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Rabat – Morocco has launched a sterilization and vaccination campaign to protect stray dogs from rabies amid citizens’ concerns.
The North African country launched the campaign in the Moroccan Oriental region in Oujda. The operation will be expanded to reach other major cities, including Rabat.
Mohammed Ben Daoud, a municipal counselor in the city of Oujda said that the campaign comes to meet the demands of the city’s population and concerns about the “consequent direct danger” and challenges due to the presence of stray dogs.
The counselor said that the process of collecting stray dogs started on Wednesday.
“The Oujda commune will remain to respond to all the legitimate and urgent issues that concern the local population,” he said in a Facebook post.
The counselor said in another post on Thursday that a shelter is now ready with all the equipment and means needed to sterilize, vaccinate and feed stray dogs during the operation, which started on Thursday.
The counselor also thanked all veterinarians who participated and contributed to the process of vaccination, sterilization, and treatment.
The launch of the campaign comes amid concerns that received new attention following the death of a French tourist who died due to stray dog bites in southern Morocco.
A statement from local authorities in the province of Oued Eddahab said a French woman died on August 17 after a pack of stray dogs attacked her a few minutes after she left the hotel where she was staying in El Argoub, an area in Oued Eddahab near Dakhla.
Read Also: French Woman Dies From Stray Dogs’ Bites in Southern Morocco
Similar cases have prompted concerns about the issue of stray dogs and cats. MPs and activists have been calling on both the government and local authorities to find solutions to mitigate the risks associated with stray dogs and cats.
“The issue is a huge source of anxiety in roads and alleyways, particularly in more traditional neighborhoods,” MP Mohamed Raggani said earlier this year.
Animal welfare experts and activists have similarly called for sterilization campaigns to protect both humans and animals.
