Morocco faces scrutiny over alleged stray dog culls ahead of 2030 World Cup | OneFootball

The build-up to the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal, has been overshadowed by international anger over alleged systematic culls of stray dogs. Campaigners say the killings form part of a pre-tournament urban clean-up drive.

Animal welfare organisations, local activists and foreign media have reported capture operations and put-downs using violent, inhumane methods. The New York Times reports that dogs have been shot in the street.

Morocco denies any extermination campaign and says stray control is governed by laws that prioritise humane capture, sterilisation, vaccination and release. Authorities argue some videos and images online are taken out of context or from other countries. They stress that indiscriminate killing is prohibited under national rules.

Activists and independent observers dispute the gap between the legal framework and practice on the ground. They say sterilisation programmes are patchy and that many municipalities still resort to quick lethal measures seen as cheaper.

Experts in stray management warn mass culls do not fix the structural problem. Removing adult dogs creates a vacuum effect, with new animals quickly moving in.

The controversy has also sparked a wider social debate. Some operations are said to occur in daylight in front of neighbours and children, unsettling communities and prompting mixed reactions online.

With fewer than four years to kick-off, the row risks damaging the reputations of Morocco and FIFA. Pressure is growing, and animal groups insist football cannot look away when such allegations accompany a global event.

Source: Superdeporte