TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has thrown her weight behind the international campaign to save Morocco’s street dogs, amid mounting outrage over the killing of around 3million animals in the run-up to the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The beloved broadcaster said she was “horrified” to learn of the treatment of stray dogs in Morocco, and is now lending her support to the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC), which is campaigning for humane alternatives to the mass killing of dogs.
“I was horrified when I heard that 3 million dogs are set to be killed in the name of Morocco hosting the World Cup 2030, and am proud to support the IAWPC’s campaign,” said Kelly.
“Football is supposed to be a beautiful game, but instead innocent animals are dying and children and adults are being traumatised by this horrendous action,” she continued. “Tourists who visit this country also risk being subjected to this violence.”
The IAWPC, an alliance of global animal welfare organisations, is urging FIFA and the Moroccan government to implement ethical population control methods — including sterilisation, vaccination, and rehoming — instead of lethal measures.
The group has launched a campaign to highlight the cruelty taking place in Moroccan cities, with disturbing reports emerging of dogs being poisoned, shot, or beaten to death in public spaces. Footage and testimonies gathered by the IAWPC suggest a systematic effort to clear the streets ahead of the international tournament, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
“I am calling on FIFA to step in and tell Morocco that if they do not reduce their dog population in a humane way by sterilising and vaccinating the dogs, then there will be no World Cup,” Kelly added.
“The lives of animals should not be seen as simply an obstacle in the way — it’s so upsetting.”
