Morocco, spotting the complexity of the stray canine and cat trouble, has all started addressing it through efforts geared toward improving public services related to health prevention and public protection.
The Ministry of Interior, via the General Directorate of Local Authorities, has bolstered its reaction to meet the expectancies of residents by way of growing felony, economic, and technical help to local authorities.
Mohammed Roudani, head of the Health and Green Spaces Division on the Ministry of Interior’s Directorate of Local Public Services, said that the ministry has been assisting neighborhood authorities annually by means of providing motors geared up with cages and animal collection tools, with a price range of approximately 70 million dirhams during the last five years.
In a press announcement, Roudani defined that under a partnership agreement signed in 2019 among the General Directorate of Local Authorities, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the National Office for Food Safety, and the National Veterinary Council, stray dogs are accumulated in specialized facilities in which they are sterilized to prevent their replica, vaccinated towards rabies, and handled for parasites. Afterward, they’re lower back to their unique environment in full compliance with animal welfare concepts.
Youssef Laher, head of the National Association for Animal and Environment Protection, who oversees the nearby animal health center within the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra place located in Salé, confirmed that the facility meets international animal safety requirements as set via the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health.
During a press go to to the regional health facility, Laher cited that the center, which operates within the Rabat, Salé, and Temara areas, spans one hectare and makes use of the “TNR” (Trap-Neuter-Return) approach. This includes taking pictures stray dogs, treating them (vaccination and sterilization), after which liberating them again into their authentic habitat.
Laher introduced that this approach facilitates screen the stray animal populace even as ensuring public safety. The monitoring is managed via an data system that guarantees efficient oversight during the method.
To expedite the national implementation of this experience, the Ministry of Interior has allotted about 80 million dirhams, with the aid of the cease of July this 12 months, to nearby authorities for the development and equipping of comparable shelters that meet recognized requirements, specifically in towns like Oujda, Tangier, Ifrane, Sidi Slimane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Salé, Rabat, Temara, Beni Mellal, Agadir, Marrakech, and Casablanca. Additional similar projects are currently under attention.
Laher also mentioned that the ministry is rolling out a application aimed at organising one hundred thirty municipal health places of work within local authority groupings, with a total price range of 1.04 billion dirhams. Once finished by 2025, this application is anticipated to offer a hundred% national insurance for this vital provider, compared to simply 18% in 2018.
The management of stray dogs and cats, as well as rabies control, are the two main pillars of this program. Each municipal health office will be staffed with two doctors, nurses, health technicians, and a veterinarian responsible for managing the clinic and overseeing animal sterilization operations.
Roudani also mentioned that, due to 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 to conduct a census of these animals, in addition to providing oral vaccines.
Under the 2018 agreement with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to improve access to medical services for citizens, particularly in rural areas, the ministry allocates 40 million dirhams annually for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccines and serums from the Pasteur Institute for 556 health centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
Roudani clarified that this amount is in addition to the 40 million dirhams local authorities spend annually to procure these vital products for their rabies control centers.
To further enhance hygiene and public health standards, the ministry also supports local authorities in establishing, equipping, and modernizing red meat slaughterhouses, weekly markets, and waste dumps, which are often sources of food for stray animals.
On the legislative front, Roudani concluded that a draft decree implementing Law No. 56.12, related to the prevention and protection of individuals from the dangers of dogs, has been prepared. This includes several measures to improve the management of stray dogs while respecting animal welfare principles.
