Hi all

Thanks again for your many signatures and shares. Please keep sharing even if you have shared already as it can take several viewings before someone will sign. 

Apologies for the silence lately. There hasn't been a huge amount to update on till now and we have been a little snowed under with illness and studies.  

What we have been doing for this is some things behind the scenes (to be revealed at the committee meeting on 8th August). More publicly we've been corresponding and meeting with related officials.  

Long story short there will be a committee meeting on 8th of August to discuss and decide matter relating to dogs in cemetries.   You can find details of the meeting at this address: https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=139&MId=7281   

More details will be posted on the run up to the meeting, including how to have your say - you can and should be a part of this!   

Speaking to people many have stated they don't believe the council would ever do this, it wouldn't work and it's not enforceable.   

 Unfortunately, we know that some of the councillors (at least 2) on this committee are in favour of a ban, either personally and/or through receiving complaints. You can find a list of councillors who will be at the meeting at this link: https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/mgMeetingAttendance.aspx?ID=7281  

However, councillors are only a part of the descision. In matters of policy they need to be impartial and be lead by public views,  evidence and practicalites.   

Practicalities are the responsibility of Bereavement service so we cannot talk about them but we can make suggestions or ask questions - which from contact with councellors they don't seem to be doing.   

What WE can do is give public views and evidence.   One committee member themselves admitted they have no real evidence only complaints. Complaints are not enough alone - they are one side of a story (often opinion heavy with varying levels of evidence if any at all) and let's face it no one writes to councellors to say things are going well or congratulate them on a job well done - this is one area where you come in.  

Write to your local councillor or the committee councellors and tell them you support on-lead dogs in cemetries and why or tell them why you don't want a ban (with excemptions for assistance dogs). Let them know what you think of current rules and how this would differ from a ban (with excemptions for assistance dogs).  List of your local Councillors: https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 List of councillors who will be attending the meeting: https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/mgMeetingAttendance.aspx?ID=7281  

Or you can give a written or spoken  deposition at the meeting on the 8th of August if you wish - details of that should be posted on the link to the meeting given above but if not you can write to the committee and ask or speak to us at: cemeteries4all@yahoo.com  

We have it on good authority that last time there was such a meeting it was supporters of dogs in cemeteries who made sure there was no ban and a on-lead rule was introduced as a compromise - let's do this again!  

Let's face it dog's don't really need to be off lead running around in cemeteries but on lead they can provide much needed companionship and support for a number of valid reasons for being in a cemetrey - from visiting a grave to needing a safe place to walk, to needing time out from the world and a quiet safeplace for reflection and contemplation, a place to walk with your baby to try and settle them, a place for you and your assistance dog to walk somewhere you feel safe and comfortable when you can't cope with the wider world or visting historical or familial graves - the list of valid reasons to be in a cemetery respectfully and in-keeping with current rules could go on.  

There are also positive knock-on effects of dogs being in cemetries one being they increase footfall in cemeteries which can help make other cemetery users feel safe but most importantly reduce anti-social or unsafe behaviours.   

We know one cemetery which used to have high instances of IV drug users who would actually inject out in the open, this reduced significantly with periods of no IV drugs use and when there is use, people doing it in hidden places but with a reduced occurrence. This cemetery is frequented by a lot of dogs and in all honesty if the dogs were to dissappear we're sure instances of IV use would increase and go back to being in the open. Personally we'd rather have a hundred dogs frequenting the cemetery than people lying on benches and paths injecting and leaving hundreds of needles lying around but that's just our opinion.

Obviously people need to go somewhere but there are other answers to IV use such as safe injecting rooms but that's not a discussion for here. This issue however does call into question what else happens in cemeteries and issues of prioritising measures for other issues - is banning dogs from cemeteries (with excemptions for assistance dogs but not emotional support dogs) really more important than anti-social behaviour such as IV drugs use which can endanger people's health and life should we not be looking at this?

Let's not let a minority of people who can't keep to current dog rules spoil it for the majority who are respectful and responsible!

Especially when those who do not keep to current rules will be unlikely to keep to a ban(with excemptions for assistance dogs but not emptional suppirt dogs).  

We need your help to ensure we keep cemetries4all please:

• Sign and share this petition
• Write to committee members to share your view
• Write to your local councillor to share your view
• Write to us to share your view on your behalf
• Give a written or verbal deposition at the committee meeting
• Write to us to help in other ways

We're at a use it (your voice) or lose it (access to cemetries with your dog) stage but we can do this!  

Best wishes 

Monti x