Upset families are speaking out after dogs were seen urinating on graves at Beechwood Cemetery.
Patti Linn’s daughter Rose is buried at Beechwood and says the last time she went to visit, she noticed a sticky substance on her marker.
“I put my hand down to wipe it away and realized it wasn’t tree sap, it was dog urine,” she said.
Linn said it was “such a sign of disrespect…I took it personally because it was my baby’s marker.”
Linn isn’t the only one to come forward.
Patti Cholette’s parents are also buried at Beechwood. It was when she was there Friday night she said she saw “a small dog urinating in front or on a headstone and kicked up the dirt afterwards.”
Cholette said she confronted the woman, who had two dogs, but said it didn’t seem to faze her.
Beechwood said it was “disgusted” after learning about what happened and said its bylaw allows for dogs in the cemetery but that dogs must be leashed, stay on the road and walkways and the owners must clean up after them.
Andrew Roy, senior director of cemetery operations and funeral services, said there is a clause allowing them to revoke the privilege if necessary, adding they don’t want to do that.
The cemetery is on private property with its own set of bylaws and the city of Ottawa is only able to enforce city bylaws. The city said if it received a report of a dog running around off-leash at the cemetery, bylaw officers would attend.
