So, it’s exactly one month since I posted on the I Love Morningside Facebook group, trying to reach out to dog walkers to appeal to them to reconsider taking their dogs into the cemetery where my son is buried.

I felt I had to do something, as over the past three and a half years I have had so many occasions where dogs have destroyed or removed teddies and trinkets left at the grave, some never returned and lost forever. I know for fact it is dogs, because on many occasions I have witnessed it for myself, which is extremely upsetting.

It was this post that sparked a lot of interest on the ILM Facebook group page, over 500 likes and comments in a day or two. Everyone, bar one person, was in support of me, many suggesting starting a petition. I wanted to, but I felt a bit out of my depth trying to organise something like that. I was also not in the best place mentally at that point, a lot of the stress I was going through was due to the situation with the dogs.

It was at this point that a lovely man, now a good friend, Andy Lees, reached out to me and offered to help. He has been amazing. First off, he organized a petition through Change.org which has generated 1074 signatures in one month, which is fantastic. He has written to Edinburgh Councillors, MP's, MSP's and even Humza Yousaf, to try and get the exercising of dogs banned in cemeteries. Through his guidance, I have now set up a Scottish Parliament petition which will hopefully lead to a ruling throughout Scotland where owners will not be allowed to exercise their dogs in cemeteries and could face a fine for breaking the rule.

I want to point out at this point, that I am a dog lover, always have been. I've been a strict vegetarian for over 30 years because I love animals and have always been concerned for animal welfare. My band have even done benefit gigs for such issues.

However, I just don't think cemeteries are a place to take your dog to exercise it. There are so many other green spaces to do that.

I witness every day dogs urinating on headstones and graves, dogs off leads running around wild, occasionally I see people not picking up after their dog defecating in the cemetery too. I have so many stories I could tell. This behaviour is not acceptable and hence the reason I have gotten to this point.

Although it is my personal situation with my sons grave that made me post to Facebook, I am very aware that this is not just about me. I now know so many people feel the same through correspondence with people reaching out over the past month and even before - I have spoken to, and had communication from, many people over the last three and a half years, all of whom have had the same upsetting experiences as myself – I received such an email just yesterday, from a fellow Morningside resident.  

Can I ask, if you agree with this, could you please take a wee minute to sign this new Scottish Parliament petition, this Change one, and then share both of them far and wide with family and friends. This will help to get this message out there and hopefully lead to this disrespectful behaviour being stopped and make cemeteries used as they were intended for, to mourn, grieve and respect the dead, not a convenient dog toilet and exercise space.

Thank you to everyone who has signed so far. The effect you guys and Andy are having on my mental health is phenomenal, I feel so much better knowing there are people out there who feel strongly about this too.

Once again, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Paul Irvine.

Scottish Parliament Petition: https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2087

Other Ways To Help:

You can donate as little as £1 to help with promotion, via the petition link below.

Continue to share this petition with the following link:
(Some people need to see a petition multiple times to take action.): https://www.change.org/nodogsscottishcemeteries

Email your Edinburgh Councillor a “Letter of Support”:
This post has a link to easily find your Councillor(s), and some template text that you can cut & paste into an email:
http://tinyurl.com/2p8sujpn

Contact us by email if you want to help with this campaign: noexercisingdogsincemeteries@gmail.com