Saudi Arabia bans sale of dogs, cats in capital

Every single man knows: Walking a dog in the park is a sure babe magnet. Saudi Arabia's Islamic religious police, in their zeal to keep the sexes apart, want to make sure the technique doesn't catch on here.

The solution: Ban selling dogs and cats as pets, as well as walking them in public.

The prohibition went into effect Wednesday in the capital, Riyadh, and authorities in the city say they will strictly enforce it — unlike previous bans in the cities of Mecca and Jiddah, which have been ignored and failed to stop pet sales.

Violators found outside with their pets will have their beloved poodles and other furry companions confiscated by agents of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the official name of the religious police, tasked with enforcing Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic code.

The commission's general manager, Othman al-Othman, said the ban was ordered because of what he called "the rising of phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families" as well as "violating proper behavior in public squares and malls."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/07/31/international/i112655D69.DTL

start blaming the dogs and cats.

Go to the source, dammit.

Some laws are just inane and idiotic.

'Grew up in a dog-and-cat family.

Even if you were serious, your point would have been correct.

Thanksfor the clarification however

:sarcasm:

It's amazing the BS fanatisal, reich-wing, theocratic, eunich types will invent.

"...the rising of phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families..." Yeah...walking their cat to get the attention of women.

I've owned many cats in my 40 years. I find it hard to believe that there is a plethorah of men walking their cats -- you can teach a cat to walk on a lead, but it's f**king tough and not worth it.

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that the problem isn't the cats or the dogs, but the men using them. What they need to do is rescind the law banning cats and dogs in public and ban men in public. I mean, if you're going to pass wacky laws to prohibit something, at least have the decency to ban the root cause. This week, it's cats and dogs, next week, it's men using their pet rocks to pick up women. Ban the men, problem solved.

Oh wait, let me guess. They are going to fill up their Hummers and Range Rovers, drive out to the desert and let kitty and puppy go poo in the giant Arabian sand box.