Iran to Outlaw Dogs; Launches "War on Terrier"

Iranian woman with her dog "Fatima"

Teheran, Apr 28, 2011. Lawmakers in Iran have proposed a bill to criminalize dog ownership. 

The proposed law states that owning a dog “poses a cultural problem” and is “a blind imitation of the vulgar culture of the West.”

Iran's religious leaders have long preached against keeping dogs as pets, saying the animals carry disease.

Now, some of the country's lawmakers are looking to make dog ownership illegal, saying the practice mimics Western cultural values.

The measure would carry fines of between $100 and $500, and owners' dogs would be confiscated. The issue has become a hotly debated topic among clerics, officials and animal activists in the past decade or so, along with the rise of the urban middle class.

Many believe the purpose of this “war on terrier” is to distract Iranians from the bigger problems their country faces. The Iranian government gets billions of dollars in petrodollars every year, and uses that money to build weapons of mass destruction instead of using the money to better the lives of their citizens.

And now the regime has made the elimination of dogs a priority, instead of the elimination of unemployment and poverty.

President Obama and his Portuguese Water Terrier Bo

Ten days ago, companies from over 30 countries, including Germany, Britain, and France participated in the Iran Oil Show in Tehran, despite U.S. and E.U. sanctions.

By continuing to trade with the Iranian regime, Western companies are enabling this disregard for human rights to continue.

President Barack Hussein Obama, D-Probably from Kenya, says he doesn't care what Iran does. He has become very attached to his dog Bo plans to keep the Portuguese Water Terrier.