Will dogs, cats and rabbits be banned in Iran? In any case, a bill is under study to ban residents from having a pet, considered a symbol of “Westernization” in the Middle Eastern country, according to the BBC.
In detail, the law for the Protection of the rights of people against animals, currently studied by the Iranian Parliament, foresees to prohibit “the import, purchase, sale, transport and possession” of many domestic animals, including cats, rabbits or turtles Whoever violates it would incur a fine of 790 euros, if the law is approved.
In Iran, walking a dog is a crime
The restrictions have already started: Iranian police recently announced that walking a dog is already a crime in the country. The practice is now banned in the name of “public safety”.
While there are no “robust dog ownership regulations,” according to Dr. Ashkan Shemirani, a Tehran veterinarian, law enforcement has already arrested people for “walking their dog or even transporting it in a car.” A “prison” for pets has been created, according to the vet.
Animals considered impure
Possession of a pet has been in the sights of Iranian elected officials for several years. “The debates on this law began more than ten years ago when a group of Iranian deputies tried to promote a law that sought to confiscate all dogs to entrust them to zoos or abandon them in the desert,” explains Dr. Payam Mohebi, President of the Iranian Veterinary Association.
Since then, the issue has continued to come up regularly in Iran, with lawmakers notably mentioning the possibility of “corporal punishment” for dog owners.
While it is common for rural Iranian families to own a dog, and the country was a pioneer in the Middle East by introducing an animal protection law in 1948, everything changed during the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The new regime imposes a different view on domestic animals, now considered impure, according to Islamic tradition, and condemned as a symbol of “Westernization”.
Source: BFM TV
