Despite outrage, Iran expands dog-walking ban across multiple provinces

A ban on dog walking in Iran was expanded to a host of cities over the past week, with the latest restriction coming on Sunday in Kashmar, as authorities escalate efforts to curb pet ownership — a trend some regard as a threat to public morality and a symbol of Western cultural influence.

What happened: On Sunday, the city of Kashmar in Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province banned dog walking, the latest in a series of similar actions across the country. Announcing the ban, Kashmar’s public…