Morocco has experienced a sharp rise in stray dogs, with over 100,000 bite and scratch incidents reported in recent years, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said Thursday. He warned that the animals are a major source of diseases such as rabies, hydatid cysts, and visceral leishmaniasis.
“Stray dogs are the main reservoir for these diseases,” Laftit said, noting that rabies alone caused 33 deaths in 2024, while 432 cases of hydatid cysts and 64 cases of visceral leishmaniasis were recorded that year.
To address the problem, the government has implemented a scientific approach, including surgical sterilization and rabies vaccination, under a 2019 framework agreement involving the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Health, National Office for Food Safety, and National Veterinary Council.
Around 260 million MAD has been allocated over the past five years to help local authorities build shelters and conduct sterilization campaigns. More than 20 centers are planned, with one already operational in Aamer and five nearing completion in Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, and Oujda.
Funding has also been approved for 10 additional centers in cities including Kenitra, Errachidia, Khemisset, and Nouaceur, while six more are under study in Fes, Chichaoua, and Fahs Anjra.
A mobile veterinary complex in Kenitra will provide vaccination, treatment, sterilization, and temporary shelter services, with its success evaluated before potential nationwide deployment.
Draft law 19.25 has been approved to regulate stray animal populations, enforce registration, and penalize violators. Additionally, the ministry is creating 130 local health offices, each staffed with a veterinarian, and is collaborating with the Hassan II Agronomy and Veterinary Institute to test new vaccination methods.
Laftit said 40 million MAD is allocated annually to the Pasteur Institute for vaccines and treatments, with another 40 million MAD provided by local authorities through 115 health centers nationwide.
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