Edinburgh council to debate banning dogs from cemeteries following grieving dad's plea

Councillors in Edinburgh are set to debate whether dogs should be banned from cemeteries in the city following a petition launched by a grieving dad.

Paul Irvine has been calling for a law to be passed in Edinburgh since 2022 – making exercising a dog in a cemetery an offence punishable by an on the spot fine for infringement – after noticing dogs were destroying items left by mourners and urinating on headstones.

His son Xander Irvine, three, was killed after being struck by a car on Morningside Road in 2020. He was walking along the street with his mum Victoria when a car mounted the pavement and crashed into a shop front.

Paul, whose home overlooks Morningside Cemetery where Xander is buried, said the situation is “adding to his grief”.

He said the situation “hasn’t changed” despite the council introducing signage asking for dogs to be kept on a lead.

A “no dogs” policy had previously been in place across the 43 burial grounds in Edinburgh, with exceptions for assistance dogs, and was lifted amid Covid pandemic lockdowns.

The petition to reinstate the ban has garnered more than 1,300 signatures.

Petition organiser Andy Lees wrote: “As you can imagine, this situation is traumatic for anyone visiting loved ones.

“Many councils in Scotland lifted the ban on dogs in cemeteries, churchyards and burial grounds during the Covid pandemic. Nine of the 32 councils have now reintroduced the ban.

“We are hoping this petition will raise the profile of the issue, initially convince Edinburgh council to bring itself into line with the majority of other Scottish councils, and eventually lead to a Scotland wide ban on dogs in cemeteries, churchyards and burial grounds.”

But a counter petition with more than 600 signatures has also been created.

Monti Stramka, who started the petition and has been visiting a local burial ground for more than 40 years, said: “Throughout these years, a faithful canine companion has often accompanied either myself or myself and other family members. These dogs are not just pets; they provide emotional support and serve as a living connection to the loved ones we visit – something that was desired by those who have passed away.

“In all these years, I have witnessed very few incidents related to dogs, with occasional dog fouling being the only issue. The proposed ban on dogs in cemeteries seems to be based on reasons that do not reflect the reality of most visitors’ experiences.”

Edinburgh council’s culture and communities committee meeting will discuss the issue on August 8.

The committee convener, councillor Val Walker said: “I’m conscious that this issue is one of concern for many of our residents. Whilst people need to walk their dogs this must be done in a respectful and controlled way especially in spaces where others will be remembering friends and loved ones.

“Unfortunately, if dogs cannot be kept under control whilst in cemeteries we’ll need to look at measures we can take to address this.

“I’d also encourage all dog owners in the city to be conscious of these concerns and potentially consider using our wide network of fantastic parks across the city instead of cemeteries when walking dogs.”