A woman has told of the horrifying moment her elderly dog was violently captured and dragged along a beach by street dog catchers, in what she believes was a targeted act of intimidation because of her animal welfare activism.
The incident, which was captured on camera, took place on the morning of Wednesday 2 July in Casablanca, site of building works for a World Cup Stadium for the 2030 Fifa World Cup.
It left the woman, who is not being named for fear of repercussions, traumatised and fearing for her safety and her dog subdued and fearful.
Her dog, a ten-year-old former stray who had recently undergone surgery for ovarian cancer, was moments away from reaching her front door after their usual walk when two dog catchers appeared and attempted to seize the animal using a lasso.
“She panicked and ran under my car,” the woman said. “I rushed out and told them she was mine, that she had papers, was vaccinated, tagged, and sterilised, but they didn’t care. They ignored me and began pulling her by the tail, trying to force her out.”
Eventually, the frightened dog escaped and fled towards the sea. But the catchers gave chase and, once they caught her, dragged her by the neck for more than a kilometre across the sand.
“She was strangled and terrified. They hauled her off in a van and took her to a pound 40 kilometres away. I followed them for hours, begging for her return, but they refused.”
When she finally managed to retrieve her dog the following day, she was devastated by her condition.
“She was dehydrated, her head hung low. She was traumatised. And so am I. I can’t sleep, I can’t breathe properly. I’m constantly anxious that they will come back.”
The woman says she believes the attack was deliberate and punitive: “They did this because I defend the cause of animals. These people are thugs with no morals, and no respect for the law.”
Her story adds to mounting criticism of the authorities’ handling of street dogs in the lead-up to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco is set to co-host.
Despite promises made on national television that dogs would be sterilised, vaccinated and returned to their original locations, she says this is “completely false.”
“Not a single dog has been returned. They are being taken and killed. FIFA needs to be made aware that this carnage is being orchestrated to prepare the country for the World Cup.”
She added, “Is it moral to sacrifice 30 million loyal friends to prepare cities for a football tournament? If we must kill our companions for sport, then that sport has no soul.”
The impact is already being felt in her community. Some residents have fled the village, fearing the violence will escalate. Others, including European couples who had considered investing in the area, have backed out.
“This is not just about dogs. It’s about who we are as a society. What’s happening is deplorable and it will destroy tourism, trust, and everything good we have here.”
Les Ward, Chairman of the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition, said: “This shocking incident is part of a wider pattern of brutal and unlawful actions being carried out under the guise of World Cup preparations. We are calling on the Moroccan authorities to immediately halt these operations and hold those responsible to account. FIFA must also step up and ensure its events do not come at the cost of animal welfare. Silence is complicity.”
