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Society & Culture

The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers

July 13, 2015
IranWire Citizen Journalist
4 min read
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers
The Trials and Trepidations of Iranian Pet Lovers

 

Iranian politicians have a long history of trying to turn pet owners into criminals. Most recently, in November 2014, 32 MPs tabled a bill that would make owning a pet dog a crime. Dog owners and animal rights activists protested, in Shiraz and other cities, and on social media.  Citizen journalist Bozorgmehr Rasouli, who writes under a pseudonym to protect his identity, remembers previous attempts to crack down on pet owners, and gives his account of owning a dog in Iran. 

 

This is my summary of what my friends and I have experienced as pet owners in Iran. I thought I should share it with you. 

Four years ago, in April 2011, MPs introduced a draft bill to ban “'impure and dangerous” pets from being kept in private apartments. The bill also called for punishment for people found guilty of walking  or exercising pets in public. Violators would be forced to pay a fine of between $100 and $470, and the pet would be “confiscated”.

The bill warned that, besides posing health problems, owning dogs “poses a cultural problem” because it was “a blind imitation of vulgar Western culture.” It was deemed to be one part of the so-called Western cultural invasion.

In those days, many people who owned dogs were really worried that the bill would pass into law, including me. What was especially worrisome was the provision for taking pets away from their owners. This possibility, and the fears around it, became hot topics on social networks like Instagram and Facebook.

But of course this was not the first time that dogs and their owners had been targeted. These anti-dog campaigns come in waves. It is a theme that has repeated itself over and over again in Iran. For example, in 2007, police in Tehran set up a prison for dogs. Dogs out for walks with their owners or who had been left in cars while their owners shopped were in danger of being “detained”. If this happened, the owner then had to release their pet on bail.

But I think the number of dog owners in Tehran and other big cities has grown so much that confronting them all has become impractical for the police and the government. And fortunately, the original bill that caused so much noise did not get anywhere.

These days, you can see many people walking their dogs in the streets and local parks of Tehran. Of course, many big parks and main thoroughfares have “No Dogs Allowed” signs on display.

I believe that this ban is not justified. Taking dogs to the parks does not hurt anybody. When you take your dog to a park, it makes him or her happy. They jump up and down and enjoy themselves.

Dogs have become an obvious target because you can see them out on the streets. But they are not the only pets Iranians keep. I know people who have squirrels as pets, as well as snakes, chameleons, cats, rabbits, hamsters, and a variety of different kinds of birds. I have even seen people keep wild predatory animals as pets. 

Most people really love their pets and are emotionally dependent on them, but there are other people who are doing it just to fit in. Once in a while, these people buy a new and interesting pet to show off to their friends at private parties.

When the trend of owning these kinds of pets began, many pet owners had no idea how to care for some of their more exotic or unfamiliar pets. As a result, many of these pets got sick and died. Fortunately in recent years, pet shops have sprouted up across many parts of Tehran. They not only sell a variety of pets but also offer appropriate food and whatever else might be necessary to care for them. So the health of pets has somehow improved.

Pet shops also offer advice and allow pet owners to meet each other and exchange their experiences and knowledge.

I must also point out the role played of Instagram in all of this. Many pet owners have come to know each other and to exchange views through the photo-sharing site. It has become a platform for mutual support among pet owners. Some people even use Instagram to find a mate for their pet.

Bozorgmehr Rasouli, citizen journalist, Lavasan

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