Iran widens crackdown on dog-walking in public

Iranian authorities have broadened restrictions on dog walking, imposing bans in numerous cities nationwide due to concerns over public order and health.

This latest move follows a 2019 directive that prohibited walking dogs in Tehran and now affects at least 18 additional cities. Alongside the walking ban, transporting dogs in vehicles has also been prohibited.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, dog ownership in Iran has been widely discouraged, with authorities considering dogs “unclean” and associating them with Western cultural influence.

Despite these views, dog ownership has been increasing, especially among younger Iranians who see it as an act of defiance against the conservative regime.

Recently, several cities, including Isfahan, Kerman, and Ila,m have expanded bans on dog walking. In Ilam, officials have warned that violators will face "legal action," according to local reports.

However, enforcement has often been inconsistent, with many dog owners continuing to walk their pets openly in Tehran and other areas.

While no national law explicitly prohibits dog ownership, prosecutors frequently impose local restrictions enforced by the police. Abbas Najafi, the prosecutor of Hamedan, justified the bans by stating that “dog walking is a threat to public health, peace, and comfort,” as reported by the state-run Iran newspaper.

Dog owners in Iran have faced arrests and confiscation of their pets for walking dogs in public. To avoid detection, many now walk their dogs late at night in secluded spots or drive them around.

Within Iran’s Islamic regime, pet ownership is widely regarded as un-Islamic.

Religious authorities consider touching dogs or contact with their saliva “najis” (ritually impure).

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has condemned dog ownership except for herding, hunting, or security as “reprehensible.”

In 2021, a group of 75 lawmakers denounced dog ownership as a “destructive social problem” that threatens to “gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life.”

Earlier measures include a 2010 ban by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance on pet-related advertisements and a failed 2014 parliamentary proposal to fine or flog dog walkers.

Critics argue that amid rising violent crime, police resources should focus on public safety rather than restricting personal freedoms by targeting dog owners.

Alongside defying mandatory hijab laws, attending underground parties, and consuming alcohol, dog ownership has become a subtle form of resistance against Iran’s theocratic government.