Demand To Create An Animal Sentience Bill and Welfare Act In Morocco

This petition of the residents, tourists and expats of Morocco draws to the attention that on today's date, there are no legislation in granted to animals such as the prohibition of animal cruelty. As it currently stands Morocco does not recognize the sentience of animals. We are asking the Moroccan government to create a a bill and pass it to become a law that formally recognizes animal sentience and we are asking for an animal sentience committee be created and they will help create the animal welfare act. The Moroccan government needs to do this to show animal welfare welfare is a societal value. Just for a reference, here is an example of a sentience act that was enacted in the Uk: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/22/enacted 

The sentience law or act needs to state that whenever the Moroccan goverment creates a new policy the new Animal Sentience committee is entitled to produce a report on either whether or to what extent said policy will have an adverse effect on the welfare of animals being sentient beings. This committee shall be guided by expertise, including on scientific matters and will help in creating legislation for animal welfare. The Minister of Interior may seek to promote a diversity of expertise, such that the committee is able to offer high-quality advice on policy decision-making and its animal welfare implications across the remit of central government. The animal sentience law or act must additionally stipulate that the Minister of Interior must respond within 3 months. 

The two basic principles that should guide the animal sentience committee agenda should be:

Magnitude of animal welfare impact 

1. Number of animals x intesity of impact x duration of impact
2. Fish
3. Farm Animals
4. Wild Animals

Political Reform/Postive impact

1. Wild animals
2. Political Factors
3. Sectors with no little regulation
4. Low hanging fruit
5. Enforcement

Animal welfare legislation is extremely limited in Morocco. Currently animal protection in Morocco is provided through the criminal code. While provisions have been provided in some cases regarding animal health, these provisions do not extend to improve animal welfare. Similarly, while there are some protections provided for certain categories of animals under the Criminal Code, the legal status is outdated and views animals only property and not sentient beings. The existing legislation is limited and provides few protections for animals in Morocco. The existing provisions within the Criminal Code have narrow application and are very limited on the animals that are protected, restricting protection to certain categories of domestic animals, such as those used for draught and farming purposes. There are currently no protections, secondary legislation or regulations to protect animals such as wild animals in captivity and in the wild, farm animals or animals used in scientific research.

Articles 601, 602 and 603 of the Moroccan Criminal Code No. 1-59-413 1962 prohibits poisoning guard dogs, and unnecessarily killing or maiming guard dogs and pets on the animal's owner's land. Beyond the Moroccan Criminal Code, there is no policy or legislation specifically related to the care of companion animals. Decree no. 1-96-254 on Law No. 25-96 of 1997 protects the health of companion animals but does not specifically address welfare issues. There is no policy or legislation relating specifically to stray animals. 

The existence of animal health legislation for companion animals is significant due to the links between animal health and welfare; however, to improve animal welfare in Morocco, it is necessary to acknowledge welfare as an independent issue in legislation.The existing legislation protecting companion animals does not acknowledge the specific challenges faced by this category of animal. For instance, there is no duty of care onto animal owners towards their animals. The humane treatment of stray animals is also not mandated in legislation. Various welfare problems that can derive from poor standards of care, neglect or inhumane control of stray populations are not covered by the legislation. Dogs and cats are being killed brutally, despite having done nothing wrong. Either they were abandoned by owners or were born on the streets. 

Unfortunately, misguided officials often authorize mass shootings, poisonings, & mass euthanizations and other inhumane methods of killing street animals. 

The Government of Morocco is encouraged to introduce an independent Animal Welfare Act to be created by or with the animal sentience committee that includes a definition of animal welfare, in line with the  and that explicitly promotes the Five Freedoms. This should ensure that all people in charge of animals provide them with:

Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
Proper and sufficient food, and proper and sufficient water

Freedom from Discomfort
By providing a comfortable area including shelter and a comfortable resting area

Freedom From Pain Injury and Disease
By prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment

Freedom To Express Normal Behavior
by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of animals own kind

Freedom From Fear and Distress
by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering.

The Government of Morocco is encouraged to assign responsibility for all animal welfare to a Government Ministry and to establish an Animal Sentience Committee to advise the Government on policy and animal welfare solutions. The Animal Sentience Committee should include scientists, vetereraniarians,  representatives from animal welfare organizations (including international ones) animal rights activists  and at least one Moroccan citizen. Members should be appointed by the Minister of Interior The purpose of this committee would be to create an Animal Welfare Act which includes language about animal sentience and create legislation to make sure that animals are treated well. This means that people who own or take care of animals have to make sure the animals have enough food and water, a place to live, and opportunities to do things that are natural for them. They also have to make sure the animals are healthy and not in pain.

The Government of Morocco is encouraged to promote responsible pet ownership, including the adoption of companion animals over the purchase of commercially bred animals.

The Government of Morocco is strongly encouraged to promote humane dog population management, which relies on promoting responsible ownership, mass dog vaccinations and reproduction control programs. Culling on the street and in pounds  is unnecessary, cruel and has been scientifically proven to be ineffective. I direct you to an article which shows how a cruely a pound operates in Casablanca Morocco and why animal rights laws are needed. https://lobservateur.info/article/3214/La%20Une/grand-casablanca-on-acheve-mal-les-chiens-errants 

Trap, neuter, vaccinate and release programs are the most effective and compassionate way of getting street animal populations under control not euthanizing, poisoning or shooting.

