Authorities in Morocco have carried out a brutal mass killing of stray dogs to beautify the city of Tangier ahead of the start of the FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday.
may reveal that city officials ruthlessly shot and even poisoned stray dogs in preparation for the soccer tournament that pits Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders against six other international teams.
Locals and animal lovers alike are in a race against time to save as many puppies as possible before they are either poisoned or shot.
“It’s devastating,” Salima “Sally” Kadaoui, founder and owner of SFT Animal Sanctuary in Tangier, told . “They even kill the stray dogs that we have vaccinated, neutered and tagged.”
WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT
Salima Kadaoui, founder and owner of SFT Animal Sanctuary in Tangier, has launched a rescue operation to save the city’s stray dogs, who are now being culled by authorities ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup
The animal rights activist has shared heartbreaking photos of slaughtered dogs piled in a truck amid the mass killing
The culling comes as Tangier prepares to co-host the FIFA Club World Cup at the Stade Ibn-Batouta
Kadaoui said she first heard the terrible news when distraught locals called to say they had seen dead dogs strewn across the city.
“Then I got a call from the dog killer himself telling me to hurry and get my dogs or you know what’s going to happen. No warning, nothing.
“This horrible killing of everyone because the authorities want to impress the football community by making it seem like we don’t have homeless animals.”
Kadaoui revealed that being a dog killer in the country is actually a paid occupation.
“They poison her and gunshots can be heard. Not only during the day, but also at night and in the afternoon.
“Can you imagine a dog being shot in the stomach and suffering for two to three days until it dies? It’s just evil,” Kadaoui said.
The SFT became aware of the killing when distraught locals called and said they had seen dead dogs scattered around town
A stray dog wrapped in a warm blanket after being rescued from the street
A before and after photo of a Tangier street dog brought to the SFT Sanctuary for treatment
Sally cuddles with her many happy and safe dogs. The animal advocate, who founded SFT in 2017, said authorities carry out the gruesome killings by poisoning or shooting strays
With the help of her small staff and volunteers, Kadaoui has spent the past two weeks finding as many stray dogs as possible and housing them in a mini sanctuary that she has had to rent due to high demand for extra space.
The rescue operation is in addition to caring for puppies and disabled dogs already living in the primary sanctuary who require ongoing care.
The Club World Cup pits the champions of FIFA’s six continental confederations against a seventh team from the host country. Matches will be split between the Stade Ibn-Batouta in Tangier and the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Morocco’s capital, Rabat.
The Seattle Sounders are the first MLS team to reach the cup. They play their first game in Tangier on Saturday. The final will take place in Rabat on February 11. Real Madrid of Spain are favorites to win.
Morocco is home to around three million stray dogs, with an estimated 30,000 in Tangier alone.
The dogs are referred to locally as “Beldis” meaning “of the country”, but due to rabies and other diseases they can carry, local people are taught to fear them and treat them like vermin, resulting in countless needless deaths leads.
“As a little girl growing up here, I used to have nightmares,” Kadaoui explained. “We always had strays everywhere. I have seen the misery on the streets of Morocco. I saw the dogs suffer and dreamed of the day when I could save them all.”
That dream came true in 2017 when Kadaoui founded the SFT Animal Sanctuary (Le Sanctuaire de la Faune de Tangier), which sits on two acres of land in the city and is home to more than 600 animals including dogs, cats and donkeys.
The initial goal was to take in as many stray dogs as possible, but the activist soon learned that if she really wanted to make a difference, she also had to educate the public and change their perception of animals.
Morocco is home to around three million stray dogs, with an estimated 30,000 in Tangier alone. Pictured: Rescued strays are transported to the SFT sanctuary
Due to the sudden increase in rescue animals being taken in by the shelter, Sally revealed that she had to rent a “mini sanctuary” to house the dogs
The shelter has helped teach local people how to live in harmony with the homeless animals, even if it means giving them a box to sleep in
She wanted to teach the locals how to live in harmony with the dogs, taking care of them and doing everything to improve their lives, even if it means giving them a bowl of water, food or a box to sleep on give.
From this project Hayat was born and would become the basis of the Shrine’s vision and mission.
“Project Hayat is about changing mindsets. After our strays have been treated, neutered and vaccinated, they are marked with a yellow tag.
“It means that both the authorities and the public know that they pose no danger to the community,” she added.
To date, SFT Animal Sanctuary has tagged over 3,400 dogs. They will then be taken back to where they were picked up and in turn the locals will take care of them.
As part of the project, Kadaoui has spent hours speaking at schools about her initiative and how students can help, rather than fear, homeless animals.
She stressed the importance of vaccination and how vaccinating 70 percent of the stray population would end rabies, making Tangier the first rabies-free city in the country and a role model for other countries.
To date, the SFT Animal Sanctuary has tagged over 3,400 dogs indicating they have been treated, neutered and vaccinated
With the help of her small staff and volunteers, Kadaoui has spent the last two weeks finding as many stray dogs as possible. Pictured: A volunteer plays with rescued stray cats at the mini-sanctuary
According to Kadaoui, the soccer event would not be the first time the city has held a cull in preparation for an event.
The animal rights activist revealed that she was only told a few months ago in October that officials would start paying for the city’s stray dogs to be spayed, but a week later they began killing them over an upcoming triathlon.
They even killed tagged dogs, something authorities had promised they wouldn’t do.
“It happens every time there’s an event in Tangier, a mass killing of the dogs, and it’s totally illegal,” Kadaoui said.
“Local authorities should be proud of what we have achieved. How we are helping to eradicate rabies. How we help animals, people, communities.
“Once again, no common sense at all. As always, you just can’t trust them. Authorities have said so many times that the marked dogs are protected.
“I will continue to fight for the voiceless, and as I said before, I am willing to go to jail if it is necessary to make Tangier the first rabies-free city where man and beast live in harmony.”
The Seattle Sounders reached the Club World Cup by beating Mexico City’s Pumas 5-2 in two games.
The Sounders play their first game at the Stade Ibn-Batouta on Saturday
Immediately after the World Cup in Qatar, the FIFA Council announced Tangier and Rabat as hosts of December’s Club World Cup
Before the recent killings, Kadaoui had hoped that FIFA participants and visitors would see the tagged dogs and acknowledge the progress made.
Because now she hopes sports fans will learn the truth behind the ugly lie.
“If only FIFA and their sponsors like Adidas and Coca Cola knew what the city did to welcome their stay. Was it worth it? I do not think so.’
According to Kadaoui, it is illegal to poison or shoot dogs in Morocco, and even King Muhammad advocates it.
“His Majesty has ordered her not to be killed,” said Kadaoui. Looks like the local authorities don’t care. Please remember we have never received a dime from the government and I am ashamed of my authority.”
For three consecutive years, SFT has been recognized as World Rabies Day for North Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
To support Morocco’s stray dogs, please visit the SFT Animal Sanctuary website or make a donation to the shelter at HarmonyFund.org.