City living prompts more pets Downtown

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - November 6, 2011
By Anya Sostek

They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But 7-year-old Albus has learned a thing or two since moving Downtown.

Albus, a cockapoo who lives with owner Melissa Dougherty in the Penn Garrison building, can now behave himself in crowds, do his business on gravel instead of grass and begrudgingly give up a chicken bone.

Dogs like Albus are an increasing presence Downtown, with pet owners flocking to numerous new apartment and condominium buildings. In major cities like New York or Boston, with a long history of urban residents, a dog population is nothing to shake a stick at. But in Pittsburgh, where even two-legged creatures living Downtown is a relatively new phenomenon, so are their canine companions.

"The dogs are a sign that there's a neighborhood Downtown," said Stephan Bontrager, director of communications for Riverlife, a nonprofit that oversees development of the riverfront park system. "They create a sense of people really getting out and making their presence known."

Nearly 20 dogs just had their own Halloween party -- complete with costumes such as Dracula, a cat and a Steelers cheerleader -- in the Gateway Towers condominium. Dog walkers are now in demand Downtown. And a group of residents has been working for the better part of a year to get a fenced off-leash dog park in Point State Park.

Read more...