Morocco Denies Plans to Cull Stray Dogs Ahead of 2030 World Cup

"There is no campaign to eradicate stray dogs," assures Mohamed Roudani, head of the Department of Health Preservation and Green Spaces at the General Directorate of Local Authorities, to the MAP news agency. This week, the famous primatologist and animal rights activist Jane Goodall alerted FIFA to the upcoming massacre of 3 million stray dogs ahead of the 2030 World Cup. In her open letter, she "urgently exhorts" the world football governing body to ensure that "the massacres cease" by putting pressure on Morocco, notably by suspending the organization of the tournament.

"The allegations that Morocco is planning to eliminate three million stray dogs before the World Cup are unfounded," denies Roudani. The Moroccan local authorities are rather committed to finding "humane and sustainable" solutions to manage the problem of stray dogs, he added, stating that the municipalities are working in accordance with international animal welfare standards and implementing various measures to control the stray dog population in an ethical manner.

To address the issue of stray dogs, the Ministry of the Interior supports municipalities in several initiatives, including the construction and equipping of veterinary clinics, the implementation of the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release) method, not to mention the strengthening of public health offices with veterinarians, nurses and technicians, Roudani completes.