Friday Prayer Leader of Yazd: Keeping Dogs at Home is an Enemy Plot to Reduce Country’s Population

Mohammad Reza Naseri, the Friday prayer leader of Yazd, has stated that keeping pets such as dogs in homes is a “weapon designed by the enemy” aimed at “reducing population and fertility.”

Speaking on Sunday, February 9, during a meeting with officials of Yazd University of Medical Sciences, Naseri criticized the allocation of foreign currency for dog and cat food and the establishment of pet clinics, saying these actions are “a willing or unwilling collaboration” with “the enemy.”

Naseri said “our enemies, particularly the British, have invested in changing the culture and lifestyle of Iranian families” and are “seeking ways to replace childbearing in families.”

Iranian government officials typically take a negative stance on pet ownership.

In recent months, multiple reports have been published about the closure of pet product stores, including specialty dog and cat shops and pet shops.

“Pet shops” sell food and supplies needed for pets such as dogs, cats, rodents like rabbits and hamsters, and ornamental birds such as mynas, parrots, and macaws.

In recent years, Iran’s police force has imposed restrictions on dog ownership and banned walking dogs and bringing them into public spaces.

Source: Radio Farda