OIPA in Morocco

Who We Are

OIPA’s work in Morocco is carried out through its local representative, Zahra El Amari, founder of AAEM – Aide aux Animaux Errants au Maroc, an association dedicated to improving the lives of stray and vulnerable animals across the country.

Through OIPA Morocco, Zahra works to provide protection, care and practical support to animals exposed to abandonment, hunger, disease and the dangers of life on the streets.

Her work includes rescue, sheltering, veterinary assistance, vaccination, sterilisation, identification, adoption support and community education. In Aïn Jouhara, near Tiflet, Zahra has established a shelter that offers rescued animals a safe environment, regular food, clean water, veterinary care and protection.

OIPA Morocco’s approach combines immediate help for animals in need with prevention, education and cooperation with local stakeholders. Particular attention is given to raising awareness within local communities, especially among children and young people, encouraging respect for animals and safer, more responsible interactions with stray animals.

“Protecting stray animals in Morocco means offering them safety today, while building a future based on education, prevention and compassion.”

Zahra El Amari, OIPA Representative in Morocco

Our Mission in Morocco

OIPA’s mission in Morocco is to promote humane and sustainable solutions for stray animal welfare through direct care, prevention, education and responsible population management.

Through the work of its local representative OIPA Morocco aims to protect animals living in vulnerable conditions while addressing the root causes of their suffering, including abandonment, uncontrolled reproduction, limited access to veterinary care and lack of public awareness.

The work focuses on creating safe spaces for animals in need, strengthening preventive veterinary programmes, encouraging responsible ownership and promoting a culture in which animals are recognised as sentient beings deserving protection, care and dignity.

Through field action, community engagement and cooperation with animal welfare professionals, OIPA Morocco seeks to improve the lives of stray animals and contribute to a more compassionate culture of animal protection in the country.

Challenges and Our Response

Stray animals in Morocco face several serious and interconnected challenges. Many dogs and cats live on the streets without access to regular food, clean water, veterinary care or protection from extreme weather conditions, road traffic and disease.

Uncontrolled reproduction contributes to the growing number of stray animals, while limited sterilisation and vaccination coverage can increase risks for both animals and communities. In many areas, animal welfare awareness remains limited, and harmful attitudes towards stray animals may lead to fear, neglect or mistreatment.

Another important challenge is the lack of sufficient shelter capacity and veterinary support for animals requiring urgent care, recovery or long-term protection.

OIPA’s response in Morocco focuses on practical and preventive action. Through rescue, sheltering, veterinary care, sterilisation, vaccination, identification, adoption support and education, OIPA Morocco works to reduce suffering while promoting long-term solutions.

By combining immediate protection with awareness and prevention, OIPA Morocco aims to address both the visible consequences and the underlying causes of stray animal vulnerability.

Main Areas of Activity

Rescue, Shelter and Daily Care

In Aïn Jouhara, near Tiflet, Zahra El Amari has established a shelter that provides a safe haven for animals that have spent much of their lives struggling to survive on the streets.

Many of the animals welcomed at the shelter were previously exposed to hunger, disease, traffic accidents, abandonment and harsh living conditions. Today, they have access to regular food, clean water, veterinary care and a secure environment where they can recover and live with dignity.

The shelter currently provides care for a large number of rescued animals, including dogs and cats, while AAEM’s wider work also supports other vulnerable animals in need.

This work demonstrates how compassionate, community-driven solutions can offer immediate protection to animals while also raising awareness about the importance of long-term prevention.

Veterinary Care, Vaccination and Sterilisation

Veterinary care is essential to improving animal welfare and preventing further suffering.

Through AAEM, OIPA Morocco supports veterinary assistance for rescued animals, including treatment, vaccination, sterilisation, castration and identification activities.

Sterilisation and castration are particularly important tools for reducing uncontrolled reproduction and preventing future generations of animals from being born into abandonment and hardship.

Vaccination and preventive healthcare also contribute to safer and healthier communities, helping protect both animals and people from preventable diseases.

OIPA Morocco aims to strengthen access to veterinary expertise and support future initiatives such as sterilisation campaigns, veterinary outreach activities and preventive healthcare programmes.

Adoption and Rehoming

OIPA Morocco works to give rescued animals the chance to find loving and responsible adoptive families.

