In today’s post, the Chairdog of the Ontario Barks committee shows off his best buds at their favourite provincial parks with their humans!
Oh boy! It’s National Pet Day again? *zoomies*
Let’s be fur-real, every day is pet day at my house.
From my ever-growing collection of squeaky toys (minus the eyes and stuffing, obviously), to the glorious, long W-A-L-Ks filled with sniffies, and those magical second dinners (thank you, spare human), life is pretty pawesome.
But the best part? Sometimes, the human loads up the car and we head off to a provincial park (there are hundreds!) for an adventure!
Need proof? Check out my fellow fun-loving furriends below! (Oh, and I finally mastered the perfect head tilt for extra treats; highly recommend!)
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Case the Labrador Retriever and Seeker the Golden Retriever
“We love bringing our dogs with us when we go camping. My lab, Case, loves going in the canoe and had a great time in the Algonquin Backcountry, and my golden, Seeker, would spend all day at a pet beach if I let her!”
Human: Colleen Downing, Reservation Service Advisor
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Primrose the Shih Tzu
“Primrose is my little hiking buddy who loved nothing more than laying down in a puddle to cool off after a long hike. She loved to watch the sunset at the dog beach at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and scramble up the rocks at Nottawasaga Lookout Provincial Park. My favourite park memory with Primrose is when we did the Standing Rock Sidetrail at Nottawasaga Lookout together, and she conquered the boulders and slopes fearlessly and with little help- not bad for 10 pound dog! Although Primrose passed away in December at age 12, I keep her memory in my heart and recall the memories we made together every time I camp or hike in a park.”
Human: Hannah Stockford, A/Resource Management Technician at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
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Django the Black Labrador/Border Collie
“Django just turned 10 and is now an old man. At home, he sleeps all day, and on walks, he tugs the leash to head back to the front door. But as soon as he realizes the camping gear being packed into the car: he knows he’s headed to a provincial park and his inner puppy comes out. Last summer, Django and I were 9 hours apart when I was working out of Chapleau. My friends surprised me by bringing him up for a northern Ontario road trip to Ivanhoe Lake PP, where we spent a whole week camping together. Django spent his days paddle boarding, canoeing, swimming, taking advantage of the pet lending library and napping on the off-leash pet beach.”
Human: Alysa Cortes, Lands Stewardship Group Leader of the Northeast Zone
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Morris the Husky
“Morris loves coming to work with me in the off season so we can take a snow break and explore the trails, looking for fresh animal tracks. He is also excellent at checking all the mouse traps inside the Visitor Centre for me!”
Human: Dawn Brown, Senior Operations Technician at French River Provincial Park
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Gus the Corgi/Labrador
“Best Ontario Parks adventure was when I went to Joe Perry Lake at Bon Echo with him last year. Teaching him to not jump out of the canoe to catch flies was an adventure and lesson that didn’t always stick, haha. Took him for hikes, played in the water, sat on the rocks watching loons and either an otter or muskrat. Just a great weekend with ma best friend.”
Human: Kendra Marjerrison, Social Media Assistant
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Odis the Bloodhound/Akbash Mix
“Odis has been an avid explorer of Ontario Parks since he was just a pup. He loves joining his humans on year-round adventures, with a special fondness for hiking. Odis has enjoyed camping trips and day outings to parks in the Kingston area, including Sharbot Lake Provincial Park, Bon Echo Provincial Park, Charleston Lake Provincial Park, and Frontenac Provincial Park. He particularly loves helping his humans tackle the Frontenac Hiking Challenge, especially his favorite trail – the Tetsmine Lake Loop.”
Human: Erica Kendrick, A/Park Planner, Southeast Zone
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Remi the German Shorthaired Pointer
“At 8 months old, Remi has spent his life so far growing up and exploring Murphys Point Provincial Park but he is ready venture out this summer with camping trips planned to Frontenac PP and Samuel de Champlain PP! We both love going hiking and are very excited to check out some new trails together.”
Human: Rachel Needham, A/Chief Park Naturalist at Murphys Point Provincial Park
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Zero the Doberman Pinscher
“Last summer, Zero and I got out to 4 different provincial parks together for both day use and camping opportunities: Mikisew PP for camping, Algonquin PP for camping, Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls (day use), and Uxbridge Urban PP (day use). Zero has become a wonderful camping companion and is always up for exploring new trails with me, no matter the weather! He pushes me to hike further and get outside every day to enjoy the benefits of nature. There’s nothing like seeing the excitement on your pup’s face when they realize we’re at a park ready for an epic adventure.”
Human: Rhiannon Smart, A/Content Development Specialist
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Looking for more ulti-mutt doggo destinations?
The Chairdog of the Ontario Barks committee has put together a list with the top five dream dog destinations at Ontario Parks to make your next W-A-L-K extra special!
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A reminder from the committee
Longer day hikes can be challenging for both humans and our canine companions.
Please know your dog’s limits, avoid long hikes on hot days, and ensure you are prepared with lots of water and food for you and your best furry friend!
Need more information about bringing your furry companion to one of our provincial parks? We’ve got all the details here.
Oh, and don’t furrget to meet the members of last year’s Ontario Barks committee!
Farewell fur now,
The Chairdog of the Ontario Barks committee
