Walking A Dog in Public May Soon Earn Pet Lovers 74 Lashes in Iran

A proposed law in Iran intends to crack down on pet owners.

According to Muslim custom, dogs are considered unclean animals and coming into contact with them is considered ‘najis’,  but that has not stopped everyone in the Islamic nation from keeping a pet.

Some people keep their dogs hidden inside their home, but in more affluent areas especially near Tehran, dogs can occasionally be seen being walked outside.

A group of conservative Iranian lawmakers, though, wants to make sure dog ownership is put to an end especially in urban areas because the dogs are seen as polluting to both people and the peace.

“Anyone who walks or plays with animals such as dogs or monkeys in public places will damage Islamic culture, as well as the hygiene and peace of others, especially women and children,” the draft law states.

The law is also seen as a way to fend off Western culture, which has been entering Iranian homes through satellite television and values dog ownership in a way that is quite foreign to traditional Muslim culture.

If passed, anyone found owning a dog could be subject to up to 74 lashes or a fine ranging from $390 to $3700.

The dogs will also be confiscated and supposedly sent to a wildlife refuge or zoo.

Working dogs – such as those owned by farmers, police and hunters – would be exempt from the ban.

Previously,  Iran’s police chief General Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam warned against dog ownership saying his police would  “deal with those who carry dogs in public.”

The law was also proposed before but failed to get support last time around by Iran’s policymakers, who shelved it to consider more important legisltation.

The current attempt to ban dogs has the backing of 32 lawmakers, but must pass through Parliament before it can be enacted.