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CNN
11 hours ago
- CNN
Why is Morocco killing thousands of stray dogs ahead of the 2030 World Cup?
For 19-year-old Fatimazarah from Ifrane, a small mountain town known as the 'Switzerland of Morocco,' dead dogs are a common sight. Fatimazarah asked CNN not to publish her surname for fear of being targeted by local authorities. 'Walking to school, I would pass pools of blood on the street,' she recalled in an interview with CNN. 'At a certain point, I realized it wasn't normal to start your day stepping over dead bodies.' According to Fatimazarah, the killings have gotten especially bad in the last year. 'There used to be occasional shootings every few months,' she said. 'Now, they are more systematic. They kill dogs like it's a sport – like people hunt ducks.' Animal welfare groups say the killings are part of a campaign to 'clean up' Morocco's streets ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which the nation is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal, while Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina will all host stage an opening match each. 'Individuals armed with rifles go out into the streets, often at night, and shoot the dogs,' Les Ward, head of the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC), told CNN. 'Others are rounded up and taken to municipal dispensaries where they are poisoned. They simply disappear.' Omar Jaïd, President of the Provincial Tourism Council of Ifrane, told CNN that the city has 'started cleaning the streets of stray dogs, as part of our preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.' Ifrane is roughly a 40-mile drive (about 64 kilometers) from Fez Stadium, one of the proposed tournament venues which is expected to host a multitude of national soccer teams alongside thousands of visitors. Jaïd added that the animals are rounded up and relocated to dispensaries where they can be vaccinated. He emphasized he is a 'dog lover.' Fatimazarah, however, witnessed something different. On the night of February 9, 2024, she was jolted awake by the sound of gunshots. Stepping outside, she discovered three dead dogs in a dumpster. One of them was a male husky she knew from the neighborhood. 'I was terrified,' she recalled. 'I carried the husky out of the trash can, covered in blood. I didn't know what to do. I felt so helpless.' CNN cannot independently confirm who killed the dogs. CNN contacted Ifrane municipality for comment but did not hear back. 'Stray dogs pose a serious public health risk, particularly as carriers of rabies,' Mohammed Roudani, head of the Public Health and Green Spaces Division at Morocco's Ministry of Interior, told CNN. 'Around 100,000 people are bitten every year, 40% of them children under 15.' In 2019, Morocco's government introduced the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) program, a humane strategy to control stray dog populations. 'We are working with local authorities to implement this in compliance with animal welfare standards,' Roudani said. But there's a major obstacle: municipalities, not the national government, are responsible for managing stray animals. 'There's a legal vacuum,' Roudani explained. 'Some cities still rely on traditional methods, and there's currently no law against killing stray dogs.' In some cities, stray dogs are poisoned with strychnine, a pesticide banned in many countries for causing inhumane suffering. 'We must deal with the issue in a different way,' Roudani said. 'No more slaughter. No more strychnine. We need an ethical solution.' CNN has verified footage of dog culling in cities including Marrakech, Casablanca, Agadir and Ifrane. Videos filmed as recently as May 2025 show dogs being restrained with metal wires and tossed into pickup trucks already filled with carcasses. And it's not just animals at risk. On January 24, Abderrahim Sounni, a barista in the town of Ben Ahmed, had just finished his shift when a stray dog dashed past him, chased by a car. Gunshots rang out and three bullets missed the dog, instead striking Sounni in the knee and thigh. The 34-year-old recounted the incident in a local media interview, later confirming the details in a call with CNN. Sounni didn't believe the shooter saw him but was instead focused on the dog. As he cried out for help, bleeding on the sidewalk, the vehicle sped away. Bystanders found him and he was rushed to a hospital in Casablanca, where doctors were unable to remove the bullets. He said police later informed him that the vehicle belonged to the municipality. CNN has contacted the local police, who didn't comment on the incident. Sounni declined to provide further comment to CNN, saying he felt overwhelmed by the media attention. 'It's gotten to the point where people are in danger,' IAWPC chairman Ward told CNN. 