In Morocco, towards a sustainable reduction in the phenomenon of stray dogs

Hibapress

Aware of the complexity of the phenomenon of stray dogs and cats, Morocco has set to work to combat this endemic problem as part of efforts to promote public services related to health prevention and public health. To meet the ambitions and expectations of citizens, the Ministry of the Interior, through the General Directorate of Local Authorities (DGCT), has strengthened its action in this area through increased legal, financial and technical support to local authorities. Indeed, the ministry annually supports local authorities in the acquisition of vehicles equipped with cages and animal capture equipment, with a budget that has reached nearly 70 million dirhams (MDH) over the last five years, said Mohammed Roudani, Head of the Hygiene and Green Spaces Division at the Directorate of Local Public Services at the Ministry of the Interior. Under a partnership agreement signed in 2019 between the DGCT, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) and the National Order of Veterinarians, stray dogs are now collected in specialized dispensaries, sterilized to limit their reproduction, vaccinated against rabies, treated for parasites and returned to their original environment after identification, in full respect of animal welfare, he explained in a statement to the press. Located in the prefecture of Salé on an area of ​​one hectare, the animal dispensary in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region complies with international animal protection standards defined by the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health, said Youssef Lhor, president of the Moroccan Association for the Protection of Animals and Nature (AMPANA), responsible for managing the dispensary. This establishment, which is active in the municipalities of Rabat, Salé and Témara, adopts the technique called “TNR” (Trap-Neuter-Release), which consists of capturing stray dogs, then treating them (vaccination and sterilization) and releasing them into their original environment, he stressed to the press during a visit to the regional animal dispensary. This approach makes it possible to control the stray animal population while ensuring public safety, he said, noting that the monitoring of the animals is ensured by a computer system that guarantees efficient management throughout the process. In order to accelerate the implementation of this process at the national level, the Ministry of the Interior has allocated, until the end of July 2024, some 80 million dirhams for communities for the construction and equipment, within a partnership framework, of animal dispensaries in accordance with the criteria recognized in this field, particularly in Oujda, Tangier, Ifrane, Sidi Slimane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Salé, Rabat, Témara, Béni Mellal, Agadir, Marrakech, and Casablanca, said Mr. Roudani, adding that other similar projects are under study. In addition, the ministry is working on setting up a program aimed at creating 130 Municipal Hygiene Offices (BCH) within the framework of groups of local authorities, with a total budget of one billion and 40 million dirhams, he said. Once this program is completed by 2025, the national coverage rate of this vital service will reach nearly 100%, compared to only 18% in 2018, he noted, noting that the management of the phenomenon of stray dogs and cats, as well as the fight against rabies, constitute essential foundations of this program. Each BCH carried out within the framework of these groups will be equipped with two doctors, two nurses, two health technicians, as well as a veterinarian responsible for managing the dispensary and supervising the sterilization operations of the animals collected. Faced with the lack of precise data on the number of stray dogs in Morocco, the ministry recently signed a partnership agreement with the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (IAV) to carry out a census of the stray canine population, in addition to the provision of oral vaccines, assured Mr. Roudani. In addition, under the agreement signed in 2018 with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection aimed at bringing medical services closer to citizens, particularly in rural areas, the ministry allocates 40 million dirhams annually for the acquisition of vaccines and anti-rabies serums from the Pasteur Institute for the benefit of the 556 health centers, under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, he specified. This amount, he continued, is in addition to the 40 million dirhams allocated each year by the municipalities for the acquisition of these vital products which are made available to the anti-rabies centers, under these municipalities. In the same vein and in order to improve the conditions of cleanliness and hygiene, the ministry supports communities in the creation, equipment and modernization of red meat slaughterhouses, weekly souks, as well as landfills, considered to be a source of nutrition for stray animals and a factor encouraging their multiplication, noted Mr. Roudani. On the legislative level, a draft decree was drawn up in application of Law No. 56.12 relating to the prevention and protection of people against the dangers of dogs, which includes several measures for better management of the phenomenon of stray dogs, while respecting the principle of animal welfare, the official concluded.