- Dogs Trust hosts second Greyfriars Bobby commemoration event, promoting responsible dog ownership
- 70% of dog owners in Scotland are unaware it is a legal requirement for their pet to wear a collar & tag, as well as having an up-to-date microchip
- Should our pet go missing, ensuring they wear a collar & tag makes it easier and quicker to be reunited with them and could save money on unnecessary kennel fees
Dogs and their owners are being invited to a special Greyfriars Bobby commemoration event, hosted by Dogs Trust at Greyfriars Kirkyard on 14th January 2020.
This will be the second year Dogs Trust has held the commemoration and the charity hopes to showcase the bond between owner and dog through special activities such as training, playing, grooming and exercising.
On the day guests will hear all about the story of Greyfriars Bobby from Dr Jan Bondeson, with speeches on canine welfare from Dogs Trust officials, The Lord Provost; as well as a poem reading from Prestonfield Primary School.
On the day Dogs Trust’s Dog School team in Edinburgh will be arranging a fun agility course for dog owners to take part in some friendly competition; while providing advice on training our pets. The campaigns team will also be on hand to offer free health checks, microchipping and responsible dog ownership advice.
Greyfriars Bobby tells the story of an Edinburgh watchman named John Gray, who would take his Skye Terrier Bobby with him on his nightly rounds. After his death in 1858, John Gray was buried in Greyfriars Courtyard, where Bobby would continue to visit daily and watch over his grave; remaining devoted to his owner until his own death in 1872.
Dogs Trust has been working collectively with the One o’clock Gun Association, who previously held the Greyfriars Commemoration event after being formed in 1998; representatives of the Skye Terrier Club; as well as students from Prestonfield Primary School who have taken part in workshops to encourage positive attitudes towards canine welfare.
Jen Terris, Campaigns Manager for Dogs Trust in Scotland, said: “Not only do we want to commemorate the memory of Scotland’s most famous dog and the relationship with relationship they had with their owner; but we want to instil this type of unbreakable bond between other owners and their dogs.
“It is every dog owner’s worst fear that they should be separated from their pet, yet 70% of dog owners in Scotland aren’t aware that it is a legal requirement for their dog to wear a collar and tag, as well as having an up-to-date microchip. Ensuring they have all of these is the best way to ensure we are reunited with them should they ever go missing.
“At this year’s event Dogs Trust will be providing a host of resources and information which promote responsible dog ownership. We are looking forward to building on the success of last year’s event, which received really positive feedback from attendees.”
Event details: Tuesday 14th January, Greyfriars church, Edinburgh EH1 2QQ, 12.00pm – 2.30pm
For more details about the event please contact Sarah Affleck, Campaigns Officer for Dogs Trust in Scotland at campaigns.scotland@dogstrust.org.uk
If you are interested in adopting a rescue dog, please visit www.dogstrust.org.uk
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