Keeping pets and walking dogs will soon be forbidden and punishable in Iran.
According to media reports, the hardliners in the Iranian parliament prepared a new draft law on Wednesday. According to the bill, walking dogs will be punishable by a heavy fine, and vehicles transporting dogs will be confiscated for three months.
In addition, homeowners will soon not be allowed to rent their flats to dog and cat owners.
In Islam, keeping a dog in the house is considered "unclean," but the clergy in Iran takes a hard line on all pets. They also believe that walking dogs causes panic among the population.
The police tried several times to ban dogs altogether, but in the end it never worked. Now the ban is to become law.
Pet ownership increasing
Observers, however, believe that even a new law in this regard will be ignored by dog and cat owners just like the previous bans.
In recent years, the trend towards pet ownership has increased considerably, with more and more young Iranians taking on dogs and cats as pets, especially for their children.
Accordingly, there have also been more and more veterinary clinics and shops for pet supplies for some years now, especially in the capital Tehran and other large cities.