'You can't have shootings happening on the street – especially during a World Cup with thousands of tourists.' In February this year, a coalition of 10 animal rights groups urged FIFA to address Morocco's 'increased capture and culling' of stray dogs ahead of the 2030 World Cup. In a letter addressed to FIFA's Secretary General, conservationist Jane Goodall said she was 'absolutely appalled' to see Morocco's government 'engaging in large-scale killings of street dogs as part of an apparent effort to make FIFA World Cup venues more 'presentable' to foreign visitors.' FIFA did not respond to the letter but told CNN in a statement that Morocco's World Cup bid 'outlined its commitment to the protection of animal rights,' including the expansion of 'clinics and support programs for stray dogs.' 'FIFA is following up with its local counterparts with the aim to ensure commitments are upheld,' the statement said. As international scrutiny has grown, the dog catchers appear to have become more discreet, particularly in tourist hubs like Marrakech. Jane Wilson and Louise Jackson – two British residents living in Marrakech – told CNN that, until last year, vans openly displayed cages in the back with dead and alive dogs in plain sight. Now, unmarked white vans quietly patrol the streets, seizing stray animals, they said. In Casablanca, vans bearing the logo of Casa Baia, a municipal development company, are rounding up animals. Owned by the municipality, the company's website claims its 'expert teams are permanently mobilized' to 'capture and impound' more than 20,000 stray dogs per year. CNN reviewed footage prepared by an animal rights group showing dogs being dragged into Casa Baia vehicles with metal chains. Smaller dogs are shown ensnared in fishing nets, their bodies thrashing in distress before being thrown into white vans. Erin Captain, originally from Indiana, moved to Casablanca with her husband last year and quickly grew attached to the local strays. 'They're amazing creatures,' she said. 'I began caring for two puppies: vaccinating and feeding them, watching them grow.' Then, one by one, the neighborhood dogs started disappearing. Captain told CNN that Casa Baia vans prowled the streets day and night. One night, she says, they came for her puppies. 'They took them from outside our house, kicking them,' she recalled. 'One had its little legs broken; the other was kicked to death. It was a nightmare – I was terrified. My husband had to step in before they drove off.' For months, Captain paid to vaccinate as many dogs as she could. 'But the dog catchers came and killed them anyway,' she said. 'It's more barbaric than you can imagine. I don't sleep anymore.' Reached by CNN, a spokesperson for Casa Baia declined to comment on accusations of killing stray dogs or using inhumane methods to capture stray dogs. FIFA has been aware of Morocco's dog culling since at least 2023. That March, the European Link Coalition (ELC), a UK-based NGO, met with senior FIFA officials to present evidence of a rise in culling ahead of the 2030 World Cup. The materials included dozens of photos, videos, and witness testimonies – some directly referencing Casa Baia. In April 2024, FIFA Human Rights Advisor Marta Piazza told ELC that the organization 'truly valued' their input and was engaging with Morocco's government to 'ensure alignment with FIFA's bidding requirements' – the checklist of services and standards expected of a prospective host nation. A 'suggested way forward' was promised in the coming weeks. According to the ELC, FIFA then fell silent. The organization says it hasn't heard from Piazza or her colleagues since. In response to CNN's request for comment, FIFA said it is 'in contact with animal welfare organizations on this important matter.' Morocco's government is taking steps to regulate dog culling practices. Last month, Roudani and his colleagues submitted a draft law mandating municipalities to stop killing stray animals and implement TNVR programs. In a statement to CNN, FIFA said it had contacted the Moroccan Football Federation and 'received confirmation that a number of measures have been implemented over the last 5 years,' with new legislation in the works aimed at balancing public health and animal welfare. The issue is drawing global attention ahead of the 2030 World Cup, with celebrities including Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan condemning the killings on X, calling them a 'slaughter.' 'Football fans around the world love dogs,' Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch told CNN. 'Animal mistreatment could become a major PR issue if FIFA doesn't take concrete action.' 'It's not just a question of animal mistreatment,' added Nick McGeehan, co-director of rights group FairSquare. 'Having a clear knowledge of issues and choosing to ignore them – that's a breach of basic human decency.'
