The Dark Side of the World Cup
The World Cup soccer/football tournament is one of the most popular events in the world, drawing millions of fans and billions of viewers. Hosting the tournament is an honor – and a big source of revenue.
There’s lots of excitement over this year’s tournament, with games held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the coming months. Planning is well underway in Morocco for the 2030 tournament.
In preparation, the country of Morocco is killing homeless dogs to improve the streets’ appearance. Animal welfare groups estimate that three million dogs could die.
The government is poisoning dogs, catching them with clamping devices, and shooting them, leaving behind those who weren’t immediately killed to die a slow death. It is distressing to see, especially for children who witness it in their neighborhoods.
In other cases, dogs are being rounded up in vans and brought to killing centers. According to The Atlantic, the dogs are held in dark holding areas so small that the dogs are forced to pile on top of each other. They are not given food. A witness reported them licking the condensation on the walls, and it seemed as though the dogs were eating the carcass of another, trying to survive. Every few days, they kill them, sometimes by burning them alive.
It’s hard to justify allowing countries to hold events like this, when so much cruelty comes as a tradeoff. So much suffering, all for a few soccer matches.
