The Dog “Ray” victim of Moroccan Black Magic

When I was in Morocco, I loved dogs, but I couldn't have one as I was on planes more than in my place. My cleaning lady, Moroccan, didn't want to be around and couldn't take care of a dog, even if I wanted to have one. For many Muslims, being in contact with a dog is impure and prohibited by the religion. Living in West Hollywood, I've developed the habit of walking a dog because everyone walks one. Since I started walking my friend's dog, not only do I love taking care of him, but I have become familiar and aware of the "dog world," which was utterly unknown to me.

This doggy situation made me think about "Ray," a dog whose story sparked a massive controversy in Morocco. Ray was found in the "Lisasfa" area of Casablanca in Morocco by students at Hassan II University. Ray had been subjected to the most horrific kind of torture that a person could think of. He had his eyes gouged out, his mouth sutured, and his genitals brutally mutilated and then amputated, leading to inability to walk.

The case of Ray the dog was neither the first nor the last of animal torture.

Animals in Morocco are usually are not safe from human oppression–the ones who torture them for whatever reason and the other ones who use their body parts for the Black Magic, which is very common in Morocco. As soon as these students called a French charity named "Comme Chiens et Chats Maroc" "Like Dogs and Cats Morocco" took Ray to a veterinary clinic immediately after discovering his catastrophic situation, a vast media frenzy followed this despicable criminal act. It was indicated that Ray's organs were used for witchcraft.

Animal advocates in Morocco wanted Ray's case to be the beginning of a serious discussion about the general suffering of animals in the kingdom, especially those abusers known to torture and use donkeys, horses, and mules, in addition to dogs and cats for Black Magic. Despite attempts to treat him by a veterinarian team, he did not respond to treatment and died.

Many Moroccans hope that the social media sensation around Ray's story will shed some light on these kinds of brutal attacks on vulnerable animals. From breeding to sorcery and others pointing out that many dogs had their tongues cut off, buried alive, or their eyes gouged out, many hoped this could play a role in raising awareness to ensure sustainable protection of animals. Hoping that this dream comes true, the Moroccan Drama continues…