Off-Leash Dogs an Ongoing Concern at Frick Park

The fur continues to fly in Frick Park between people who let their dogs off their leashes and those who want them to follow the rules.

A city ordinance requires that dogs be on leashes everywhere in the park except for a designated area behind Blue Slide playground. Frequently though, that isn’t the case, according to park user Miranda Crotsley of Swissvale, who often walks the trails with her German Short-Haired Pointer, Silas.

“A lot of dogs will be off-leash well out in front of their owners or completely out of their owner's sight, wandering up the hills and down the valleys,” said Crotsley. “The owners will say, ‘Come here, so-and-so,’ but the dog doesn’t pay any attention.”

Some dogs have acted aggressively and growled at Silas, Crotsley said. “The owner always says, ‘Don’t worry, he’s friendly,’ and when I ask them to please put their dog on a leash, they’ll look at me like I’m growing horns.”

Samantha Teixeira of Regent Square had problems with dogs running loose in the park even before she adopted Michael, a 45-pound mixed breed, a year ago.

“I go mountain-biking and when an off-leash dog comes barreling up to you, even if you presume it’s friendly, you have to stop in your tracks to avoid a collision,” she said. 

She’s had tense moments, too, walking Michael on trails. “One time, three off-leash dogs came running up to us, and the owner was on a cell phone and paying no attention,” she recalled. “They were all over my dog and I thought there was going to be a fight any minute. The woman finally got off the phone, but she didn’t apologize. She wasn’t pleasant.”  

Those annoyed by off-leash dogs say they’ve called 311, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s service center, and 911, with mixed results.  

“I’ve seen police ride through the park, warning people to get their dogs on leashes,” said Crotsley. “But as soon as they disappear, the leashes come off.” 

Calling 911 is the correct protocol, said Gerald Akrie, whose agency, Pittsburgh Animal Care & Control, is often dispatched to handle problems. Having an unleashed dog or failing to pick up its waste is a summary offense with fines starting at $100.

“We get called a lot, and it’s always been like that,” Akrie said. “We have repeat offenders who see us so often they actually know us by our names.”

Akrie said his crews occasionally have encountered hostility, but off-leash dog owners typically scatter when they see the truck. “We try to educate people,” he said. ”Even the best-trained animal is still an animal and anything can set it off, even in play. And some dogs play rough.”

Akrie said more manpower is needed to patrol the parks, a sentiment echoed by Phil Gruzska, maintenance director of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, which fields dog-related complaints, too.

“This isn’t a new issue, and the only way to resolve it is through enforcement,” he said. “We’d like to see the city hire park rangers. The idea was considered years ago but it would take some political will to make it happen.”

“There are rangers in state and national parks, so why not city parks?” he said.

Signs about city dog laws are posted at every main entrance to the park, and putting up more would amount to clutter, Gruzska said. “It’s up to every park user to know the rules.”

And that includes proper disposal of dog waste, which is a pet peeve of Ute Norman of Swisshelm Park. “It stinks when you’re walking in a public area and see a big pile of poop,” she said. “People who don’t pick up should be fined, big-time.”

She’s less bothered by off-leash dogs and admits to letting her six-year-old standard poodle, Sassy, run loose on their daily visits to the park. “I know I should leash her but I don’t,” Norman said. “She’s trained to respond to voice commands and so far, we’ve never had a confrontation, but based on stories I hear, we’ve been lucky.”

And Norman has heard plenty as co-owner of , the Regent Square pet supplies shop. Her customers are evenly divided, she said. “Even my business partner and I see it differently. wouldn’t take a dog to Frick. A lot of our clients won’t either.”

Professional dog walker Sheileen McLaughlin of Regent Square is hoping to generate a dialogue between folks on both sides of the issue. As chair of the Frick Park Working Group, an informal association of park stakeholders, McLaughlin is planning to create a website where people can work out differences, she said. “Getting cooperation is the hardest part. In 12 years of being a dog walker, my coping skills have evolved, but that’s not the same for everyone.”

“There needs to be a real change in culture and mindset for everyone to get on the same page.”

The working group has pushed for improvements to the off-leash area, including new fencing, which is slated for installation in coming months.