Iranian authorities have expanded the ban on dog walking, which now covers more than 20 cities in the country, while previously it was only in Tehran. About this informs edition of Iran International.
The restrictions are explained by the need to protect public order and health. Despite the absence of national legislation, compliance with the ban is monitored by local law enforcement agencies. The prosecutor of the city of Kashmir said that it was introduced “in order to ensure public hygiene, as well as physical and psychological safety of the population.”
Back in 2010, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Orientation imposed a ban on advertising of pets and related products. And in 2014, the Iranian parliament considered a draft law that provided for fines and corporal punishment for dog walking, but the document was never adopted. The country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has condemned keeping dogs, except when the animals are used for guarding, hunting or herding livestock.
Despite the ban, many owners continue to walk their dogs, especially in Tehran. To avoid punishment, this mostly happens at night, in sparsely populated areas, or animals are transported from one place to another.
