Animal-welfare groups warn that Morocco’s street dogs are at risk as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup. But the claim that the government plans to kill three million dogs is not confirmed: a Moroccan Interior Ministry official denied such a plan in February 2025. Reporting available through May 2025 describes both an official program based on treating, vaccinating and sterilizing dogs and continuing concerns about how consistently humane practices are followed.
Is Morocco killing stray dogs for the 2030 World Cup?
The claim is disputed, not established fact. In January 2025, the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC) alleged that killings had intensified since Morocco was selected as a 2030 co-host and warned that three million dogs were under threat. The coalition said its report drew on video footage and witness testimony. Its account is advocacy reporting; the available sources do not independently verify the footage, locations, dates or scale of the alleged killings.
On 14 February 2025, Mohammed Roudani, an official in Morocco’s Interior Ministry, rejected the claim in comments reported by the Moroccan news agency MAP and broadcaster SNRT. He said in French, “Il n’existe aucune campagne d’abattage,” and called reports of a plan to kill three million stray dogs before the World Cup “dénuées de tout fondement.” In translation: “There is no culling campaign. Reports of a plan to kill 3 million stray dogs before the 2030 World Cup are entirely unfounded.”
The Associated Press (AP), reporting in May 2025, found a more complicated picture than either a confirmed nationwide cull or proof that welfare concerns are unfounded. It described Morocco’s official treatment program, local-media reports of mistreatment and euthanasia by gunshot, and disagreement over how widely the humane program is being implemented. Officials characterized reported abuses as isolated; critics questioned the program’s reach.
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What is Morocco’s official dog-management program?
Morocco says it adopted a TVNR approach in 2019. The acronym means trap, vaccinate, neuter and return: dogs are caught, vaccinated, sterilized and returned to their communities. The approach is intended to address disease risk and dog populations without relying on indiscriminate killing. It depends on sustained, broad coverage; the existence of a program does not establish that every dog is reached or treated humanely.
AP reported that one facility had opened in Rabat and that facilities were planned in at least 14 other cities. It also reported a government estimate of roughly US$23 million spent over the preceding five years. These are figures reported by AP, not a separately audited national account of spending or nationwide program coverage.
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At the Rabat-area facility AP visited, dogs were treated and some were released. AP also reported that veterinarians euthanized dogs they judged unhealthy or aggressive using sodium pentobarbital. So TVNR as described in practice does not mean that no dog is euthanized; the distinction is between veterinary euthanasia under stated criteria and alleged indiscriminate or cruel killing.
How many stray dogs are there in Morocco?
The two figures cited in the debate come from different sources and are not a settled census.
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| Figure | What it represents | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2–1.5 million | An estimate of Morocco’s stray-dog population | Moroccan officials, as reported by AP in May 2025; based on samples of marked and tagged dogs, not described as a national census. |
| Three million | IAWPC’s estimate of the dog population and the number it says is under threat | IAWPC’s January 2025 advocacy report; not a confirmed count or an official cull target. |
The difference matters: “three million dogs” can refer to an advocacy group’s estimate of the population or the number it says faces danger, but it is not evidence that the government adopted a three-million-dog killing target. The available sources do not provide an independent census that resolves the estimates.
What do the allegations and reporting establish?
IAWPC alleges that dogs have been poisoned, shot, trapped and killed in and around cities, including dogs wearing identification tags. Its chairman, Ian Ward, said dogs were shot in streets and dragged away with wire nooses. Those are serious claims, but they remain allegations from the coalition’s report rather than independently verified findings about a nationwide rate.
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Separately, AP reported local-media accounts of mistreatment and euthanasia by gunshot, while also recording officials’ position that such cases were isolated and critics’ doubts about the extent of TVNR implementation. This reporting supports concern that abuses may occur; it does not establish how widespread they are. Nor does an official denial, by itself, settle whether all local practices match the program’s stated standards.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why rabies is part of the debate
Rabies is a real public-health concern in Morocco, but it should not be used to turn estimates or reports into claims about confirmed cases. A 2025 article from the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO) reported 451 human rabies cases in Morocco during 2000–2022. The same article gave an average of 20 cases annually for 2000–2021; those figures use different periods and should not be conflated.
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AP reported that more than 100,000 Moroccans had needed rabies vaccinations after attacks. That number does not mean all those people were bitten by rabid dogs. WHO EMRO’s article recommends integrated dog management, including TVNR or TNVT and community education. In practice, public-health goals depend on measures such as vaccination and sustained implementation, alongside humane handling and appropriate veterinary care.
What evidence would clarify the situation?
A clearer picture would require independently documented incidents with dates and locations, transparent reporting on how many dogs are captured, vaccinated, sterilized, returned or euthanized, and a population estimate with a disclosed method. Those records would help distinguish isolated violations from systemic practice and show whether the official program reaches enough dogs to meet its stated goals. The sources available through May 2025 do not settle the national scale of killings or establish a confirmed three-million-dog cull plan.
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