Chesterfield woman’s relief as Morocco street dogs scheme starts

A woman campaigning to save street dogs in part of Morocco says she is relieved after a programme to vaccinate and sterilise them began.

Saffron Dixon, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, decided she wanted to help after learning millions of dogs were to be killed in a clean-up of streets ahead of the Fifa World Cup in 2030, which Morocco will jointly host.

The Embassy of Morocco in London previously told the BBC that dogs that were neutered and vaccinated should be protected – while harmful practices for controlling stray animals were prohibited.

Miss Dixon said the programme she was supporting started last week with the first six dogs treated.

Ms Dixon’s campaign began after she went to Taghazout in November 2023 and a pack of stray dogs would visit her hotel where she would feed them.

She returned the following year and met a woman who runs an organisation helping stray dogs called Al-Nour Animal Help.

Ms Dixon is now supporting the group in a programme to vaccinate, sterilise, microchip and tag street dogs.

The 24-year-old has raised more than £6,000 towards the efforts.

Miss Dixon said, after the programme began last week, she “cried all day because I have worked so hard on it”.

“It has taken a lot to do it so I feel like quite relieved now… I’m just hoping that these ones [dogs] will be left alone,” she added.

She is also planning to do a skydive in April for the campaign.

Les Ward, chairman of the International Animal Coalition (IAWPC) said: “If we think things are bad, as in the case in Morocco, then we activate the international animal welfare coalition.

“We have offered to use our expertise and experience to introduce a humane, comprehensive animal dog management programme in conjunction with the veterinary authorities and government in Morocco.”

He said the government and Fifa have not responded.

Mr Ward claimed dogs in Morocco were being “shot, poisoned, caught and killed” and it was barbaric and brutal with “no place in a civilised society”.

A spokesperson from the Embassy of Morocco previously told the BBC the country had “implemented comprehensive” schemes like the Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Release program which was rolled out in 2019 as a “humane and effective solution”.

They added they have published a number of circulars to local authorities to tell them that harmful practices, such as the use of firearms or the poison strychnine, for controlling stray animals were prohibited.

The BBC has approached Fifa for a response.