People often ask: “How do we get the dogs off the streets?”
The International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC) believes the better question is:
“How do we make Morocco’s streets safe for dogs?”
The focus of our campaign has rightly been about bringing an end to the inhumane removal of dogs from the streets of Morocco by shooting and poisoning, or placing these free-roaming animals into miserable shelters where they are again killed. In doing so, we also make it clear, experience shows that such a violent approach is doomed to failure, since it never addresses the root causes of the issue which is overbreeding and the unwanted litter. Instead, we believe in something more compassionate – the introduction of a comprehensive humane dog management programme, which includes mass sterilisation.
We want to help build a Morocco where people and dogs can once again live in harmony.
For generations, free-roaming dogs have formed part of Morocco’s landscape. They are not an invasive species. They are part of the country’s living heritage, sharing towns, villages and cities with local communities. The goal should not be to erase them from their homes and guardians, but to create communities where they can live safely, humanely and without conflict.
Around the world, this vision is already a reality. Many countries have successfully replaced ineffective and cruel slaughter with modern, science-led programmes based on Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) or equivalent sterilisation schemes.
These programmes stabilise populations, improve public health, reduce the risk of rabies, improve animal welfare and allow communities to coexist peacefully with free-roaming dogs. They have been shown to deliver long-term results where repeated killing has consistently failed. They are the only sustainable, effective and humane methods for the control of free-roaming dog populations.
The IAWPC is fortunate to represent more than 80 leading animal welfare organisations from across the globe, bringing together decades of practical experience in humane street dog management.
Our members have helped governments and communities implement successful programmes in many different countries, overcoming exactly the kinds of challenges Morocco now faces. This expertise has been offered to Morocco on numerous occasions, but has been ignored. However, it remains on the table, since we genuinely want to help the dogs and people of Morocco.
Our campaign is not against Morocco. We want to support Morocco in becoming a global example of compassionate, modern animal welfare. We believe Morocco has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership by embracing humane, evidence-based solutions that benefit both people and animals.
This is why we continue to engage with decision-makers, veterinary experts, international organisations and policymakers. It is why we have worked to develop legislative proposals, presented practical alternatives and offered constructive support throughout our campaign. Our aim is not simply to highlight problems, but to help deliver lasting solutions.
Every dog deserves a home. For Morocco’s free-roaming dogs, that home is the streets and communities where they have lived for generations. Our mission is to ensure those streets become places of safety rather than fear.
Les Ward MBE, Chairman of the IAWPC, said: “Our campaign is to bring an end to a Moroccan government driven programme, that seeks to cleanse the streets of dogs for a football tournament in 2030, through the brutal and inhumane mass killing of dogs by shooting, poisoning and catch and kill.
“Whilst at the same time, it’s also about making the streets safe for the dogs that already call them home, by offering our help to the authorities to introduce sustainable, effective and humane methods for the control of free-roaming dog populations.
“Around the world we’ve seen humane programmes transform communities without resorting to cruelty, and the organisations within the IAWPC have decades of experience helping to make that happen.
“We want to be a friend and stand alongside the people of Morocco, sharing our expertise and supporting a future where people and free-roaming dogs can live together in harmony. That is the Morocco we believe is possible.”
