Edgard & Cooper petitions Reykjavik to apologize for dog ban

As part of Pet Rights Week, Edgard & Cooper launched a petition calling on the city of Reykjavik, Iceland, to issue a public apology for its 60-year ban on dog ownership.

Reykjavik banned dog ownership from 1924 to 1984 under Act No. 8/1924. The ban was introduced for public health reasons, including concerns about tapeworm infection, stray dogs and hygiene in the modernizing capital. It was lifted in 1984 following sustained public pressure, including from a minister of finance who refused to pay fines for keeping a dog in the city. In 2024, legislation ensured apartment dwellers no longer needed their neighbors' permission to keep a pet.

Edgard & CooperAfter launching the petition demanding an apology from Reykjavik, the Edgard & Cooper team took the campaign directly to the Icelandic Embassy in London. A company spokesperson said they managed to get inside and personally deliver the petition, while also leaving a few campaign posters behind along the way.

"As of today, Reykjavik still hasn't apologized," said the spokesperson. "The dogs are still waiting."

Edgard & Cooper

The campaign, Apologise Reykjavik, is part of the company's Pet Holiday Calendar, a year-round program of brand activations positioning dogs as participants in entertainment, fashion, politics and cultural institutions. According to the calendar, Pet Rights Week runs June 8–12. Earlier this year, the brand hosted a black-tie ball for 400 dogs at a London townhouse and staged a Viking funeral for chew toys on a beach in Margate, England.

According to Petfood Industry's Top Pet Food Companies, General Mills acquired Edgard & Cooper in April 2024.