Pittsburgh Dog Parks Get Good Marks In New Study

PITTSBURGH, PA — When it comes to the quality of city dog parks, canines have nothing to growl about.

A new LawnStarter study found that Pittsburgh ranked near the top third of 97 cities analyzed according to the number of a city's dog parks per 100,000 residents; average rating for dog parks; average monthly rain; average monthly percentage of sunshine; and average number of very cold and very hot days.

Of the 97 cities, Pittsburgh ranked 33rd overall. Because sunshine, temperature and precipitation levels weigh so highly as determining factors, it's no surprise that the top 10 dog park cities are dominated by warm weather metropolitan areas:

1. San Francisco, CA

2. Oakland, CA

3. Portland, OR

4. Boise, ID

5. Fremont, CA

6. Henderson, NV

7. Norfolk, VA

8. Long Beach, CA

9. Chula Vista, CA

10. Tampa, FL

Still, Pittsburgh's high ranking despite its weather conditions is good news for pooches who patronize the following off-leash areas within city limits that are open year-round:

• Allegheny Commons Park (West Commons), Central North Side
• Bernard Dog Run, Lawrenceville
• Downtown
• Frick Park, Squirrel Hill
• Olympia Park, Mt. Washington
• Riverfront Park, South Side
• Riverview Park, Perry North

Many suburban communities have quality dog parks. Cranberry recently announced plans to expand its dog park to 3.7 acres.

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