Iranian authorities have widened a ban on walking dogs in public to several cities across the country. The move, reported by domestic media, is being justified by officials as necessary to protect public health, safety, and social order.
The latest expansion of the ban took effect Sunday in the western city of Ilam. It builds on a 2019 police directive that had already banned dog walking in Tehran. Over the past few days, at least 17 other cities, including Isfahan and Kerman, have adopted similar restrictions.
Although owning dogs is not illegal under Iranian law, the issue remains controversial. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many clerics have viewed dogs as ritually unclean. Contact with their saliva is considered impure in Islamic tradition, and some officials argue that owning dogs promotes Western lifestyles.
Local governments have frequently issued bans on walking dogs in public or transporting them in vehicles. These efforts are part of a broader campaign to reduce pet ownership. However, enforcement has been inconsistent. Many residents in Tehran and other cities continue to walk their dogs despite the restrictions.
A city official in Ilam told the reformist Etemad newspaper on Sunday that “legal action will be taken against violators,” but did not provide further details.
The state-run Iran newspaper reported Saturday that the new measures are aimed at keeping order and protecting public health. In the city of Hamedan, prosecutor Abbas Najafi described dog walking as a “threat to public health, peace and comfort.”
In recent years, some Iranian lawmakers and religious leaders have taken strong positions against pet ownership. In 2021, 75 members of parliament called it a “destructive social problem,” warning it could erode traditional Iranian and Islamic values.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also criticized the practice. In 2017, he stated that keeping dogs for anything other than herding, hunting, or guarding was inappropriate. He said such behavior could mimic non-Muslim lifestyles and disturb the community.