Morocco invests over $100 million to address stray dog issue

Minister Abdelouafi Laftit has unveiled an ambitious national program with a budget exceeding MAD 1 billion ($100 million) aimed at tackling the growing population of stray dogs in Morocco. Contrary to recent reports suggesting a plan for mass extermination, the Ministry of Interior has clarified its commitment to humane and sustainable solutions.

In response to a parliamentary inquiry concerning the issue of stray dogs in Taza city, Laftit highlighted the public health risks associated with these animals, particularly their role in transmitting serious diseases such as rabies. He emphasized that while municipal councils bear the primary responsibility for addressing this issue, the ministry provides essential financial and logistical support to local authorities facing challenges related to sanitary infrastructure.

Since 2019, the Ministry of Interior has partnered with the Ministry of Health, the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA), and the National Order of Veterinarians to implement an innovative strategy focused on sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs. This approach aims to control the animal population while ensuring their welfare.

Animal protection organizations are actively involved in raising awareness and monitoring the sterilized dogs that are returned to their environments. The ministerial strategy also includes the establishment of collective or provincial shelters for stray dogs and cats, with nearly MAD 80 million ($8 million) already mobilized by the end of November 2024 to support this initiative across several provinces.

An additional ambitious program to create 130 communal hygiene offices has been launched, benefiting 1,244 municipalities across 53 provinces, with a total cost exceeding MAD 1 billion. These offices will employ 260 doctors, 260 nurses, 260 health technicians, and 130 veterinarians to oversee field interventions and manage animal shelters.

On the legislative front, a draft decree to implement Law 56.12—related to preventing dangers associated with dogs—is currently in development. This legislation will introduce new regulatory measures while ensuring adherence to animal welfare principles.

In March 2024, the ministry activated a convention with the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine to develop methods for oral vaccination using food baits. Additionally, through an agreement signed in 2018 with the Ministry of Health, MAD 40 million ($4 million) is allocated annually to the Pasteur Institute of Morocco to guarantee a sufficient supply of rabies vaccines, particularly in rural regions.

The government’s approach counters unfounded claims circulated on social media and amplified by segments of the Western press, which have portrayed Morocco as pursuing a campaign of extermination. Mohamed Roudani, head of the Department of Health Preservation and Green Spaces, firmly rejected these reports, stating, “There is no campaign to eradicate stray dogs. The claims that Morocco plans to eliminate three million stray dogs are completely unfounded.”

This response comes amid rising concerns from animal rights activists alleging that the government is conducting mass culls in anticipation of major sporting events, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup.

Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has also weighed in, writing to FIFA in January to condemn what she termed a planned massacre of stray dogs. Goodall urged FIFA to intervene and halt these actions, emphasizing the need for humane treatment of animals.

In a show of solidarity, Moroccan influencers recently launched a social media campaign under the hashtag #لا_لقتل_الكلاب (No to dogs’ killing), calling on citizens to advocate for more compassionate solutions.

The Moroccan Society for the Protection of Animals and Nature (SPANA) estimates that there are currently over 2 million stray dogs in Morocco, with only 14 shelters available to care for them. The government maintains its commitment to humane and sustainable solutions, aligning with international standards for animal welfare, and has adopted measures such as the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release) method to ethically manage the stray dog population.