During your visit to Essaouira you may be alarmed at the amount of stray,injured cats in the medina, and stray dogs in the countryside.

The local government is working with agencies to control this problem,and educate the locals in animal welfare. A local vet ADNAM and a UK charity www.hsam.org.uk are working together to help save the street animals of Morocco. A bi-annual visit and programme has been implemented to neuter,worm,de-flea and treat these unfortunate animals, thus enhancing their lives, and the neighbourhood.

The programme for reducing the amount of stray animals really seems to work -- for people coing back to Morocco over the years it is clear, that there are now much less of these poor animals.  It is still different from an european country -- but it is getting better.

HSAM have visited Essaouira twice in 2009, and can be followed on facebook.