The operation to slaughter stray dogs in several cities in Morocco has sparked a lively controversy, and is debated on social networks. The protesters, in particular animal and environmental protection associations and canine lovers, denounced the violence of the act, and called for better management of the thing.
Precisely, in order to guarantee a sustainable management of this problem as well as the elimination of rabies, the Ministry of the Interior, which has been committed for some time now to a “human approach” to the treatment of this phenomenon, has taken several urgent measures, through the launch of various actions, including the distribution of circulars encouraging municipalities to avoid the use of firearms and toxic substances for the elimination of stray dogs.
These actions undertaken include in particular raising the awareness of municipalities on the importance and usefulness of the TNVR (Trap – Neuter – Vaccinate – Return) method, which constitutes a moral and effective solution to combat the wandering of these animals and which consists of capture them, sterilize them, vaccinate them against rabies, deworm them and identify them with ear tags, then return them to the environment where they were captured in order to avoid disorientation and guarantee the stabilization of their number with the time.
This method has, moreover, been the subject of a partnership agreement, signed in 2019, between the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the National Office for Health Security of Food Products (ONSSA) and the National Order of Veterinarians.
In addition, the Ministry of the Interior supports local authorities and has implemented a six-year program (2019-2024) which aims to create 76 Communal Hygiene Offices (BCH), within the framework of Groupings of Territorial Communities ( GCT), including animal pounds and anti-rabies centres, with an overall cost of 608 MDH.
Emphasis is also placed on the continued implementation of the 2019 partnership agreement under which the General Directorate of Territorial Communities (DGCT) pays an annual amount of 40 MDH for the benefit of the Institut Pasteur du Maroc (IPM) for the acquisition of anti-rabies vaccination products (vaccines and serums).
These products are made available to the Department of Health for better vaccination care of people exposed to rabies, particularly in rural areas.
Similarly, and as part of these efforts, the ministry also contributes to annual owner-dog vaccination campaigns.