Why Morocco Is Slaughtering Hundreds Of Stray Dogs In Preparation For The World Cup In 2030

Morocco is killing thousands of stray dogs in what animal rights groups describe as a brutal effort to clean up streets ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which the country will co-host with Spain and Portugal.

In towns like Ifrane, the crackdown is visible — and bloody.

“Walking to school, I would pass pools of blood on the street,” said Amina, a 19-year-old student who requested anonymity over safety concerns.

“At a certain point, I realized it wasn’t normal to start your day stepping over dead bodies.”

Amina said the killings have become more frequent in the past 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 Morocco is targeting street dogs to improve its image before the World Cup kicks off in 2030.

“Individuals armed with rifles go out into the streets, often at night, and shoot the dogs,” said Les Ward, head of the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC).

“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, confirmed efforts to reduce the number of strays.

“The city has started cleaning the streets of stray dogs, as part of our preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup,” he said.

Ifrane is located about 64 kilometers (40 miles) from Fez Stadium, a proposed tournament venue.

Jaïd claimed the dogs are relocated for vaccination. “I am a dog lover,” he said.

But what Amina witnessed told another story.

On February 9, 2024, she heard gunshots in the night. Outside, she found three dogs dumped in a trash bin — one of them a male husky she recognized.

“I was terrified,” she said. “I carried the husky out of the trash can, covered in blood. I didn’t know what to do. I felt so helpless.”

Authorities say stray dogs pose a serious health risk, especially as carriers of rabies.

“Stray dogs pose a serious public health risk, particularly as carriers of rabies,” said Mohammed Roudani, head of the Public Health and Green Spaces Division at the Ministry of Interior.

“About 100,000 people are bitten every year, 40% of them children under 15.”

In 2019, Morocco launched a Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) program as a humane solution.

“We are working with local authorities to implement this in compliance with animal welfare standards,” Roudani said.

But local governments, not the national government, control dog population management.

“There’s a legal vacuum,” he said. “Some cities still rely on traditional methods, and there’s currently no law against killing stray dogs.”

In some areas, poison is still used — including strychnine, a banned pesticide known for causing extreme 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 verified footage from multiple cities — Marrakech, Casablanca, Agadir, and Ifrane — showing dogs being captured with wires and loaded into trucks already full of carcasses.

On January 24, a barista named Abderrahim Sounni in the town of Ben Ahmed was shot while walking home from work.

He said a stray dog ran past him, chased by a vehicle. Shots were fired. The dog escaped, but Sounni was hit in the knee and thigh.

Police told him the vehicle belonged to the municipality.

“It’s gotten to the point where people are in danger,” said Ward of the IAWPC. “You can’t have shootings happening on the street – especially during a World Cup with thousands of tourists.”

In February, 10 animal rights groups sent a letter to FIFA urging intervention.

In the letter, conservationist Jane Goodall said she was “absolutely appalled” at Morocco’s “large-scale killings of street dogs” to make cities look more presentable for international guests.

FIFA didn’t respond to the letter but told CNN that Morocco had pledged to protect animal rights as part of its bid.

“FIFA is following up with its local counterparts with the aim to ensure commitments are upheld,” the organization said.

According to local witnesses, tactics have shifted from open killings to more covert operations.

British residents Jane Wilson and Louise Jackson in Marrakech said that while dog-catching vans once displayed animals in plain sight, they now use unmarked vehicles.

In Casablanca, white vans from Casa Baia — a municipal company — have been seen capturing dogs. The company says it impounds over 20,000 strays a year.

CNN reviewed video evidence showing dogs dragged by metal chains, ensnared in nets, and thrown into the vehicles.

For Erin Captain, an American expat in Casablanca, the violence was personal.

“They’re amazing creatures,” she said of the local strays. “I began caring for two puppies: vaccinating and feeding them, watching them grow.”

“They took them from outside our house, kicking them,” she said. “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.”

Despite her efforts to vaccinate and protect other dogs, most were killed.

“It’s more barbaric than you can imagine,” she said. “I don’t sleep anymore.”

Casa Baia declined to comment when contacted by CNN.

FIFA has been aware of the killings since at least 2023.

That year, the European Link Coalition (ELC) met with officials and submitted videos, photos, and testimonies.

FIFA’s Human Rights Advisor Marta Piazza acknowledged the issue and said discussions were ongoing with Morocco.

But the ELC says it has received no follow-up communication.

FIFA told CNN it remains “in contact with animal welfare organizations on this important matter.”

Meanwhile, Moroccan authorities are working on a new law to stop the killings and enforce TNVR programs nationwide.

FIFA said the Moroccan Football Federation has reported “a number of measures” in place, with additional reforms underway.

But pressure continues to mount.

Celebrities like Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan have condemned the culling as a “slaughter.”

“Football fans around the world love dogs,” said Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch. “Animal mistreatment could become a major PR issue if FIFA doesn’t take concrete action.”

Nick McGeehan of FairSquare added: “Having a clear knowledge of issues and choosing to ignore them – that’s a breach of basic human decency.”