Iran's Renewed Enforcement of Dog Walking Ban Amid Public Safety Concerns

After years of lax enforcement, Iranian officials revive a 2019 ban on dog walking, labeling it a public safety threat. Advocates of the ban cite religious beliefs and cultural concerns as the basis for stricter measures, which may see warnings and fines for violators.

Iranian authorities have announced a renewed crackdown on dog walking, a practice banned in the country since 2019 but infrequently enforced until recently. With public health and safety risks at the forefront of their agenda, prosecutors from at least 20 cities, including Mashhad, have promised to rigorously implement the ban on both walking dogs and driving with them, as referenced by the state media.

Mohammad Hossein Doroudi, the prosecutor in Mashhad, stated clearly, “Dog walking is a clear crime.” His comments reflect the government’s long-standing perspective that pet dogs symbolize a detrimental influence of Western culture on Iranian society. Religious sentiments also play a key role, as dogs are categorized as “najes” or impure within Islamic teachings, primarily due to concerns about their saliva and hair rendering individuals and surfaces impure.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, has articulated the religious rationale against dogs in a fatwa, asserting that the presence of dog hair invalidates prayers. These beliefs have formed a backdrop against which the government justifies the crackdown.

Doroudi noted that in the past two years, enforcement of the ban had been significantly relaxed, but now officials are taking a hardline approach. Under the new strategy in Mashhad, dog owners will initially receive a warning. However, repeat offenders could face fines or the confiscation of their pets, reflecting a shift towards a more rigorous enforcement of the existing regulations.