Animal welfare campaigners have issued a warning to the Moroccan government concerning a proposed law that could have a significant impact on the country’s street dog population. The General Secretariat of the Moroccan government has announced that it will review a draft law on the “protection of animals and the prevention of their dangers” on Thursday, July 10.
However, the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC), a coalition of 26 animal welfare organizations worldwide, has expressed concerns that the law may not go far enough in protecting street dogs from the country’s brutal culling program. The group, which includes organizations such as the RSPCA, PETA, and Dogs Trust, has been campaigning to end the mass killing of street dogs in Morocco, which they estimate could result in the deaths of up to three million dogs before the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The IAWPC has provided evidence that Moroccan “death squads” have been patrolling towns and cities around World Cup stadium sites, engaging in a campaign of “relentless and merciless” violence against stray and owned dogs. These killings, often carried out in front of children and tourists, have been met with widespread condemnation from animal lovers and organizations worldwide.
Les Ward MBE, Chairman of the IAWPC, has accused the Moroccan government of misleading the public about the extent of the killings. “Since the IAWPC campaign began, it has become clear to everyone that we are dealing with a slippery and untrustworthy government,” he said. “They make claims that have no basis in reality, including that the killing has ended, when every Moroccan knows it is happening every single day.”
The IAWPC has offered to work with the Moroccan government to implement a humane dog management strategy, including large-scale Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) programs, which have proven to be effective in other countries in controlling rabies. However, their offers have been ignored.
The group has also pointed to warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO), which has stated that mass dog culling is not an effective method for controlling rabies, a disease that remains present in Morocco. “Mass dog vaccination has repeatedly been shown to be effective for controlling dog-mediated rabies,” WHO has said. “Removal of dogs does not decrease dog density or control rabies in the long run. Mass culling of dogs should therefore not be a part of a rabies control strategy.”
The IAWPC is also calling on FIFA to intervene and demand that Morocco end the mass killing of dogs and adopt humane alternatives. They have evidence that “tagged dogs,” those that have been vaccinated and sterilized, are having their tags removed after being killed, which reduces herd immunity and puts local communities and tourists at risk of rabies transmission.
Mohammed Roudani, Head of the Public Health and Green Spaces Division at Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior, has stated that the government needs to find a more ethical solution to the issue. “We must deal with the issue in a different way,” he told CNN. “No more slaughter. No more strychnine. We need an ethical solution.”
Ward has called on the Moroccan government to stop their violent approach and instead implement humane solutions. “The Moroccan Government should leave the dark ages when dealing with societal challenges,” he said. “Instead of continuing down the path of violence and death, it should seize the opportunity and follow humane solutions.”
He added, “If the government chooses otherwise through its new draft law and continues its dog killing program, they will rightly face condemnation, their tourist industry will inevitably be damaged, and the IAWPC will increase its campaign of opposition. The solution is simple: the Moroccan Government’s proposed new draft animal protection law must stop the cruelty and dog killing in whatever form.”
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