Karmactive Staff
Millions of street dogs in Morocco face an uncertain future as the country prepares to host the 2030 World Cup. Animal groups warn that up to three million dogs might be killed to clean up city streets.
“This would be a horrific act of cruelty,” says Jane Goodall, the famous animal expert. She wants FIFA, the group running the World Cup, to step in and stop any mass killing of dogs.
The Moroccan government says no dogs have been killed since late 2024. They’ve started a program to help street dogs instead. This program catches dogs, gives them shots, fixes them so they can’t have puppies, and then releases them back to their neighborhoods. Each dog costs £25 to vaccinate and £80 to sterilize.
But there’s a problem. The program isn’t working well because it doesn’t have enough money. Animal welfare workers in Morocco have documented the situation. Saffron Dixon, who works with street dogs in the town of Taghazout, has raised £2,700 to help. “When I returned in 2024, most of the dogs I knew were gone,” she says.
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This isn’t the first time a World Cup host country has faced this problem. In 2018, Russia faced criticism after reports of stray dogs being killed before their World Cup games began.
Morocco plans to open 130 offices with dispensaries for sterilization and veterinary care across the country. They’ve also made it illegal to poison dogs or shoot them. But animal groups say more needs to be done. They advocate for expanded sterilization and vaccination programs to control the street dog population humanely.
The problem affects everyone in Morocco. Street dogs that aren’t vaccinated pose public health concerns. But killing them isn’t the answer, say animal experts. They want solutions that work for both people and dogs.
Morocco has five years until the World Cup begins. What they do with their street dogs will show the world how they treat their animals. FIFA could make rules about this for future World Cup host countries.
