Dog owners who use cemeteries must act responsibly or ban issue will return

The issue of dogs in cemeteries is a highly contentious one. Clearly, dog walkers in cities like to have access to somewhere quiet, away from the roads, to go for a walk.

However, cemeteries are, first and foremost, a place where people go to grieve; it is obvious that a dog running about, potentially disturbing items left at gravesides or urinating on graves, could add to their distress.

So when Edinburgh councillors came to vote on a proposed ban on dogs in cemeteries, they faced a serious decision. In voting to retain the existing rules – which allow dogs but only if they are kept on their lead – they probably, on balance, made the right choice.

What is required is for dog owners to stick to the rules and show compassion for the feelings of others; in other words, to act like responsible citizens. Councillors are trusting them to do so.

However, if more reports emerge of dogs being allowed to run about freely, causing distress, this issue will likely re-emerge and councillors are unlikely to be as trusting again. Once bitten, twice shy.