Iran extends dog-walking ban to multiple cities
Dog ownership has been frowned upon in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and has long been viewed as controversial by the Islamic regime, which considers dogs “unclean” and sees the practice as a Western cultural import
Iranian authorities have rolled out a dog-walking ban across several cities, further tightening restrictions on pet ownership under the guise of maintaining public order and safety.
According to a report by the BBC, the prohibition, first imposed in Tehran in 2019, has now been expanded to at least 18 other cities in the past week. In addition to walking dogs in public, transporting them in vehicles has also been outlawed.
Although there is no national law prohibiting dog ownership, local prosecutors often introduce region-specific restrictions that are enforced by law enforcement agencies.
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"Dog walking is a threat to public health, peace and comfort," Abbas Najafi, prosecutor of the western city of Hamedan, told state-run newspaper Iran.
In the western city of Ilam, where the ban came into effect on Sunday, local officials warned that "legal action" would be taken against those violating the new restrictions, according to local media reports.
Despite these limitations, enforcement has been inconsistent, particularly in the capital, where many residents continue to walk their dogs in public or transport them discreetly in cars. Some dog owners have resorted to taking their pets out at night or to remote areas to avoid police scrutiny.
Dog ownership has been frowned upon in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and has long been viewed as controversial by the Islamic regime, which considers dogs "unclean" and sees the practice as a Western cultural import.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has previously labelled dog ownership, aside from for hunting, herding, or guarding, as "reprehensible".
In 2021, 75 lawmakers described the trend as a "destructive social problem" that could "gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life".
The Islamic Republic's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance banned advertisements for pets and pet-related products in 2010. A proposal in 2014 even sought to introduce fines and corporal punishment for dog walkers, though the bill ultimately failed to pass.
Religious scholars in Iran often deem contact with dogs or their saliva as najis - ritually impure under Islamic law.
Critics argue that the government should focus on addressing pressing issues such as violent crime instead of clamping down on dog owners and restricting personal freedoms
For many Iranians, particularly the youth, owning a dog has become a quiet form of resistance, much like defying the mandatory hijab, attending underground gatherings, or consuming alcohol.
