FIFA urged to take stand against culling of dogs ahead of World Cup
Animal protection organisations are appalled at claims that Morocco plans to cull millions of street dogs ahead of co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, and areappealing to FIFA to take a stand.The country agreed to carry out a Trap Neuter Release (TNR) programme in 2024, however circulating media reports now indicate that the country has abandoned these plans and is resorting to cruel and crude killing methods instead, such as shooting and poisoning.
In a letter to FIFA, Eurogroup for Animals, Deutscher Tierschutzbund, Animals de Rua, Animal Protection Denmark, DJGT, La SPA, FOUR PAWS, LAV and SEY point out that killing street dogs is not an appropriate means of reducing the population of strays in the long term.
In addition, the killing of dogs is also in breach of law in Morocco, which requires stray animals to be caught and sterilised. The TNR method is also important for disease control, as animals vaccinated against rabies can contribute permanently to herd immunity, thereby protecting the public from infection. Killing dogs is not effective with regards to rabies control, as unvaccinated animals take the place of those killed.
The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain and Portugal, in addition to Morocco. FIFA are headquartered in Switzerland, meaning several European countries could be complicit in this cruel and unnecessary culling of homeless companion animals.
The treatment of stray dogs in Morocco could draw international attention and cast a shadow over the World Cup and FIFA, which will deter many animal-friendly football fans from experiencing the event and Morocco’s culture.
The effect would be short-term at best. New dogs take the place of the animals that have been killed because dogs migrate from neighbouring areas and more young animals survive… In the five years leading up to the World Cup, Morocco still has enough time to reduce the population of street dogs in a humane way. We call on FIFA to use its influence to put pressure on the local authorities. Killing millions of animals would be cruel and pointless.
Luca Secker, Animal Protection Specialist, Deutscher Tierschutzbund
Right now, we’re hoping that you will join us in buildling dog houses and stockpiling food for winter, which is just around the corner. Taking shelter beneath a car or in a bush is hardly of any comfort in below-freezing air and falling snow, yet this is the reality for homeless animals in so many countries. We’re making immediate plans, BIG plans, to help these animals and we hope you’ll help.
Let’s start by looking at the case of just one shelter and then we’ll tell you our plans internationally…
The Bosnian Dream Shelter Needs Dog Houses
A hundred yawns beckon the gentle sunrise on a hillside about 40 miles outside of Sarajevo. One by one, the dogs here stretch before meandering out into the chilly morning air. They don’t worry if breakfast will come, they’ve simply come to expect it.
Every dog here was once harmed by humans. Some had been caught by the dog catcher’s noose. Others had been hit by cars and left for dead. The most unfortunate had been abandoned by the families they trusted and turned over to the nortorious Praca dog pound. But because of the brilliant vision of shelter founders Arijana Arijovic and Belma Duric, the dogs at the Bosnian Dream Shelter have awoken from the nightmares of the past and they now feel safe. The shelter is their home and they will live out their lives here.
“We have given up on adopting the dogs out as the dogs are oldies and no one wants them.” Arijana explains. “With us, they have all they need except for a good place to sleep this winter. We have many doghouses, but only a fraction of them are still useable. The rest are garbage after many years of use and wearing down from the weather. We need new, insulated dog houses in order for our dogs to stay warm during the winter.”
The old dog houses need to be replaced
Harmony Fund would like to grant this wish and deliver 70 well-built, insulated dog houses to the dogs here next month.
Originally, we had hoped to bring in construction trailers for the dogs, but the location is too steep and the crews could not bring it in due to the lack of paved entry. So, next summer we’d like to build structures to contain the dog houses, offering a double layer of protection.
But for today, we can take the first step. A mountain of straw bedding has already been delivered to stuff each dog house. This is one of SEVERAL locations where we’d like to bring in dog houses. In an ideal world, every companion animal would live in a heated home with a family who loves them. In the meantime, we are doing all that we can to provide basic comforts for homeless animals living in cold climates internationally.
Harmony Fund members like you can help to provide housing and food for so many animals who would not otherwise have shelter or meals through the winter season. Scroll down to see a basic summary of our winter readiness plan. We hope you’ll love it…
Do You Want to Give Houses & Food to the Animals Before Winter?
The 7 Point Plan You’re Going to Love
Dog Houses: We’re building houses for impoverished shelters and dogs living at neglectful pounds
Hidden Houses for Homeless Dogs: We’ll also place dog houses in strategic locations where there are many stray dogs. These houses will be well-concealed from passers-by and also chained down so that people will not steal them.
Delivering Meals to Homeless Animals: Every day, we’re helping volunteers to bring food to animals who have no shelter, and that food is absolutely LIFE SAVING during winter when human food scraps quickly freeze making them inedible.
Winterizing Shelters: We’re helping to make modifications at bare-bones animal shelters in order to block the wind and snow from where the dogs sleep.
Clearing Veterinary Debts: Over and over again, we hear from rescue squads that they are in debt with nearby veterinarians, and they can’t get more care until that debt is paid. Access to emergency vet care becomes even more essential during winter.
Stockpiling Food: It’s that time of year again. We’re asking for help to buy as much food as possible to serve thousands and thousands of meals through our league of heroes internationally.
Bringing Straw Bedding and Food to Chained Dogs: We’ll be reaching out to neglected, chained dogs and bringing food and water to help them through the winter. Sadly, laws in many countries are not strong enough to prevent dogs from living chained on a year-round basis.
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