Dogs now welcome in 3 Quebec provincial parks

Starting today, dogs will be allowed on certain hiking trails and camping sites in Frontenac, Jacques-Cartier and Oka provincial parks.

The dogs must be on a leashand certain areas will still be off-limits.

The three-year pilot project by SEPAQ, Quebec's provincial parks agency,is a tentative first step to open them upto dog owners, who until nowwere unable to visit with their pets.

The parks are home to a wide range of wildlife, including moose, deer, black bears and a variety of birds.

During the test period, a team of scientists will keep an eye on how the presence of dogs affects everything from the number of birdsto the spread of disease andwildlife deaths in the park,Raphael Goulet, a conservation and education officer at Parc national d'Oka, said earlier this year.

A decision will then be made whether to continue the program, extend it to other parks or cancel it altogether.