Killing “Dirty” Dogs

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This animation, created by a citizen journalist, shows the hard-working hero police warriors of Tehran tackling their latest challenge: ridding the streets of unclean mutts and wayward monkeys.

In November 2014, a group of MPs called for pets to be outlawed in Iran. Arguing that bringing dogs and monkeys into public places “violates Islamic culture and harms the peace and the health of people,” 32 parliamentarians proposed legislation that would give authorities the power to confiscate dogs and other pets in public spaces, and to prosecute people who sell them or keep them in their homes. Punishment will include cash fines and up to 74 lashes.

Women and children are particularly at risk from “unclean” animals, the group of MPs claimed. What’s more, one of the bill’s supporters, Ahmed Salek, said owning such animals was an affront to a person’s religious practice since “a person who owns such an animal cannot pray.”

In December 2014, intelligence agents arrested animal rights activist Ali Tabarzadi in a midnight raid after he started a Facebook campaign to protest against the proposal.

News agencies have been warned not to run features on pets or publish photographs of people walking dogs; under the new legislation, they, too, could face prosecution.

The film demonstrates the ridiculousness of the anti-dog proposals — but also the lengths that Iranian politicians are willing to go to give the impression they have full control over Iranian society.