Dogs are still being killed in a Moroccan province where a court condemned the practice nearly four years ago, an international animal welfare coalition has warned.
The International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC) says it has obtained a government ammunition procurement document requesting 2,000 rounds in July to shoot dogs.
The coalition says a concentrated campaign of killing is now taking place in Nador, where it says a visit by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to open a new port is also planned.
It says the continued killing highlights the gap between promises to protect free-roaming dogs and their treatment on the streets.
A November 2022 report by Morocco World News said a court had convicted the governor of Nador Province over the killing of stray dogs during a municipal campaign, ordering him to pay 6,000 Moroccan dirhams.
The case followed a complaint by Nafissa Chemlal, president of the Omam Association for Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection.
According to the report, the judge condemned shooting and poisoning, describing such methods as “uncivilized” and calling for animals to be treated with “compassion and kindness”.
But the IAWPC says the ruling has failed to end the suffering.
Debbie Wilson, vice chair of the IAWPC, said: “Dogs are still being killed in Nador. Almost four years after this ruling, we are still calling for the most basic protection: that dogs should not be shot, poisoned or subjected to brutal treatment.
“The court recognised the need for compassion, but those words must translate into action on the streets. A ruling means little to a dog facing a gun or poisoned bait if nobody ensures that the killing stops.
“Morocco has an opportunity to embrace humane solutions, with experienced animal welfare organisations ready to help. We need an immediate end to the killing and a properly funded programme of neutering and vaccination.”
The IAWPC brings together more than 80 animal welfare organisations campaigning to stop the killing and cruel treatment of Morocco’s free-roaming dogs as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
The coalition says dogs are being shot, poisoned and rounded up in a drive to clear them from the streets ahead of the tournament. It is pressing FIFA to use its influence to secure their protection.
Its campaign calls for a nationwide Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return programme, alongside humane care for dogs held in pounds and an end to facilities where captured animals are killed.
Under the proposed approach, dogs would be caught humanely, neutered, vaccinated and returned to suitable locations, with animal welfare specialists helping authorities manage populations. The coalition says its members have offered their expertise to support that work.
Find out more about the campaign at https://www.iawpc.org/
