Morocco planned to cull millions of dogs. He explained that Moroccan municipalities are following international animal welfare standards and working toward ethical solutions. Tags: Stray Animalsstray dogs