18 July 2011

A Craze for Pooches in Iran Dogs the Morality Police

Iranians have turned to the Internet to organize antigovernment protests. Now they're flocking online to defy another Islamic Republic edict: buying and selling dogs.

Pooch lovers in Iran are clicking on popular websites like Woof Woof Iran Digital Pets and Persianpet to pick their favorite canine, study dog grooming or swap pet tales.Buying and selling dogs is illegal in Iran, unless they are guard dogs or used by police.

Dogs are considered "haram," or unclean, in Islam. Until recently, keeping dogs as pets was limited to a small circle of Westernized Iranians. [The Wall Street Journal] Read more