3 Million Dogs Could be Killed in Morocco – Here‘s How to Help

Trigger warning: graphic descriptions of animal abuse.

The Humane Society of Morocco (SPA du Maroc) estimates that 500,000 street dogs are killed every year in Morocco, that’s one dog losing its life every one minute and three seconds. 

And with authorities ready to host the 2030 World Cup, campaigners say things are only getting worse. Debbie Wilson, campaign lead of The International Animal Coalition (IAWPC), claims that the culling of dogs in Morocco is carried out in one of three brutal ways, using methods that are banned in most other countries. She says dogs are shot, poisoned with strychnine-laced food or an injection, or caught with painful ‘tong-like’ implements, before being flung into vehicles with other terrified animals, where they are then taken to facilities to be inhumanely killed. 

How are stray dogs treated in Morocco?

Debbie says “Morocco is a global outlier when it comes to animal welfare laws”, citing the work carried out by The Animal Protection Index, an organisation that ranks 50 countries around the world according to their animal welfare policy and legislation and which states that animal welfare legislation is extremely limited in the country. 

“There is no state catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) program in Morocco, no legislation on breeding and no abandonment of animals legislation, so this leads to huge numbers of roaming dogs” she says.

“The killing of dogs has been happening for decades but has increased greatly now due to the World Cup. A cull is the most cost-effective means to kill the dogs, the authorities do not want to fund CNVR.” 

“The lack of understanding of sentience and the erosion of empathy compound the problem”. 

Animal welfare groups speak out about the cull

The International Animal Coalition (IAWPC) is made up of 24 international animal welfare, and veterinary organisations. This includes Dogs Trust Worldwide, the RSPCA and Mayhew International from the UK, and PETA, Animal People and In Defense of Animals from the States. There are also groups from around Africa, Asian organisations including Soi Dog Foundation and Blue Cross of India, and Animals Australia.

The IAWPC says that since FIFA announced Morocco would co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, the inhumane and barbaric killing has increased, with government mandated gunmen searching the urban and rural areas of Morocco, day and night, with rifles and pistols. The group also says that many dogs are left to bleed to death in agony, their bodies left to rot on the streets, while the dogs collected by truck are burned in incinerators or dumped in mass graves, some when they are still alive. 

Even pet dogs are at risk, alongside any that have been part of a CNVR project, as the cull does not differentiate between stray and owned dogs out roaming. Typically, a CNVR dog would be visibly tagged, but that does not protect them from the cull. In some areas of Morocco, people are no longer allowed to walk their own dogs in public, the IAWPC reports. 

Last month, Dr Jane Goodall, the internationally renowned conservationist, penned an open letter to FIFA's Secretary General Mattias Grafström. “I strongly urge you to ensure that the killings are stopped, including by informing Morocco that its hosting of the tournament shall be suspended until it does so.

She continued: “There are many humane alternatives to controlling street dog populations, and a number of reputable international organisations who are happy to assist the Moroccan authorities in implementing such programmes.

“There is simply no excuse for the awful campaign of cruelty that is being executed in football's name. I call on you to use your position as FIFA Secretary General to bring it to an immediate end, and to earn the respect and gratitude of the football-loving public everywhere for doing so.”

As well as the toll on the dogs, Debbie from the IAWPC also believes there is a human cost to the cull, with the brutality witnessed by everyday citizens, tourists and most importantly children, explaining that the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child are concerned about children being exposed to this type of violence. In September 2023, the UN issued General Comment 26, stating that:

“Children must be protected from all forms of physical and psychological violence and from exposure to violence such as domestic violence and violence inflicted on animals”.

Debbie says children that are repeatedly exposed to human violence towards animals are at risk of “progressive desensitisation and normalisation of violence and an erosion of affective empathy.”

“Young people are particularly vulnerable to being harmed when they witness the mistreatment of animals” she says, “and there is significant evidence that shows how youths who repeatedly witness the mistreatment of animals might be more susceptible to 'learning' to use violence in their personal relationships”.

Rosa* from Morocco told the IAWPC: 

“Killing dogs has affected me deeply since I was a child, but at this point, it’s driving me crazy. Whenever I try to lay my head on the pillow, I hear gunshots and dogs crying in pain. The bloodstains and corpses left on the streets will traumatise kids because they traumatised me while growing up, not knowing what crime had been committed. I struggle to live a normal life after witnessing these horrors. I can’t sleep at night, and I’m dealing with an eating disorder. I really hope and pray this stops.”

There is some hope however; in an unprecedented ruling for Morocco, in November 2022, a judge convicted and fined the Governor of the Nador Province, of killing stray dogs as part of a campaign the municipality carried out.  The judge described the killing as ‘uncivilised’ and the methods of shooting and poising ‘brutal’. He stressed that those practices, “which date back to ancient times, are no longer acceptable.” He continued, “Developed societies are not measured by how they treat humans only, but also how they treat animals,” before stressing, “that such practices do not align with Islamic recommendations” and of the need to treat animals with “compassion and kindness.”

A spokesperson from the Embassy of Morocco told the BBC they had an “unwavering commitment to humane and sustainable solutions for managing stray dog populations while prioritising public health and animal welfare”.

They also said that a draft decree to enforce a law designed to “safeguard public health while ensuring animal welfare has also been finalised”.

What does FIFA say?

The IAWPC says FIFA is aware of the hundreds of thousands of dogs being killed ahead of the World Cup, and that it has repeatedly ignored dossiers of evidence it has been given.

Debbie says “we have no idea why FIFA is not taking action. It has been provided with so much information about what is happening, and scientific and humane solutions.”

Her organisation would like to see FIFA suspend Morocco as a co-host, until the country stops the mass killings, and the resulting trauma it causes the children of Morocco, and instead offers a legally binding agreement to introduce nationwide humane measures to deal with the country’s street dogs. The IAWPC has also called on co-hosts Spain and Portugal and tournament sponsor Qatar Airways to support a suspension. 

The IAWPC says that there are public protests about the killings taking place in Morocco, but that participants are being intimidated and threatened, and reports even suggest that those speaking up are being imprisoned and forced to buy their way out. Local people are also recording videos and taking photographs of the cull. The IAWPC verifies the footage it receives, checking dates and locations, before posting it on social media and highlighting the problem. 

What you can do to help

The IAWPC has designated March 1st as Day of the Morocco Dog and it wants humans and dogs from all across the world to get out for a very special sponsored 5k walk or run. You can register for the event for free by emailing outreach@iawpc.org leaving your name and location. A fundraising site will be created to receive donations and participants will be sent updates and support via email. 

Debbie says “Day of the Moroccan Dog is a way for people around the world to show their support for the dogs, and make their voice heard. This is a universal inclusive event which is designed to make as much noise as possible”.

“Remember to share photographs or videos on the day. Send a clear message to Morocco and FIFA that the world is watching.”

If you’d like to understand more about the IAWPC’s campaign, read its e-report and help bring pressure on the Moroccan authorities by signing IAWPC’s petition that calls on FIFA to demand Morocco stop killing dogs for the World Cup.

FIFA was contacted for its comments on the issue hasn‘t respond. 

*Not her real name, alias used for protection.