CNN
12 hours ago
- CNN
Why is Morocco killing thousands of stray dogs ahead of the 2030 World Cup?
For 19-year-old Fatimazarah from Ifrane, a small mountain town known as the 'Switzerland of Morocco,' dead dogs are a common sight. Fatimazarah asked CNN not to publish her surname for fear of being targeted by local authorities. 'Walking to school, I would pass pools of blood on the street,' she recalled in an interview with CNN. 'At a certain point, I realized it wasn't normal to start your day stepping over dead bodies.' According to Fatimazarah, the killings have gotten especially bad in the last year. 'There used to be occasional shootings every few months,' she said. 'Now, they are more systematic. They kill dogs like it's a sport – like people hunt ducks.' Animal welfare groups say the killings are part of a campaign to 'clean up' Morocco's streets ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which the nation is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal, while Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina will all host stage an opening match each. 'Individuals armed with rifles go out into the streets, often at night, and shoot the dogs,' Les Ward, head of the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC), told CNN. 'Others are rounded up and taken to municipal dispensaries where they are poisoned. They simply disappear.' Omar Jaïd, President of the Provincial Tourism Council of Ifrane, told CNN that the city has 'started cleaning the streets of stray dogs, as part of our preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.' Ifrane is roughly a 40-mile drive (about 64 kilometers) from Fez Stadium, one of the proposed tournament venues which is expected to host a multitude of national soccer teams alongside thousands of visitors. Jaïd added that the animals are rounded up and relocated to dispensaries where they can be vaccinated. He emphasized he is a 'dog lover.' Fatimazarah, however, witnessed something different. On the night of February 9, 2024, she was jolted awake by the sound of gunshots. Stepping outside, she discovered three dead dogs in a dumpster. One of them was a male husky she knew from the neighborhood. 'I was terrified,' she recalled. 'I carried the husky out of the trash can, covered in blood. I didn't know what to do. I felt so helpless.' CNN cannot independently confirm who killed the dogs. CNN contacted Ifrane municipality for comment but did not hear back. 'Stray dogs pose a serious public health risk, particularly as carriers of rabies,' Mohammed Roudani, head of the Public Health and Green Spaces Division at Morocco's Ministry of Interior, told CNN. 'Around 100,000 people are bitten every year, 40% of them children under 15.' In 2019, Morocco's government introduced the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) program, a humane strategy to control stray dog populations. 'We are working with local authorities to implement this in compliance with animal welfare standards,' Roudani said. But there's a major obstacle: municipalities, not the national government, are responsible for managing stray animals. 'There's a legal vacuum,' Roudani explained. 'Some cities still rely on traditional methods, and there's currently no law against killing stray dogs.' In some cities, stray dogs are poisoned with strychnine, a pesticide banned in many countries for causing inhumane suffering. 'We must deal with the issue in a different way,' Roudani said. 'No more slaughter. No more strychnine. We need an ethical solution.' CNN has verified footage of dog culling in cities including Marrakech, Casablanca, Agadir and Ifrane. Videos filmed as recently as May 2025 show dogs being restrained with metal wires and tossed into pickup trucks already filled with carcasses. And it's not just animals at risk. On January 24, Abderrahim Sounni, a barista in the town of Ben Ahmed, had just finished his shift when a stray dog dashed past him, chased by a car. Gunshots rang out and three bullets missed the dog, instead striking Sounni in the knee and thigh. The 34-year-old recounted the incident in a local media interview, later confirming the details in a call with CNN. Sounni didn't believe the shooter saw him but was instead focused on the dog. As he cried out for help, bleeding on the sidewalk, the vehicle sped away. Bystanders found him and he was rushed to a hospital in Casablanca, where doctors were unable to remove the bullets. He said police later informed him that the vehicle belonged to the municipality. CNN has contacted the local police, who didn't comment on the incident. Sounni declined to provide further comment to CNN, saying he felt overwhelmed by the media attention. 'It's gotten to the point where people are in danger,' IAWPC chairman Ward told CNN. 