Many of you have watched the video we posted last week, of Mr & Mrs Peden giving their Deputation at the August 2022 meeting of Edinburgh Council's Culture & Communities. If not, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/Pj0fFoPltHU

It is truly heart-breaking to see the anguish and the torment. These poor people were going through hell at the time.

We are aware that the author of the counter petition "Monti S." (a self-confessed fake name) has been trying to play down this video on a Next Door thread, commenting to one of our supporters who posted it on Next Door:

"that was from before the rules were in place - who knows the rules may have helped. We cannot use information on behaviours from before the rules to measure whether current rules are working or not"

"Monti S." then goes on to mock our supporter, when he queried the above statement, asking how "they could possibly know that", by replying (with two laughing emojis for added effect):

"🤣🤣 misleading information does not make you right.That video was from before the rules were in place - who knows the rules may have helped"

Our supporter asked:

"you use two laughing emoji's when discussing this poor couple!? - shame on you. How do you know "this does not reflect current times"? - have you spoken to them?"

To which "Monti S" replies:

"you're reaching a little in regards to the emoji - they were in relation to you not Mr and Mrs Peden and we offer sincere apologies to them if this was confusing or insulting in any way."

So, its ok to insult our supporter then...

"Monti S" then goes for the killer blow:

"With respect, this information does not reflect current times.We feel for the Pedens we really do but we cannot use information on behaviours from before the rules to measure whether current rules are working or not to suggest such information is currently relevent is in our opinion irresponsible, desperate, misleading and quite frankly disrespectful to Mr and Mrs Peden and what they went through".

We will tell you what is "irresponsible, desperate, misleading and quite frankly disrespectful to Mr and Mrs Peden"...making ridiculous statements like the one above, assuming what the current state of affairs is re this poor couples situation, with absolutely no up to date information to back it up.

We don't really post on Next Door anymore, and stopped engaging with "Monti S." a long time ago. It is not hard to see why, given the childish, insulting and ill informed posts above.

We had the great pleasure of meeting Mrs Peden today...she is an absolutely lovely lady who gave us a tour of the cemetery, their lovely home (including the garden where dogs continue to break in through the hedge), and has provided us with lots of very valuable information and evidence.

The situation in the past two years, since the 2002 Cemetery Management Rules were enacted, is different for Mr & Mrs Pedan...

...it is much worse.

In the short space of time we were going around Warriston Cemetery this afternoon, 15 minutes, we witnessed half a dozen dogs (that we could see...it is a big place), all of them were off lead (the owners would quickly put them back on the lead when they spotted us), and dog owners being rude to and laughing at Mrs Peden.

What a truly shocking state of affairs. Like Paul and his family, and every other bereaved resident of Edinburgh who has suffered similar distress when visiting loved ones in the cities cemeteries, Mr & Mrs Peden have had to endure a further two years of, from what we hear daily, upset and distress. 

We look forward to working with the Pedan's in the final few weeks before the 8th of August...as well as Monti S. issuing a public apology to Mr & Mrs Pedan on Next Door and their petition. 

We have 22 days left to persuade Edinburgh Council's Culture & Communities Committee to properly address this issue. Something they should have done TWO YEARS ago.

1: Please continue to share this Change petition on social media and amongst friends & family. We can never have too many signatures.

2: Contribute a £ or two to this Change petition, to increase visibility & awareness.

3: Cast your vote in the online version of The Scotsman article here https://t.ly/LxhBS

4: Join our Facebook Group "No Exercising Dogs In Edinburgh Cemeteries":

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1479741686087660/

5: Send an email of support to your local Councillor. Easily find your local Councillor and use our email template text here: http://tinyurl.com/2p8sujpn

We are happy to help you do this if required.

6: Come along and support us in person on 8th August. The Committee meeting is open to the public, and there is public seating available.

Thank you

Paul & Andy