Park for small dogs coming to off-leash area at Hartwood Acres

A daily walk through Hartwood Acres was Allison Burgan’s therapy during covid — for herself and her doodle puppy, Scruffy.

The Indiana Township resident noticed a slew of walkers on the trails, many of whom were not making use of the park’s large off-leash space.

“Scruffy and I started recognizing people and becoming friendly. I asked people why they don’t use the dog park because, after all, it’s so big,” said Burgan, head of the park’s advocacy group, Friends of Hartwood.

Many pet owners voiced concern about mixing their small dogs with larger breeds, Burgan said.

An idea clicked.

“Why not fence off an area for the small dogs and puppies to have their own park?” she said.

This summer, the space will be reconfigured to meet the needs of all dog sizes.

Friends of Hartwood spearheaded the project, taking the request to Allegheny County Parks Department. Hartwood Acres, a 629-acre park in Indiana and Hampton townships, is owned by the county.

The cost of the project is about $30,000, county spokeswoman Abigail Gardner said.

There is no timeline for construction, but “we anticipate it will be completed this year,” she said.

Plans include modifying the existing dog park to add a section for small dogs. More trees will be planted to provide shade to both areas, according to Andrew Grobe, deputy director of recreation.

Water will be accessible in each section, Grobe said, and there will be separate entrances to each space. Plans also will address better drainage in the dog areas.

The county has been approached with the request more and more in recent years as the dog park gains popularity, Grobe said.

The project is moving forward “for the safety of the dogs and their owners,” he said.

“All of these efforts are to enhance the experience to the park-goers as well as their pets,” Grobe said. “We are excited to be in the planning stages of the improvements and look forward to making the additions to the dog park for people to enjoy.”