Banned for Walking the Dog: Iran’s War on Pets, and Personal Freedom

In a move that underscores the Islamic Republic’s tightening grip on personal freedoms, Iranian authorities have expanded the ban on walking dogs in public to at least 18 additional cities beyond the capital, Tehran. The new restrictions, which now include urban centers such as Isfahan, Kerman, and Ilam, are part of a broader campaign to suppress what the regime views as Western-inspired behaviours undermining traditional Islamic values.

The recent crackdown stems from a 2019 police directive that initially prohibited dog walking in the streets of Tehran. While initially limited in enforcement, the regulation has now gained renewed momentum with added restrictions. In addition to public walking, the transportation of dogs in private vehicles has also been banned. Officials justify these measures on the grounds of protecting public health, safety, and order. For example, the prosecutor of Hamadan, Abbas Najafi, publicly declared that dog walking presents a threat to public welfare and societal stability.

Despite the expansion of these prohibitions, enforcement remains inconsistent. Many dog owners across Tehran and other cities continue to take their pets out in defiance of the rules, often choosing isolated locations or venturing out late at night to avoid detection. This quiet form of resistance highlights a growing generational divide: while the regime denounces dog ownership as unclean and immoral, a view rooted in religious interpretations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many younger Iranians see pet ownership as an expression of personal liberty and cultural defiance.

The state's negative stance on dogs is not new. As early as 2010, Iran's Ministry of Islamic Guidance banned advertisements for pets and pet products. A legislative attempt in 2014 even proposed fines and lashings for dog owners, though it failed to pass. In 2021, 75 parliamentarians signed a statement describing dog ownership as a “social threat” that could erode Islamic lifestyles.

Religious leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly spoken out against keeping dogs even for purposes such as guarding, herding, or hunting, labeling the practice as disgraceful. Under dominant religious doctrine, dogs are often deemed ritually impure, and physical contact with their saliva is considered contaminating.

Yet, despite the regime’s attempts to suppress it, the trend continues. Dog ownership has become more than a domestic choice, it now symbolizes a subtle but persistent pushback against authoritarian rule and the desire for modern, autonomous living. Like clandestine parties or illegal alcohol consumption, walking a dog in today’s Iran can be a quiet act of rebellion.