PETITION TO END THE VIOLENCE AGAINST STRAY DOGS IN MOROCCO

To: His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco; FIFA;

We are Moroccan citizens and international supporters, unaffiliated with any organization, respectfully petitioning to spare 3 million stray dogs from inhumane treatment. 

YOUR MAJESTY, WE HUMBLY REQUEST YOUR INTERVENTION

The Kingdom of Morocco, selected alongside Spain and Portugal as the sole bid for the FIFA 2030 World Cup (final vote December 11, 2024), is currently engaged in the distressing practice of eliminating its free-roaming dogs, ostensibly to enhance its image for FIFA. An estimated 3 million dogs are imperiled by methods including poisoning, shooting, and trapping—actions occurring in public view. We respectfully implore Your Majesty to bring an immediate end to this suffering. 

CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES 

Methods Employed: Authorized personnel patrol urban and rural areas, utilizing rifles and pistols to shoot dogs, often failing to achieve instantaneous death, leaving them to perish in distress. Strychnine poisoning, administered via injection or concealed in food, induces severe convulsions. Dogs are also captured with clamping devices, transported in crowded vehicles, and taken to facilities where they are incinerated or interred in mass graves, some still alive (The Guardian, February 20, 2025). 

Extent of the Issue: Of approximately 3 million stray dogs, only 10% have been sterilized. Thousands have been killed since January 2025, with millions more at risk. 

Official Statements: On February 14, 2025, Mohammed Roudani informed FIFA that culling ceased in August 2024 in favor of trap-neuter-vaccinate-release (TNVR) programs. Photographic and testimonial evidence, however, indicates that these practices persist unabated. 
Public Exposure: This violence unfolds before the eyes of children, citizens, and visitors. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, in General Comment 26 (September 18, 2023), declares, “Children must be protected from all forms of physical and psychological violence and from exposure to violence…inflicted on animals.” As a signatory to the Convention, Morocco is bound to this obligation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE KINGDOM 

Impact on Youth: Experts in psychology caution that children witnessing such acts—shootings, poisonings, or incinerations—may endure significant emotional harm, contravening the human rights principles Your Majesty champions. 

International Standing: FIFA is aware of these events yet has not responded, despite its human rights commitments (Article 19, UN Convention). The governments of Spain and Portugal, co-hosts, and Qatar Airways, a sponsor, share a responsibility to uphold dignity. 
National Reputation: The Kingdom’s esteemed tourism industry faces jeopardy as global visitors recoil from these practices ahead of the 2030 event.

REASONS FOR ACTION 

Behavioral Context: Stray dogs seldom bite unless provoked; global statistics indicate pet dogs pose a greater risk. These animals scavenge for sustenance, not aggression. 

Public Health Considerations: The removal of dogs permits the influx of unvaccinated strays, elevating the incidence of rabies, as recent reports confirm. 

Ecological Benefit: Dogs mitigate the spread of disease by controlling populations of rats and snakes; their elimination poses a threat to communal well-being.

FORMAL REQUESTS—WE BESEECH YOUR MAJESTY’S ACTION 

Cease Culling Immediately: Direct the cessation of all lethal measures and implement TNVR forthwith. 

Legislative Measures: 

Cruelty Statute: Establish penalties of up to 5 years’ imprisonment for animal abuse—enact this law. 

Stray Dog Regulations 2025: Require TNVR for all strays—promulgate and enforce it and fund it.

Safeguard Caretakers: Prohibit interference with those feeding strays and designate feeding areas—initiate this promptly. 

Judicial Directive: Command the High Court to issue a nationwide prohibition on culls—order it now. 

Engage FIFA and Partners: Urge FIFA, Spain, Portugal, and Qatar Airways to insist upon humane conduct.

A PATH OF COMPASSION

We propose feeding stray dogs to facilitate TNVR, reducing trash to limit their proliferation, and sterilizing and vaccinating them for release to their habitats. This approach, endorsed by the World Health Organization, aligns with Morocco’s 2019 commitment—Your Majesty’s leadership can fulfill it. 

THE KINGDOM’S LEGACY

The honor of Morocco, the welfare of its children, and the success of the 2030 World Cup rest upon Your Majesty’s benevolence. A Rabat veterinarian (February 22, Reuters) cautioned, “Control is slipping!” We earnestly request Your Majesty’s intervention to spare 3 million lives and preserve Morocco’s dignity. 

On Behalf of Citizens For Animal Rights