Yet in Minnesota’s Somali Muslim immigrant community, that’s not the prevailing sentiment. “If some of our imams hadn’t intervened, I would have found it difficult to consider owning a dog,” Shamsudir said. “I wish there was a secret club for Muslim dog owners in Minnesota,” he said. He sometimes meets with other Muslim dog owner at Karmel Mall. And for Nuruldin and Dayib, even considering a pet dog feels like walking a fine line between honoring children’s wishes and risking disapproval.