The Most Searched Pets in Morocco, and What the Law Allows
In Morocco, the nine dog breeds searched most on Google are all legal. The six breeds banned by law 56-12 are searched little. Among wild animals, the protected chameleon is searched as often as the Persian cat. Here are the figures, breed by breed, with what the law says.
Method
- Search data: Google's keyword planning tool, for Morocco and the French language, recorded on 18 October 2026. Each figure is the monthly average over the last twelve months, rounded by Google.
- Not counted: searches in Arabic and Darija, and spellings of a breed beyond its usual name. Real volumes are therefore higher.
- Ambiguous words are set aside: "pitbull" is also a singer's name, and "singe", "tortue" or "perroquet" cover many animals besides the protected species. We draw no conclusion from them.
- Legal sources: law 56-12 and the 2018 joint decree for dogs; law 29-05, decree 2-12-484 and the CITES Species+ database for wild species. Details are in our articles on banned dogs in Morocco and on wild animals and law 29-05.
Dogs: the most searched are all legal
| Breed | Searches per month | Status in Morocco |
|---|---|---|
| Golden retriever | 8,100 | Legal |
| Cane corso | 8,100 | Legal |
| Rottweiler | 6,600 | Legal |
| Dobermann | 6,600 | Legal |
| Labrador | 6,600 | Legal |
| Malinois | 4,400 | Legal |
| Boxer | 4,400 | Legal |
| German shepherd | 4,400 | Legal |
| Chow chow | 2,900 | Legal |
| Dogo Argentino | 2,400 | Legal |
| Chihuahua | 2,400 | Legal |
| Poodle | 2,400 | Legal |
| Border collie | 2,400 | Legal |
| Maltese | 2,400 | Legal |
| Pomeranian (dwarf spitz) | 1,900 | Legal |
| Husky | 1,900 | Legal |
| Kangal | 1,600 | Legal |
Legal breeds often believed banned: the cane corso, rottweiler, Dogo Argentino and Kangal total 18,700 searches a month. None is on the law 56-12 list.
The six banned breeds: searched little
| Banned breed (law 56-12) | Searches per month |
|---|---|
| Staffordshire bull terrier | 480 |
| Mastiff | 480 |
| Boerboel | 390 |
| Tosa inu | 110 |
| American Staffordshire terrier | 50 |
| Pitbull | not interpretable (ambiguous word) |
The five breeds with unambiguous names total 1,510 searches a month, twelve times fewer than the four legal breeds believed banned. Acquiring, keeping, selling, importing and breeding them is prohibited.
Cats: no breed restriction
Law 56-12 only concerns dogs. The cat breeds searched most are the Maine Coon (3,600), the Ragdoll (2,900), the British Shorthair (2,400), the Persian (1,900), and the Sphynx, Siamese and Bengal (1,600 each). None is subject to a breed ban.
Wild species: searched, and protected
| Species | Searches per month | What the law says | Fine per animal, without papers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chameleon | 1,900 | CITES Appendix II (the whole Chamaeleo genus) | 20,000 to 50,000 MAD (category II) |
| Goldfinch | 590 | Category IV of law 29-05 | 5,000 to 20,000 MAD |
| Hedgehog | 590 | Morocco's two wild hedgehogs in category IV; the pet-shop pygmy hedgehog is not on the list | 5,000 to 20,000 MAD for the wild species |
| Grey parrot (and "gris du Gabon") | 390 and 140 | CITES Appendix I; bred in captivity, it moves to category II | 30,000 to 100,000 MAD (category I) |
| Barbary macaque | 390 | CITES Appendix I; "endangered" on the IUCN Red List | 30,000 to 100,000 MAD (category I) |
| Greek tortoise (and "tortue de terre") | 40 and 30 | CITES Appendix II | 20,000 to 50,000 MAD (category II) |
The chameleon is searched as often as the Persian cat (1,900 searches each). To keep an animal of a listed species privately, you need a certificate of ownership (law 29-05, article 32), and the fine applies to each animal (article 63).
The takeaway
- The dogs searched most in Morocco are legal; the doubt mostly concerns the cane corso, rottweiler, Dogo Argentino and Kangal, which are legal too.
- The banned breeds are searched little in French.
- The wild animals bought at the souk (chameleon, goldfinch, tortoise) are protected: without a certificate, each animal means a fine.
To choose an animal that fits your life rather than a search, the Matcher starts from your home, your time and your budget.
Sources
- Google Ads keyword planning tool: average monthly search volumes, Morocco, French, recorded on 18 October 2026.
- Law 56-12 on preventing and protecting people from the dangers of dogs, and the 2018 joint decree listing the banned breeds.
- Law 29-05 on the protection of wild flora and fauna and the control of their trade (articles 4, 32, 63); decree 2-12-484, annex I.
- CITES, Species+ database (listings of the common chameleon, grey parrot, Barbary macaque and Greek tortoise).
