Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's decision to acquire four German guard dogs has come under scrutiny from religious leaders, Adnkronos International reported Tuesday.

Ayatollahs in Qom, Iran, are upset that the leader can have the dogs, brought to Tehran at a cost of approximately $161,040 each, when ordinary citizens are barred from taking their own domestic pets on the streets because Islam considers dogs to be impure, Adnkronos International reported.

"First of all these dogs are only of a German breed, bought as puppies, but grown and trained in Iran in the hands of Iranian instructors," the Fars news agency said, according to the Adnkronos International report. "The purchase of these dogs was authorized by a fatwa issued by several ayatollahs who approved the use of these animals if the only goal was to guarantee personal security and not infringe on any religious rule."

Click here to read the full report from Adnkronos International.