'You can't have shootings happening on the street – especially during a World Cup with thousands of tourists.' In February this year, a coalition of 10 animal rights groups urged FIFA to address Morocco's 'increased capture and culling' of stray dogs ahead of the 2030 World Cup. In a letter addressed to FIFA's Secretary General, conservationist Jane Goodall said she was 'absolutely appalled' to see Morocco's government 'engaging in large-scale killings of street dogs as part of an apparent effort to make FIFA World Cup venues more 'presentable' to foreign visitors.' FIFA did not respond to the letter but told CNN in a statement that Morocco's World Cup bid 'outlined its commitment to the protection of animal rights,' including the expansion of 'clinics and support programs for stray dogs.' 'FIFA is following up with its local counterparts with the aim to ensure commitments are upheld,' the statement said. As international scrutiny has grown, the dog catchers appear to have become more discreet, particularly in tourist hubs like Marrakech. Jane Wilson and Louise Jackson – two British residents living in Marrakech – told CNN that, until last year, vans openly displayed cages in the back with dead and alive dogs in plain sight. Now, unmarked white vans quietly patrol the streets, seizing stray animals, they said. In Casablanca, vans bearing the logo of Casa Baia, a municipal development company, are rounding up animals. Owned by the municipality, the company's website claims its 'expert teams are permanently mobilized' to 'capture and impound' more than 20,000 stray dogs per year. CNN reviewed footage prepared by an animal rights group showing dogs being dragged into Casa Baia vehicles with metal chains. Smaller dogs are shown ensnared in fishing nets, their bodies thrashing in distress before being thrown into white vans. Erin Captain, originally from Indiana, moved to Casablanca with her husband last year and quickly grew attached to the local strays. 'They're amazing creatures,' she said. 'I began caring for two puppies: vaccinating and feeding them, watching them grow.' Then, one by one, the neighborhood dogs started disappearing. Captain told CNN that Casa Baia vans prowled the streets day and night. One night, she says, they came for her puppies. 'They took them from outside our house, kicking them,' she recalled. 'One had its little legs broken; the other was kicked to death. It was a nightmare – I was terrified. My husband had to step in before they drove off.' For months, Captain paid to vaccinate as many dogs as she could. 'But the dog catchers came and killed them anyway,' she said. 'It's more barbaric than you can imagine. I don't sleep anymore.' Reached by CNN, a spokesperson for Casa Baia declined to comment on accusations of killing stray dogs or using inhumane methods to capture stray dogs. FIFA has been aware of Morocco's dog culling since at least 2023. That March, the European Link Coalition (ELC), a UK-based NGO, met with senior FIFA officials to present evidence of a rise in culling ahead of the 2030 World Cup. The materials included dozens of photos, videos, and witness testimonies – some directly referencing Casa Baia. In April 2024, FIFA Human Rights Advisor Marta Piazza told ELC that the organization 'truly valued' their input and was engaging with Morocco's government to 'ensure alignment with FIFA's bidding requirements' – the checklist of services and standards expected of a prospective host nation. A 'suggested way forward' was promised in the coming weeks. According to the ELC, FIFA then fell silent. The organization says it hasn't heard from Piazza or her colleagues since. In response to CNN's request for comment, FIFA said it is 'in contact with animal welfare organizations on this important matter.' Morocco's government is taking steps to regulate dog culling practices. Last month, Roudani and his colleagues submitted a draft law mandating municipalities to stop killing stray animals and implement TNVR programs. In a statement to CNN, FIFA said it had contacted the Moroccan Football Federation and 'received confirmation that a number of measures have been implemented over the last 5 years,' with new legislation in the works aimed at balancing public health and animal welfare. The issue is drawing global attention ahead of the 2030 World Cup, with celebrities including Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan condemning the killings on X, calling them a 'slaughter.' 'Football fans around the world love dogs,' Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch told CNN. 'Animal mistreatment could become a major PR issue if FIFA doesn't take concrete action.' 'It's not just a question of animal mistreatment,' added Nick McGeehan, co-director of rights group FairSquare. 'Having a clear knowledge of issues and choosing to ignore them – that's a breach of basic human decency.'
