Key Points
Animal welfare groups allege that hundreds of thousands of stray dogs are being killed annually in Morocco, with numbers reportedly rising since the country secured co-hosting rights for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Moroccan authorities have “categorically denied” claims of a World Cup-linked mass cull, stating they are committed to humane and sustainable animal management and drafting new legislation.
FIFA says it is following up on Morocco’s animal welfare commitments, while activists warn of reputational risks if alleged abuses continue.
Morocco is facing mounting international scrutiny following allegations that stray dogs are being killed in large numbers as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. The situation, which has been in the news since late 2023, has received renewed attention after an in-depth investigation into it by The Athletic was published January 2026, and a coalition of international animal rights groups sent a 91-page-long file to The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), detailing animal abuses across the country.
A joint investigation and advocacy campaign led by the International Animal Welfare and Protection Coalition (IAWPC) alleges that hundreds of thousands of dogs are being killed annually, with campaigners warning that as many as three million could ultimately be targeted. Activists claim dogs are being “poisoned with strychnine either through directly injecting into the dog or through placing it in food,” while “gunmen using rifles and pistols are also accused of patrolling streets and shooting stray animals.”
A statement by the coalition said: “The dogs are left to bleed out, often thrashing around and screaming in agony… Their bodies are often left to rot where they fall.”
The IAWPC has compiled a 91-page dossier containing photographs, documents and testimonies detailing methods including shooting, poisoning and burning. According to the coalition, around 300,000 free-roaming dogs were already being killed annually before Morocco was confirmed in 2023 as a World Cup co-host, with numbers allegedly increasing since.
An investigation by The Athletic, which referred to the situation as a ‘massacre’, described a facility on the outskirts of Marrakech – reportedly an abattoir – where captured dogs are allegedly transported in vans. Witnesses cited in the report said animals were rounded up using nooses and metal clamps and taken to holding sites out of public view. Some were allegedly shot, poisoned or left to starve, while others were crammed into small pens without light or ventilation.
Other reports have also highlighted instances of poisoning using strychnine, public shootings, inhumane and violent captures, accidental attacks on citizens, and the complicity of administrative officials.
The issue has also raised concerns about public safety. In Taroudant in January 2026, a young man was shot in the eye during a night-time dog culling operation. The IAWPC condemned what it described as “reckless and inhumane” actions. Les Ward MBE, chairman of the IAWPC, said: “Shooting dogs puts human lives at risk, as this shocking case makes painfully clear… The negligent stupidity of using firearms and live ammunition to kill dogs on the streets of Morocco has no place within a civilised society.”
CNN reported another incident from January 2025 where a man was accidentally shot in the leg by someone in a municipal vehicle, which then sped away, leaving him bleeding on the sidewalk. “You can’t have shootings happening on the street,” Ward told CNN, “especially during a World Cup with thousands of tourists.”
At the centre of the controversy is the question of how Morocco manages its estimated three million stray dogs. Mohammed Roudani, head of the Public Health and Green Spaces Division at Morocco’s Ministry of Interior, told CNN: “Stray dogs pose a serious public health risk, particularly as carriers of rabies… Around 100,000 people are bitten every year, 40% of them children under 15.”
To tackle its stray dog management problem, Morocco introduced a Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) programme in 2019 as a humane strategy to manage stray populations. However, activists argue that culling persists at the municipal level. The IAWPC and other organisations maintain that culling creates a “vacuum effect,” whereby removed dogs are quickly replaced by unvaccinated animals, potentially worsening long-term public health risks.
In August 2025, Morocco proposed a legislation introducing prison sentences of two to six months and fines of up to $2,000 for anyone who “intentionally kills, tortures or injures” a stray animal. Critics, however, point to provisions that penalise those found “sheltering, feeding or treating” stray animals, which they argue criminalise compassion.
Actor Mark Ruffalo, in a statement cited by multiple outlets, wrote: “Killing millions of dogs to prepare for a global sporting event is not progress, it’s a moral failure. The World Cup should unite the world, not be built on suffering that happens behind closed doors.”
Ward said to CNN: “Individuals armed with rifles go out into the streets, often at night, and shoot the dogs. Others are rounded up and taken to municipal dispensaries where they are poisoned. They simply disappear.”
Moroccan authorities have strongly denied that any World Cup-linked mass cull is underway. The Moroccan embassy in London “categorically denies” claims that the kingdom intends to cull stray dogs ahead of the tournament, insisting the country has a “demonstrated commitment to humane and sustainable animal management.”
In response to mounting criticism, FIFA said Morocco’s World Cup bid had “outlined its commitment to the protection of animal rights.” In a statement cited by The Athletic, FIFA said: “With the bidding process now completed, FIFA is following up with its local counterparts with the aim to ensure commitments are upheld.”
FIFA added that it had contacted the Moroccan Football Federation and was in dialogue with local animal advocacy groups, noting that an expert panel’s recommendations on draft regulations had been submitted to Moroccan authorities.
Activists say awareness is growing internationally. Students in India have protested, and PETA has accused Morocco of a “mass slaughter” that could amount to a breach of hosting commitments. Human rights groups have also warned that ignoring documented abuses risks reputational damage for both Morocco and FIFA.
Moroccan officials, including budget minister and football federation head Fouzi Lekjaa, have described some reports as a “conspiracy” involving “manipulated images,” according to The Athletic. Authorities maintain that reforms are underway and that humane, balanced approaches are being developed.
As preparations intensify for the 2030 World Cup, the controversy continues to cast a shadow over Morocco’s hosting ambitions. Activists say they will continue to press for independent investigations, transparent enforcement of humane policies and an end to what they describe as widespread and inhumane killings.
[DS]
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