PelhamToday received the following letter to the editor regarding the possible banning of dogs in Pelham cemeteries:
I just got back from my twice-daily walk in the cemetery and thought I would reach out to say how important the cemetery is for many Fonthill residents.
There are many of us who walk through the cemetery with our dogs and many residents who walk through and love seeing our dogs—they bring treats, we have a visit and a chat. The dogs are therapeutic for the seniors who now find themselves living alone and this can be the highlight of the day for them.
I have made many friends from my walks in the cemetery, I have learned so much about the history of our town from reading the tombstones. I often pick up flowers and ornaments on the graves that have blown over. I visit with loved ones buried in the cemetery and, yes, I have comforted people mourning — all of this is because I walk my dog in the cemetery.
All the dog walkers carry their poop bags and you only need to look in the garbage containers throughout the cemetery to see that we are responsible dog owners. I would like to know if any of the councillors have routinely walked in the cemetery and witnessed the culture or seen dog owners letting their dogs do their business without cleaning up?
The dogs are therapeutic for the seniors who now find themselves living alone and this can be the highlight of the day for them
We do have a family of foxes that live in the cemetery. The foxes keep to themselves, they don't bother with us and we respect their space. The foxes do visit the surrounding streets, we see them in our yards and yes I have gladly cleaned up excrement on my driveway that I watched a fox leave around 10 p.m. one night.
I understand the frustration of someone seeing "excrement" on a loved one's grave, but to jump to banning residents from walking their dogs is extreme when there is another explanation: the family of foxes that live in the cemetery. Will this lead to us not being able to walk our dogs on the streets of Pelham because a dog did its business on someone's lawn?
We already have signs posted that dogs are not to be "off-leash" and to “Stoop & Scoop.” It will be very sad if we show up one day to find a new sign banning dogs!
So much more will be lost if this rule passes, and many, many Fonthill residents will be left heartbroken and frankly disgusted with Pelham Town Council.
Beverley Metler
Fonthill
