Morocco is reportedly killing thousands of dogs, with the country due to co-host the World Cup in 2030. Six Moroccan cities will host World Cup matches, with the tournament scheduled to be played over six weeks in the summer of 2030.
In 2023, Morocco joined Spain and Portugal’s bid to stage World Cup games, with the hosts confirmed by FIFA last December. The African country will first play host to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which is due to get underway just before this Christmas.
Ahead of those tournaments, The Telegraph has reported that dogs are being killed in Morocco. It is estimated that there are three million stray dogs in the country, with the animals said to pose a threat to public health and safety.
Accusations levelled against Morocco by animal welfare groups have suggested the country is attempting to ‘clean up’ its streets by killing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of stray dogs ahead of the World Cup.
The aforementioned publication has witnessed footage of one execution, which was ‘shocking’ because of its ‘brutality’ and ‘efficiency’.
And it has also reportedly seen images of bloodied dog carcasses piled on top of each other, videos of men picking up dogs by the throat using metal tongs and footage of a puppy being kicked to death.
One mother in Morocco, Latifa, told The Telegraph: “The killers try to not leave anything behind but sometimes they don’t shoot well, so the dog dies in another place.
“That is what my daughter saw. It was a peaceful dog, living close to our street. My daughter saw her body, full of bullet holes. Her puppies were still trying to get milk.”
And a spokesperson for the International Animal Welfare and Protection Coalition (IAWPC) explained: “The situation has become much worse since Morocco was made a co-host of the World Cup. And right now, ahead of AFCON, it has gotten out of control.”
Meanwhile, the Moroccan government has stated that it does not support culling, and that it is up to the local municipalities to manage stray animals.
But earlier this year, a court ruling in Rabat established state responsibility for the deaths as the government is the overarching supervisory authority.
In a statement, the Moroccan embassy in London said it “categorically denies” claims that the country intends to cull stray dogs before the World Cup, while insisting that Morocco has a “demonstrated commitment to humane and sustainable animal management”.
The embassy also explained that further dog shelters will be utilised in five cities before the end of 2025 and that safe behaviour towards stray dogs is promoted via regular public awareness campaigns.
The embassy also pointed towards a new bill to safeguard the rights of animals and “restrict euthanasia to a last-resort measure”.
The bill is currently under review in parliament. But it has been criticised by campaigners for “criminalising compassion” as it proposes fines for citizens who feed or care for stray animals.
During this summer’s Club World Cup, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested about the issue with a pitch invasion. And it is among the organisations to have urged FIFA to intervene.
Ahead of the World Cup, FIFA has insisted that Morocco has “outlined its commitment to the protection of animal rights”.
And a FIFA spokesperson said: “With the bidding process now completed, FIFA is following up with its local counterparts with the aim to ensure commitments are upheld.
“In particular, FIFA has contacted the Moroccan Football Federation to alert them to the issue and we have received confirmation that a number of measures have been implemented over the last five years and a new law is being drafted to try and address the current situation with a balanced approach that meets the needs of public health and safety and animal welfare.”