Link below is a video  below showing proof of the routine culling of dogs in Morocco. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqDwwojFcL8&pp=ygUXZG9ncyBiZWluZyBzaG90IG1vcm9jY28%3D

The Government of Morocco is encouraged to engage with the International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) coalition to learn about and implement their dog population management methodology. This methodology consists of a full cycle of action, addressing the root causes of conflict between roaming dog and communities. The document is helpful to governments to manage dogs humanely as well as to help communities to live in harmony with dogs.

Examples of current legislation for animals in different categories 

Animals used for entertainment

There is no policy and legislation specifically relating to the use of animals for entertainment.

Articles 601, 602 and 603 of the Moroccan Criminal Code No. 1-59-413 1962 prohibit poisoning, and unnecessarily killing or maiming on the animal's owner's land, draught animals, riding animals and beasts of burden.

Beyond the Moroccan Criminal Code, there is no policy or legislation relating specifically to draught animals.

The legislation does not contain specific mandates for the protection of animals in these categories. Although animals used for draught are covered in the animal protection provisions within the Criminal Code, there is no acknowledgement of the welfare challenges faced by these animals. Horses and donkeys are commonly used for draught purposes across the country, and there are significant welfare issues associated with this group of animals.

See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn4jNLKwcLs&pp=ygUeYW5pbWFsIGFidXNlIG1hcnJha2VjaCBtb25rZXlz

The legislation gives some basic protection to animals used for draught purposes but not those used for entertainment purposes, such as in circuses or exhibitions. The current legislation also does not cover situations of neglect. Guidance regarding housing, training, handling and husbandry would be valuable to ensure the welfare of working animals as well as those used in entertainment.

The Government of Morocco is urged to forbid the organisation of and attendance to entertainment events causing animal suffering. Such a prohibition should cover circuses, rodeos, animal fights, animal races, rides on wild animals and all other forms of entertainment. Notably, the Government is strongly encouraged to ban the use of all animals in circuses. Phasing out of animals for entertainment purposes could start with a ban on the use of wild animals for such performances.

The Government of Morocco is strongly encouraged to adopt specific legislation to address the welfare of working animals, including working equines, following the requirements of the World Organizaton of Animal Health animal welfare standards. Working animals must be treated with consideration and must be given adequate shelter, exercise, care, food and water appropriate to their physiological and behavioural needs. Any condition that may impair their welfare must be treated promptly and affected animals must not be worked again until they are fit. They must not be overworked or overloaded, nor must they be forced to work through ill-treatment.

Protecting animals used in scientific research

There are no guidelines on animals used in scientific research for this Morocco, including educational, cosmetic or other forms of surgical or invasive manipulation. The new legislation presents an opportunity to develop provisions on animals used in research incorporating the principles of the Three Rs principles – Replacement, Reduction, Refinement.

The Government of Morocco is urged to enact legislation that would protect all animals used in scientific research from unnecessary pain and suffering. The Three Rs principles – Replacement, Reduction, Refinement – should be enshrined in legislation.

The Government of Morocco is encouraged to create ethics committees, in charge of scrutinising applications for animal research. Such ethics committees should be able to suspend the activities or revoke the registration of establishments which do not respect animal welfare criteria. Animals used for research should be provided with shelter, care, food and water in a manner appropriate to their physiological and behavioural needs. A nominated member of the laboratory staff, preferably a veterinarian, must always have full responsibility for animal welfare.

The Government of Morocco is strongly encouraged to create a national centre consisting of multiple stakeholders, including animal protection organisations, to promote the Three Rs principles and to develop alternatives to animal experimentation.The Government of Morocco is urged to ban the testing of cosmetic products and their ingredients on animals.

Protecting the welfare of wild animals

The responsibility for different categories of animals currently falls under multiple Ministries and Departments, therefore the Government of Morocco is urged to align responsibility for all animal welfare under one Ministry, with appropriate resources for research, implementation and enforcement. he Government of Morocco is encouraged to establish an Animal Welfare Committee to advise the Government on policy and animal welfare solutions. The Animal Welfare Committee should include representatives from animal welfare organisations.

Support for international animal welfare standards

The World Organization for Animal Health Standards focus on transport, slaughter, production systems (beef cattle, broiler chickens, dairy cattle, pigs), stray dog population control, the use of animals in research and education, and working equids.

Existing legislation does not incorporate any of the World Organization of Animal Health's guiding principles for animal welfare even though Morocco is a member of the organization.

The WOAH standards on animal welfare not only represent a consensual position achieved by countries represented in the organisation regarding this subject matter, but also provide necessary scientific background to produce sound policy and legislation on animal welfare. Incorporating the WOAH's standards into Morocco's relevant legislation could therefore improve protection for animals in the country and bring Morocco's legislation in line with other countries in terms of standards of animal welfare.

Transposition of the the World Animal Health Organization standards and guiding principles on animal welfare into legislation has not yet been achieved in Morocco.

The Government of Morocco is urged to implement legislation in line with the WOAH animal welfare standards, including enforcement mechanisms for all species to ensure a good level of animal welfare across the country.

Support for the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare

The Government of Morocco has not pledged in principle support for the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.

The Government of Morocco is encouraged to pledge in principle support for the UDAW. Support for the UDAW will likely underpin further animal protection measures.

We want animals to have a higher status in Morocco and we want policies and laws that create a duty for government officials in Morocco to fully regard animal welfare in policy making.

Your signature will help us convince Moroccan officials to consider the legislation listed above  to protect all animals in Morocco.