Two Dogs to Represent a Friendship Link

Edinburgh and San Diego became Sister Cities when they twinned in 1977, a very strong bond soon developed with children and adults exchanging visits with each other. When the Lord Provost Eleanor McLaughlin made an official visit to San Diego in 1989 she discovered the city had a dog in the late 1800s that was given the title of Town Dog as he was loved by all but had no master or mistress, similar to our own Greyfriars Bobby.

Alex Sandie, former Leither, John Wilson, Edinburgh Association President, Commander Donald Dinning Rtd. USN, Wendy Lucas Meyer, Co-ordinator, Chrissy Ambler, S.D. Association President, Jessica McCain , artist of Bum Statue

The Mayor of San Diego and our Lord provost determined the friendship link should extend to include the two dogs, and in 1990 the Chairman of our association at that time Mr Bob Watt, led a delegation to San Diego and presented the city with a replica of Bobby taken from the same mould.

Our friends and colleagues of our Sister Association reciprocated by having two statues of their Dog “Bum” crafted; one they have retained and on the 7th October 2007 both Bobby and Bum were permanently sited alongside each other in the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego’s Old Town area. The other one is being transported by air to Edinburgh to be ceremoniously installed, hopefully on the weekend of 18/19 July, 2008.

Obviously we would want both dogs to be situated close to each other but the pavement is considered too narrow at George IV Bridge, so we are considering sites alongside the National Museum of Scotland and Nicolson Square.

We would welcome support from anyone who would like to join us in this worthy exercise. We are also seeking donations to enable us to complete the task and any surplus will be donated to local Dog Aid Societies.

I can be contacted at 0780675178 or by email at johncwilson@yahoo.co.uk

John C Wilson. President Edinburgh/San Diego S.C. Assoc.