Morocco steps up efforts to vaccinate stray dogs- Associated Press

Morocco has been implementing a national program to reduce the stray dog population through a program that aims to ensure their vaccination, the Associated Press reported

The report debunks fake news spread as part of a propaganda campaign by some foreign media outlets, claiming Morocco was killing scores of dogs ahead of the World Cup.

“We have a problem: That’s stray dogs. So, we have to solve it, but in a way that respects animals,” Mohamed Roudani, the director of the Public Health and Green Spaces Department in Morocco’s Interior Ministry told AP.

Morocco has been implementing its “Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return,” or TVNR, since 2019, AP said, adding that Rabat’s region has its own host center for stray dogs, while 14 other cities will have a similar facility.

This has aligned Morocco “with recommendations from the World Organization for Animal Health. The government has spent roughly $23 million over the past five years on animal control centers and programs,” the media said.

A draft law is in the works that would require owners to vaccinate pets and impose penalties for animal abuse, it said.