Homeless cats and dogs in Morocco are being shot, poisoned, and left to die in cages without food or water.
In 2019, following an order from King Mohammed VI to end Morocco’s decades-long massacre of homeless dogs and cats, authorities signed an agreement to stop the killing. The agreement did not hold. The killings have resumed as the country is preparing to host the 2030 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament. A series of videos exposed the horror:
A series of videos exposed the horror behind Morocco’s massacre:
• Men with rifles gunned down dogs in full view of shocked witnesses, including children.
• Some dogs were poisoned, while others were burned alive.
• Dogs and puppies separated from their mothers were locked up together (10 to 20 per small cage) without food, water, or basic medical care and intentionally left to die in supposed “shelters” all around the country.
3 Million Animals May be Murdered
One newspaper reported that the mass killings were carried out in Tangier to “beautify” the city ahead of the football tournament.
Morocco is joining neighboring countries Spain and Portugal in hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, and the situation will only get worse for homeless animals in Morocco because the government is reportedly planning to exterminate 99% of all homeless dogs (approximately 3 million of them) across the country.
Morocco Fails to Uphold Commitment to Humane Treatment
Authorities have used public health as an excuse for the slaughter, but when that agreement was signed in 2019, they said that they would also begin a trap, neuter, vaccinate, and release (TNVR) program, a vitally needed initiative that would help alleviate the homeless animal crisis and control the spread of rabies.
The government has not delivered there, either. Instead, charity organizations throughout Morocco have treated, neutered, vaccinated, and tagged more than 6,000 homeless dogs and cats in the last few years alone.
Careless Massacre
PETA has received reports that authorities have been killing dogs who had been tagged and had gone through the TNVR program. We’re calling for a humane approach to the homeless-animal crisis. PETA Asia has written to FIFA asking it not to stand by silently while this devastating extermination takes place on its behalf.
We Need Your Help!
It’s time for PETA India supporters to step in, too. Help end the slaughter by sending a letter to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, calling for an immediate end to the massacre.