**WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT**
A horrifying video showing a man apparently beating three tiny puppies to death with a wooden plank, has sparked widespread outrage online and renewed calls for urgent international action to protect Morocco’s free-roaming animals.
The distressing footage, filmed in the city of Meknes and shared by the International Animal Coalition (IAWPC), appears to show a bespectacled middle-aged man repeatedly striking the helpless puppies with a length of wood as the animals struggle to escape.
The shocking attack has prompted a wave of anger across social media and in Moroccan media, with animal lovers describing the footage as “barbaric”, “heartbreaking” and “impossible to watch”.
Campaigners say the incident is another stark reminder of the violence routinely inflicted on street dogs in parts of Morocco, despite repeated hollow promises that humane solutions would replace the killing of free-roaming animals.
The IAWPC is a coalition of more than 80 animal welfare organisations from around the world including the RSPCA, PETA, In Defense of Animals and Dogs Trust, representing millions of supporters.
Its members include some of the world’s best-known animal charities and campaign groups, all working together through the Morocco Dogs Campaign to end the mass killing of the country’s street dogs and replace it with humane catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) programmes.
The coalition has spent several years documenting evidence of dogs being shot, poisoned, beaten and rounded up ahead of Morocco’s role as co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Campaigners argue that humane, scientifically proven alternatives exist and say they are seeking meaningful engagement with both the Moroccan authorities and FIFA.
Les Ward MBE, chairman of the IAWPC, said: “This is one of those videos that is almost impossible to watch, yet impossible to ignore, after which it gets deep inside your soul. Every time footage like this emerges it reminds us of the barbarity and inhumanity we are facing in Morocco, why our coalition exists and why we cannot give up.
“People sometimes ask why we continue campaigning so relentlessly. The answer is clear as a result of what happened to these puppies. They had no voice and they had nobody to defend them from such brutality. Every animal subjected to this kind of unimaginable cruelty, strengthens our determination to ensure that there is no hiding place for the perpetrators. Humane animal welfare must become the norm within society, not the exception.
“Our campaign in Morocco, is part of a wider campaign to bring about justice for the animals of the world. It’s about working towards lasting, compassionate solutions that protect both animals and communities. We know humane CNVR programmes work because they have been successfully implemented around the world.
“But while these horrific acts continue, the urgency of our campaign only grows. We owe it to these puppies and to the countless other animals whose suffering never makes it onto camera, to keep fighting for change.”
The IAWPC says the latest video is only one example among hundreds of pieces of evidence it has gathered during its campaign, which it says demonstrates the need for sustained international pressure to end cruelty towards Morocco’s street dogs.
Campaigners are urging supporters to continue backing the Morocco Dogs Campaign by raising awareness of the issue and calling for humane, evidence-based animal management programmes to replace violence.
