Iran has banned dog-walking in the capital city of Tehran in an attempt to discourage people completely from owning the pets.
Hossein Rahimi, Tehran's police chief, said: "We have received permission from the Tehran Prosecutor's Office, and will take measures against people walking dogs in public spaces, such as parks."
Measures could include confiscation and fines.
Rahimi told the Young Journalists Club news agency that the ban was due to dogs "creating fear and anxiety" among members of the public.
Rahimi added that driving with a dog in your car was also banned. "It is forbidden to drive dogs around in cars and, if this is observed, serious police action will be taken against the car-owners in question," he said.
Ownership of dogs as pets has not been banned outright by the Government, but since the Islamic revolution of 1979 keeping dogs has been contentious as they are viewed as
"unclean" by Iran's conservative authorities, which regard ownership of the animal as a Western activity.
In 2010, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance banned the media from publishing any advertisements for pets or pet-related products.
