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In a country where animal welfare is “limited,” according to World Animal Protection, La Tribu des Quat’pattes presents hope for Morocco’s stray animals.
The overpopulation of cats and dogs in Morocco is a serious problem. Injured, bloody, bruised, and skinny to the point that the structure of their skeletons is clear, stray cats and dogs in Morocco are in a heart-rending condition.
Taking care of a pet is a commitment, a responsibility that comes with several expenses. Sadly, most Moroccans do not have the means to take care of pets, leaving the poor creatures dangerously wandering in the streets. During the COVID-19 lockdown, hunger has become an even more acute problem for Morocco’s stray animals.
Due to butcher shops, restaurants, and markets shutting their doors as a precautionary measure to combat the spread of COVID-19, stray animals in Morocco are left alone and hungry.
Multiple charitable organizations are doing their best to rescue and help stray dogs and cats. One such example is animal shelter La Tribu des Quat’Pattes, where a group of animal lovers come together and join efforts to rescue and take care of hundreds of stray animals.
Read also: In Photos: SFT Tangier Opens Morocco’s Heart to Stray Dogs
The beginning of la Tribu Des Quat’Pattes
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Luliana Nastase, a founding member and communications specialist of La Tribu des Quat’Pattes, spoke about the operations of the organization and her experience doing volunteer work.
Prior to her involvement in the organization, Nastase did charity and volunteer work independently, rescuing and caring for stray dogs. Afterward, she started working with the other founding members of the organization. “We had over 80 dogs in refuge in 2016, so we decided to legitimize our actions and founded the organization,” Nastase said.
According to Nastase, the nine founding members created the organization in order to have “a formal structure to communicate with the authorities regarding the situation of stray dogs.”
The goals of La Tribu Des Quat’Pattes
La Tribu des Quat’pattes is a non-profit Rabat-based animal shelter founded in 2016. The primary goal of the organization is to rescue stray, maltreated, and vulnerable animals. Following this, the organization uses its social media presence to find new homes for the dogs.
The organization has Facebook and Instagram pages that the members use to find new human companions for the rescued animals and share their fundraisers.
Despite the fact that La Tribu des Quat’pattes is based in the region of Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, the members try to rescue animals from elsewhere in Morocco if volunteers provide the necessary transportation. “We have some dogs that we found in Nador, Fes, El Jadida and other cities of Morocco,” Nastase said.
The organization also urges citizens to take part in animal protection and raise awareness about the hazardous circumstances in which stray dogs have to live. Through organizing events and workshops, they inform and educate citizens not only about the rampant animal cruelty in Morocco but also the various tasks that go into taking care of an animal.
Read also: ERHAM: Taking Pity on Morocco’s Cats
The needs of La Tribu Des Quat’Pattes
Taking care of an animal is no easy task. It involves feeding them, cleaning them, and making sure they are healthy, which tends to be quite costly, especially when hosting hundreds of animals.
As of 2020, the shelter requires 3.5 tons of animal food and MAD 36,000 ($3,600) for maintenance per month, and MAD 150,000 ($15,000) for yearly veterinary expenses.
La Tribu Des Quat’pattes relies on regular donations, sponsorship, supported gathered by running stands at events and markets, and their own events for funding.
Nastase affirmed that the organization does not receive any financial support from the state.
The achievements of La Tribu Des Quat’Pattes
Over the course of the past three years, La Tribu des Quat’pattes has rescued more than 400 dogs, 125 of which have been adopted.
The organization held a sterilization campaign two years in a row. In 2017, 20 dogs were sterilized and 44 were castrated. In 2018, 92 dogs were sterilized and 44 were castrated. In addition, all the animals rescued by La Tribu des Quat’pattes are ultimately vaccinated.
The challenges that La Tribu Des Quat’Pattes faces
Nastase highlighted that there are some misconceptions surrounding La Tribu des Quat’pattes, saying that “the organization relies on volunteer work, the members cannot accommodate every person that contacts the organization, they help animals depending on their availability and financial resources.”
“Providing food, shelter and healthcare for hundreds of animals is expensive, especially [given] that we do not have a treasury. Every time we rescue an animal, it’s either thanks to donations or at our own expense. We hope for more support, from the state and from the people,” Nastase said.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused many problems for the organization. As movement is restricted in Morocco, volunteers could no longer help at the animal shelter by cleaning, feeding, and playing with the dogs. Nastase mentioned that there have been fewer donations than usual during the pandemic, and very few adoptions.
“It has been difficult for the organization, but we still managed to take care of the animals,” Nastase concluded.
Keep up with La Tribu Des Quat’Pattes on Facebook or click here to donate.
