Morocco is preparing to build a centre in Tinghir dedicated to collecting and housing stray animals, as part of efforts to improve public health and safety.
The facility will have a total budget of 10 million Moroccan dirhams (about $1m).
Of that amount, 6.5 million dirhams will fund construction work and technical studies. The remaining 3.5 million dirhams will be used to purchase equipment needed to run the centre.
A partnership agreement was signed on 6 March between services of Ministry of the Interior and several local institutions to launch the project, according to provincial officials.
The project is being carried out in cooperation with the provincial authorities, the Provincial Council of Tinghir, and two local territorial groups focused on health preservation in the Todgha and Dadès areas.
Officials say the centre aims to provide a structured response to the growing number of stray animals in the province.
It is also intended to improve health protection for residents and reduce risks faced by children and passers-by in public spaces.
Construction work is expected to begin in the coming days under the supervision of local authorities.
The project follows a national policy shift introduced in 2019 encouraging local authorities to move away from culling stray animals.
Instead, Morocco is adopting the “trap, neuter and release” (TNR) approach, in which animals are captured, sterilised and vaccinated before being returned to their territory.
Facilities such as the planned centre in Tinghir are expected to act as hubs for vaccination against rabies and surgical sterilisation.
Health authorities say the measures are needed as Morocco continues efforts to eliminate human rabies by 2030.
Government figures show 33 human deaths from rabies were recorded in 2024, compared with a historical average of about 20 cases a year.
Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit has also said more than 100,000 bite and scratch incidents were reported nationwide in a single year.
Children under 15 account for about 36% of cases.
Other diseases linked to stray animals remain a concern. Morocco recorded 432 cases of hydatid disease in 2024 and 64 cases of visceral leishmaniasis, according to health data.
Officials say the new centre should also improve the urban environment in the province and help strengthen the area’s image as a tourist gateway, including for visitors travelling to the nearby Todgha Gorge.