Adoption is an important part of the long-term response to stray animal suffering. It allows rescued animals to leave behind abandonment and insecurity and begin a new life in a safe, caring environment.

Through awareness and responsible rehoming support, OIPA Morocco encourages families and individuals to consider adoption and to understand the long-term commitment involved in caring for an animal.

The goal is not only to find homes for rescued animals, but also to promote a culture of responsible and compassionate animal guardianship.

Education and Community Awareness

Education and prevention are central to OIPA Morocco’s work.

Zahra regularly visits schools to teach children how to safely and respectfully interact with stray animals. These activities help foster empathy, kindness and responsible behaviour from an early age.

Through school-based awareness, children learn that stray animals should not be feared or mistreated, but approached with respect, caution and compassion. These educational activities also help promote responsible ownership and a better understanding of animals’ basic needs.

Building on this commitment, OIPA Morocco aims to develop dedicated training programmes for students, offering educational courses throughout the school year. At the end of the programme, participating students may receive certificates of merit recognising their commitment to animal welfare.

By involving children, families and communities, OIPA Morocco seeks to build a more compassionate culture of respect for animals.

Responsible Ownership and Humane Interaction

OIPA Morocco promotes responsible animal care and safer interaction between people and stray animals.

Awareness activities focus on animals’ basic needs, including food, water, shelter, veterinary care, vaccination, sterilisation, identification, humane treatment and protection from cruelty.

Zahra’s professional training in canine behaviour and dog training further supports this work, strengthening her ability to promote responsible handling, safer interactions and more effective care practices.

By helping communities better understand animal behaviour and welfare needs, OIPA Morocco works to reduce fear, prevent mistreatment and encourage more positive relationships between people and animals.

Animal Welfare, Public Health and Community Wellbeing

The issue of stray animals is closely connected to public health, responsible population management and community wellbeing.

Providing care to animals in need is essential, but long-term progress also requires prevention, education, sterilisation programmes, vaccination, responsible ownership and increased public awareness.

Through a humane and community-based approach, OIPA Morocco recognises that protecting animals also contributes to safer and more responsible communities.

Projects such as the shelter in Aïn Jouhara show that practical solutions can be developed when animal welfare advocates, local communities and professionals work together towards a shared goal.

Our Impact

Through the work of Zahra El Amari and AAEM, OIPA Morocco has already contributed to meaningful animal welfare action for stray and vulnerable animals.

A key achievement is the establishment of the shelter in Aïn Jouhara, near Tiflet, inaugurated on 13 June 2026, which now provides care, protection and a safer environment for many rescued animals.

The shelter offers animals access to food, clean water, veterinary care and daily protection, giving them the opportunity to recover from the hardship of street life and live with dignity.

OIPA Morocco has also contributed to rescue, vaccination, sterilisation, castration, identification and adoption support activities, helping animals receive essential care and increasing their chances of finding responsible families.

In addition to direct animal care, OIPA Morocco promotes education and awareness among children and local communities. School visits and planned educational programmes aim to foster empathy, respect and responsible behaviour towards animals from an early age.

The inauguration of the shelter also highlighted the importance of community participation. Children and young people contributed artworks dedicated to animals, symbolising a future built on compassion and respect. Certificates of participation were awarded to recognise their creativity and commitment to animal welfare values.

Through this combination of rescue, sheltering, education and prevention, OIPA Morocco is helping to build a more compassionate and practical model of animal protection.

Future Goals

Looking ahead, OIPA Morocco aims to strengthen its rescue, shelter and veterinary support activities while expanding prevention and education programmes.

Key priorities include improving access to veterinary care, developing sterilisation and vaccination initiatives, supporting responsible adoption, strengthening identification programmes and increasing public awareness around stray animal welfare.

OIPA Morocco is also seeking the support of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary nurses and animal health professionals interested in contributing to future animal welfare initiatives.

Professional support can make a significant difference in improving animal welfare standards and helping develop sustainable, long-term solutions for stray animal management in Morocco.

Another important goal is to expand school-based education and training programmes, helping children and young people become more aware of animal welfare, responsible behaviour and compassionate coexistence with stray animals.

Through this work, OIPA Morocco seeks to protect vulnerable animals, prevent future suffering and promote a safer, kinder and more responsible relationship between people and animals.