By Hamza Guessous and Morgan Hekking
Rabat – At times when public spaces are empty from passersby and food scraps are meager due to the COVID-19 lockdown, some Moroccan authorities are stepping in to care for the country’s stray cats and dogs.
Photos of Tangier policemen stopping to feed stray cats have circulated social media platforms, receiving applause from internet users.
One post shows a policeman holding a bucket of food and surrounded by at least 15 famished cats.
Morocco will never cease to surprise me. The country is on lock down (3 weeks now) and… the police gives food to stray cats ?❤️? pic.twitter.com/LBN4PZ1PnY
— Meryem Saadi (@meryemsaadi) April 9, 2020
Similar videos and photos of Moroccan law enforcement feeding stray dogs and cats have been shared on Facebook and Twitter.
Police officers, auxiliary forces, and the military are all deployed across the country to ensure the proper implementation of the state of emergency and that citizens comply with the law in force. While on duty, some have found the time to show mercy to animals in need.
As cafes and restaurants are closed and garbage collection becomes more frequent to meet sanitary standards, stray cats and dogs are largely without their regular food sources.
Moroccan citizens and residents who regularly feed strays have found themselves confined to their homes due to the COVID-19 lockdown, unable to aid the animals in the streets.
Many foreign volunteers for animal welfare associations are barred from entering the country due to the suspension of international travel, and local associations are facing a decrease in donations in light of the economic impact of COVID-19.
COVID-19 has disrupted daily life in Morocco, and the stray animals that depend on human activity to survive are feeling the effects of the pandemic—but displays of compassion from Moroccan authorities offer hope that like the country’s people, street cats and dogs will be able to cope with the crisis.
