My late wife Myra and I often holidayed in Spain and Portugal, and planned to one day visit Morocco, having seen it across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Sadly we never got to do so and I’m afraid the North African country is the last place on my ‘to visit’ list right now following its government’s decision to embark on a nationwide cull of stray dogs.
The mass killings have been launched in a bid to ‘clean up’ Morocco ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.
Thousands of strays a week are being snatched from the country’s streets by canine hit squads and ‘destroyed’ in the most barbaric manner imaginable.
It is estimated that up to three million dogs could be put down over the next four years.
Dogs everywhere from Tangier to Casablanca are being strangled, poisoned or shot in full view of the public, traumatising them and their children.
Tourists have witnessed appalling acts of cruelty, too.
Officials said the effort is aimed at making cities and tourist hotspots appear cleaner, safer, and more appealing to international visitors, fans, and media, in an attempt to avoid negative perceptions of stray animals during major global events
Actor Peter Egan says he’d love to visit Morocco – but while the alleged culling of dogs is happening, he won’t be touching down in the North African country
A holidaymaker in Marrakesh saw one dog being strangled by a hit squad and a second being thrown into the back of a van where it yelped until being clubbed to death.
Holidaymakers have even been threatened while filming these savage canine killings.
So I’m deeply shocked that the European Travel Agents Association has joined forces with Morocco’s tourism authorities to promote it as ‘a destination of excellence’ despite having been alerted to this appalling cull.
As I understand it, FIFA is urging the Moroccan government to put a halt to this mass killing – but I would like to see more done.
Cull: Animal welfare organisations have released images and testimony alleging Moroccan authorities are using harsh methods, including clamping dogs by the neck, loading them into trucks and poisoning or shooting them before disposing of their bodies in mass graves
Outside of acting, I’m an animal advocate and wildlife lover, have a couple of stray dogs – a labrador cross and a Staffordshire terrier cross – and support various animal charities.
And I know for a fact that there are kinder ways to reduce a stray dog population than via the methods that are currently being pursued in Morocco.
The best solution is a ‘spay, neuter and return’ policy – spaying the female, neutering the male and returning the dogs to the environment they were taken from. Otherwise stray dogs from elsewhere will simply colonise their old territory.
Personally, I would like nothing better than to visit the ancient cities of Fez and Marrakesh, and get a flavour of the Sahara and the Atlas Mountains.
However, if I went to Morocco now, I would feel guilty about lying in the sun while knowing dogs were being brutally slaughtered all around me. I would feel in some way culpable in this ongoing mass killing.
So if you are an animal lover and, in particular, a dog lover and are thinking of visiting Morocco, I would urge you to think again before booking your holiday.
Peter Egan supports the work of the International Animal Coalition (iawpc.org).
