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Société Protectrice
des Animaux du Maroc

The Humane Society
of Morocco
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Meet The Team

Our Team

We are extremely fortunate to have an amazing group of people on our board at the Humane Society of Morocco!

Ali Izddine

Position: Founder/Partner | Nationality: Moroccan

What inspired you to start the Humane Society of Morocco (HSM)?

In 2000, as a concerned citizen, I organized what became the Humane Society of Morocco, to advocate on behalf of companion, farming and wild animals. The organization’s mission quickly grew to include the prevention of cruelty to animals and the care of stray animals.

Our welfare efforts were aimed just as well at wild or working animals as pet cats or dogs. Back in the day, animal welfare in Morocco was still extremely basic, it fell to us as early members to raise public awareness about the proper care, feeding, and humane treatment of animals. This vision as early pioneers continues to guide our efforts today. The road is long and each step is only the beginning. No breaks, just heartaches.

In 2012, I moved to Morocco, and have since rescued hundreds of animals. To meet the growing need, we are considering the construction of an animal sanctuary.

What motivates you?

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. I cannot support animal cruelty and every time I am thinking there is an animal out there suffering and nobody is helping this poor soul it fills me up with energy to act. I am fighting to introduce an animal welfare law in Morocco and to implement high Animal Welfare Standards just like in Western Countries. Having a legal base will empower us to fight cruelty and help us change the situation.

For you, what does the HSM’s future look like?

I would love that our charity expands and becomes 100% self-sufficient with more people joining to help us help all animals who need it.

Julie

Position: Project Manager/Pet Friendly Homing | Nationality: French

What brought you to the HSM?

Through volunteer work I was doing, it occurred to me that I was interested in getting involved with an organization that focused on animal rescue. I met Ali while in Amsterdam and then visited him in Morocco, which made my initial connection personal. I then met other people who were also involved with the Humane Society of Morocco and learned about the services provided. That’s where I really got enamored with the vision and path forward for Moroccan Humane.

Tell us about your experience!

I’m so glad I took the initiative to do that because I feel like I’ve ended up in a great place where I really connect with the people as well as the mission. I’m inspired by any opportunity to save animal lives and so I’m excited to do more of that as a board member. The Humane Society of Morocco offers a variety of ways to get involved with its mission. My involvement with the HSM continued to evolve with each new opportunity presented. I was asked to become a Community Ambassador for the HSM. In this role, I spread the news about the organization and its mission.

What motivates you?

Sharing the HSM vision with others is the driving force behind my desire to do as much as possible to help the animals we serve. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to engage people from the community to get involved.

Karine

Position: Foster Manager | Nationality: French

What brought you to the HSM?

In 2015, I moved to Morocco from France. I volunteered before at another charity for about 5 years, where I fell in love with the animal welfare field. I enjoy helping pets and working with people. When I moved here, I was able to connect with the Humane Society of Morocco and quickly signed up to be a volunteer with them.

Tell us about your experience!

The Humane Society of Morocco had such a great animal rescue group and community impact so this got me excited about being part of their mission. I joined the team as an Animal Care Associate about a month after my volunteer experience and have since moved into the Customer Service and Foster Manager role. One of my first experiences volunteering here was rescuing 8 puppies. I loved it! My most memorable experience here with the Humane Society of Morocco has been fostering animals. I’ve had the privilege of fostering dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens. Our foster program helps to allow more space in our place for incoming animals, as well as ensure those that are in foster for medical reasons return happy, healthy, and ready for adoption. Each animal I’ve fostered is so different and unique, and I just love being able to share that personalized information with that animal’s new family as well.

What motivates you?

I am driven to make a connection with people and their current or future pets. Helping people find their new family members has always been my favorite part of the job. Just knowing that our team is making a difference in the community continues to drive me every day.

Renee

Position: Site Manager | Nationality: Canadian

What brought you to the HSM?

As far back as I can remember, I have always been passionate about helping others, especially those who are most vulnerable: the animals! On a trip to Morocco, I met with Ali, the founder of the Humane Society of Morocco, and observed all his charity work so I signed up.
Additionally, I was inspired by Ali, the founder. He is someone with a bubbly personality and is transparent in his delivery of animal welfare.

Tell us about your experience!

It is always heartwarming to witness members of the charity coming together for the sole purpose of saving animals' lives. After learning about the amazing program of services offered by the organization, I felt a strong desire to do more to support their mission of bringing love, care and hope to stray animals nobody was taking care of. Within a month, I became a regular volunteer and a few weeks later I applied to be part of the board.

woman hugging a dog

What motivates you?

I have a passion for animals and have rescued many pups and cats over the years. Providing a safe, loving home for these amazing family members brings me great joy, and joining the board enables me to help more animals find their furever homes.

Bryan

Position: Chief Operating Officer | Nationality: American

What brought you to the HSM?

I love Morocco and when I came here I wanted to do something for the community as a way of helping the country.

I decided to address the stray dog and cat problem, which was and still is, in fact, an issue throughout all of the Kingdom. In a matter of fact, I had noticed not just the crazy number of stray dogs and cats living on the streets of Morocco, but also their terrible health conditions.

I was a bit shocked at first. Most of the dogs were skinny through malnutrition. Many had ticks and fleas and seemed scared of people. Some had open wounds which could have been caused by road traffic accidents, dog fights, or human cruelty. Many of the wounds were infested with parasites and riddled with infection. They were living on the streets without anyone to care for them. I wanted to find a solution to improve their lives but was unsure how to do this. The scale of the problem was just so overwhelming. That is when I decided to join the HSM.

Tell us about your experience!

Volunteering at the Humane Society of Morocco is an incredibly rewarding experience that is giving me a new perspective on compassion and empathy for other living beings. It is an inspiring place to be, and the efforts of the team to provide help to Morocco's injured animals are humbling.

Through this experience, I  am learning a lot about myself, ways to improve my knowledge about animals, and just having fun. It is a nice community and I am really enjoying the people I am with.

man holding four kittens lovingly

What motivates you?

I feel that I can have a much stronger impact by driving efforts to provide educational opportunities and programs to serve the community. We have a tremendous opportunity to truly make a difference. I would like to see us have more respect and acknowledgment for animals.

Peter

Position: Business Manager | Nationality: British

What brought you to the HSM?

I love animals but feel that I have a lot to learn about animal welfare. The Humane Society of Morocco seemed like a good charity to connect with and learn about animal protection, but also develop relationships with other creative, involved, and curious folks. I joined as I was eager to help drive the effort at the governance level by leveraging my experience with other nonprofits and to help operationalize it for years to come.

Tell us about your experience!

So far it is a wonderful experience. I have the feeling I am making a difference for the animals. I can sense how grateful they are for the love given. The team is lovely and helpful. It is a great opportunity and I can only recommend it.

What motivates you?

I’m really interested in how we can innovate and expand from being a charity to a center for the community. I believe deeply in the importance of animal welfare and ensuring that pets have the opportunity to have a great life. Additionally, anyone who wants a pet should be able to have that experience. Pragmatically, I’m excited to bring my 15 years of business experience to help the Humane Society of Morocco grow and execute its exciting vision.

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