Morocco’s plans to build 130 mass dog-control centers ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup have sparked concern among animal welfare groups. The so-called Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release (TNVR) facilities are being viewed as covert killing stations by many members of the Moroccan public.
The International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC), a consortium of 27 organizations including the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, PETA, and In Defense of Animals, has raised red flags about the rollout of these clinics in World Cup-linked host cities such as Marrakesh, Agadir, and Oujda. According to the IAWPC, these centers do not align with the principles of a genuine animal welfare initiative and are more likely to be used as mass extermination hubs, where dogs are captured in brutal fashion and either killed or left to die in inhumane conditions.
Les Ward MBE, chairman of the IAWPC, stated, “It is abundantly clear that Morocco is not planning to carry out any meaningful TNVR at these sites. What we are witnessing instead is a large, state-funded infrastructure to round up and quietly kill dogs under the pretense of humane management.”
Footage gathered by the coalition has shown dogcatchers using metal neck clamps and makeshift snares to capture terrified animals from the streets. These methods have been likened to “medieval torture” by campaigners. In some cases, dogs have been filmed writhing in pain as they are dragged across concrete, bleeding and howling.
The scale of this operation is unprecedented. According to IAWPC research, no other country with a free-roaming dog population has attempted to create TNVR centers on this level. The large capacity of each facility, combined with a lack of transparency, sufficient staff, and repeated refusals to allow international monitoring, has raised concerns that the entire program is a thinly veiled slaughter within what some are calling “centers of death.”
Despite public outcry and offers from the coalition to help establish a truly ethical and humane dog management program, including expert-led sterilization campaigns, community engagement, and international funding, Moroccan authorities have remained silent. Reports have continued to emerge of dogs dying slowly after being rounded up and locked in remote compounds without access to food or water.
Campaigners have reported that dogs are being shot or poisoned in full view of the public, including tourists and children, leaving communities traumatized and international visitors horrified. Distressing images have emerged of dogs lying dead in the streets, some foaming at the mouth after ingesting toxic bait.
IAWPC members are now demanding urgent access to the facilities to assess welfare conditions and provide advice on humane alternatives. They argue that a genuine TNVR approach could position Morocco as a global leader in ethical and humane dog population management. However, this can only be achieved if the current killing and inhumanity are abandoned.
Ward stated, “Morocco has a choice. It can reject violence and stop the killing, and together we can work to implement a world-class system that respects and saves lives. Alternatively, it can continue down the dark path of brutality, which not only takes lives but also traumatizes children, permits violent assaults on its citizens, and brings condemnation from the international community. As we can see in the current state of the world, violence should never be the solution. Humanity is and will always be the solution. The animals, children, and people of Morocco deserve compassion, not cruelty. The government of Morocco should seize this opportunity to change its ways.”
The IAWPC is now calling on FIFA to ignore the propaganda and take a closer look at what is happening on the ground in Morocco. They assert that FIFA has been misled for far too long.
This news story was distributed by Pressat.co.uk.
