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, they grab my leash, 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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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 in a leash-free exercise area, sat on the rocks watching loons and either an otter or muskrat. Just a great weekend with my 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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Django the Black Labrador/Border Collie Mix
“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 is 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
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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 Provincial Park and Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park! 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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Peter the Papillon
“Peter is always on the lookout for his next lakeside adventure. While he enjoys lounging around a campsite, he is happiest when he can feel the sand beneath his paws. He loves to splash in the shallows, but almost never commits to a full swim. His favourite place to explore in Ontario Parks are the sandy shorelines of Lake Travers in East Algonquin!“
Human: Emma Fuller, Chief Park Naturalist at Bon Echo Provincial Park
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Winston the West Highland White Terrier
“Steph’s new four-legged friend, Winston, made his first ever Ontario Parks visit to Sibbald Point Provincial Park this early spring! Mystical fog covered the park’s day use area and took on an enchanting almost magical atmosphere along the waterfront. Winston was eager to sniff out every intriguing scent and inspect all the puddles that came along on our walk. It was an afternoon filled with wonder and adventure for the young puppy. Winston is very excited to continue his Ontario Parks adventures this coming summer!”
Human: Stephanie Etherington, Market Development Specialist
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Mowgli the Aussie Doodle
“We love taking Mowgli for walks throughout Sandbanks! He’s only five months old, so the sights and smells of spring are so exciting for him to explore. This time of year is really peaceful; we feel like we have the trail all to ourselves!”
Human: Reilly Kunc, A/Assistant Superintendent at Sandbanks Provincial Park
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Winston the Australian Blue Heeler/German Shepherd and Akita the Bernese Mountain Dog
“My wife and I moved to Northwestern Ontario for work, and we both knew our furry companions would enjoy the outdoors as much as us! When our pups aren’t laying across us, they are begging to be outdoors! And after a long day, there is nothing that relaxes me more, than all of us nestled together on the couch!”
Human: Rye Witter, Assistant Park Superintendent at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
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Jasper the Husky/Lab
“Jasper loves adventuring in Ontario Parks. We live just outside of Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, so we have spent lots of time walking their trails and camping in their campground. I work at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park and Jasper has spent lots of time visiting his mom in the Northshore Cluster. He’s hiked the Casque Isle Trail and visited Rainbow Falls many times, but his favourite is falling asleep listening to the waves at the Rossport Campground in Rainbow Falls Provincial Park. Jasper says ‘I love the North shore!’”
Human: Sophia Farmer, Assistant Park Clerk at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
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Bisco and Foley
“What happens when two park rangers fall in love? They move in together and name their dogs after protected areas. This is Bisco (Biscotasi Provincial Park) and her younger sister Foley (Foley Mountain Conservation Area). Foley joined the family one week ago and had a great first visit to Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park while Bisco is an Ontario Parks superstar and has been to Lake Superior PP, Chutes PP, Ouimet Canyon PP, White Lake PP, Neys PP, Rainbow Falls PP, Sleeping Giant PP, and Kakabeka Falls PP! She’s a great camper and is going to teach her sister all the tricks this summer with camping trips already planned in Sleeping Giant PP and Neys PP. Foley says ‘read the signs and stay safe!'”
Humans: Cara Freitag, Discovery Leader at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, and Charlotte Westcott, Research and Communications Analyst
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 of 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
