Defying taboos, Shiite cleric in Iran takes in street dogs and nurses them back to health
An injured stray cat walks on the shoulder of Iranian cleric Sayed Mahdi Tabatabaei after treatment at a veterinary clinic in Tehran, Iran, Friday, May 19, 2023. It's rare these days for a turbaned cleric in Iran to attract a large following of adoring young fans on Instagram, but Tabatabaei has done it by rescuing street dogs in defiance of a local taboo. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
QOM, Iran (AP) — It's rare these days for a turbaned cleric in Iran to attract a large following of adoring young fans on Instagram, but Sayed Mahdi Tabatabaei has done it by rescuing street dogs in defiance of a local taboo....