Dogs finally allowed in some parks in Montreal's Saint-Léonard borough this summer

Tony Filato has been taking walks in the park across the street from his home in Montreal's Saint-Léonard borough for years.

Until now, he has never been allowed to bring his dog Winnie.

"My wife and I are really happy," said Filato. "Now we can go with the whole family in the park."

The decision to allow leashed dogs in some of the parks that Filato describes as the most beautiful on Montreal island comes after more than 2,500 people signed a petition calling on the borough to end its ban on dogs in parks.

Starting July 1, leashed dogs can be walked in 10 of the borough's parks.

In a news release last month, Coun. Suzanne De Larochellière, who is responsible for public security, says the summer-long pilot project, "will be the best tool for our citizens to form an opinion on this new co-habitation."

As in most Montreal parks, dog owners are expected to clean up after their dog and to keep their pet leashed and under control at all times. The borough published a lengthy list of rules dog owners are expected to follow on its website (in French only), including yielding the right of way to people who appear scared of dogs and to children.

Dogs must have an up-to-date licence, and owners may not use choke or pronged collars nor allow their pet to slurp water from a drinking fountain.

The parks where dogs are allowed on trails include:

• Giuseppe-Garibaldi.
•  Hébert.
•  Ladauversière.
•  Coubertin.
•  Delorme.
•  Ermanno-La Riccia.
•  Ferland. 
•  Luigi-Pirandello.
•  Pie-XII.
•  Wilfrid-Bastien.

"As already stipulated in the city of Montreal by-law, dogs are prohibited from playgrounds and sports fields, including bocce courts, in each of these parks," the borough's news release states.

To enforce the laundry list of rules, the borough has inspectors and a canine brigade out in force. At the same time, police cadets and private security agents will be out until the fall, working to raise awareness, the borough says. 

It was actually Filato's daughter who launched the initial petition a couple months ago. A former city councillor, Rosannie Filato said at the time that it "is completely absurd that citizens in Saint-Léonard have to take their cars" to bring their pets to parks in other boroughs.

Now that dogs are allowed, Rosannie Filato said things are quickly changing.

"We see families next to the baseball field with their dogs. They're able to watch their brother, their sister playing. I've seen elderly couples overjoyed who actually come to see me and say, 'Thank you so much. We finally can walk our dogs in a park,'" she said.

Dog owner Nancy Rebelo said she's happy her pup has more freedom, but staying on trail is still limiting.

"We were kind of disappointed because obviously with the kids there is tons of green spaces in Saint-Léo in terms of our parks being large, and we would kind of like to lounge on the grass with our animals," she said.

The borough said it plans to hold consultations with park users and residents to evaluate the project's success after the summer.