Iran Widens Ban on Dog Walking Nationwide

Iran Expands Dog-Walking Ban to More Cities

Iran has expanded its crackdown on dog owners walking their pets, by extending a ban that was previously only applied in Tehran to other 18 other cities at least. The ban, which is an effort to maintain a "healthy and orderly" public order, also outlaws transporting dogs in vehicles. Isfahan, Kerman and Ilam are among the cities that have more recently instituted the ban. According to Official from Ilam, action would be taken against the people for flouting the prohibitory order.

The restrictions reinforced continuing attempts by authorities, especially since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, to discourage dog ownership, which is considered unclean and a sign of Western influenece. While these rules had been either officially mandated or effectively enforced at times in the past, they have rarely been kept consistently, and many people are still seen walking their dogs in public in places such as Tehran.

Authorites Still at War Against Dogs
Iran's religious leaders and officials have long been critical of dog ownership. Dog ownership — with the three exceptions of herding, hunting and guarding — is considered "impure," according to a fatwa, or religious ruling, issued by a previous supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and dog owners is seen as "peculiar" and "western." A number of clerics see dogs as ritually unclean or "najis." In 2021, 75 members of parliament wrote that owning a dog is a dangerous social issue that could undermine traditional Iranian and Islamic values.

Despite a 2010 prohibition on pet advertisements and a thwarted 2014 effort to impose tough penalties, including fines and flogging, on dog walking, many Iranians still flout the norms. And so dog ownership, like flouting hijab laws or sneaking off to clandestine house parties, has become something of a quiet act of rebellion, especially for the nation's young.

Unspoken Protest of Cultural Norms
Critics of the new round of police enforcement say officials should be focused on real threats to public safety, particularly at a time of heightened anxiety about violent crime. But for many Iranians, particularly young people, walking a dog in a public park or driving around with them is about more than just companionship — it's a kind of protest against social restrictions.

Alarmed by tough enforcement measures in certain districts, some dog owners are making it a point to walk them in remote areas at night. In cities such as Hamedan, local prosecutors say that walking dogs is a direct affront to public peace. Abbas Najafi, a city prosecutor, said such practices disturb public comfort and safety.