The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) is exploring temporary, fenced Dogs Off-Leash Areas (DOLAs). These projects will help PARD to understand the benefits and drawbacks of a DOLA within identified parks. PARD monitors the use of this DOLA and collects community feedback. The pilot programs at Circle C Ranch Metropolitan Park and Longiview Neighborhood Park have concluded. City Council Districts 5, 8

Updates

  • Pilot DOLAs at Circle C and Longview Parks closed June 3. Thank you for your participation and sharing of input in this process. The pilot off-leash area fences have been removed, and the feedback survey closed June 9. These parks will no longer have designated off-leash areas and will return to all pets on leash according to City Code.
  • Pilot DOLA Survey: Began February 4, closed June 9.
  • Little Zilker Neighborhood Park Pilot DOLA Final Report (PDF) is now available. 

Background

By City Code, it is illegal to have dogs off-leash in public unless in a designated off-leash area. Dog Off-Leash Areas (DOLAs) provide safe spaces for dogs to play and run free. Fenced DOLAs can help to reduce conflicts between dogs and other park users. The park pilots below are locations without a designated DOLAS but have been frequently used by owners as off-leash areas.

Project Description

Due to the high rates of non-compliance with the leash ordinance and conflicts with other park users at these locations, the Parks and Recreation Department identified areas to be temporary DOLAs.

Objectives

The Pilot DOLAs aim to provide space for dog owners to take their pets to be off-leash that does not create additional conflict with other park users. The Department will explore information around the following objectives:

  • Reduce the frequency of off-leash dogs in the park outside of the designated area;
  • Provide a space for dog owners to take their pets off-leash without creating conflict with other park users;
  • Encourage compliance with city ordinance;
  • Explore community sentiment of the off-leash area in the park;
  • Evaluate maintenance needs and ongoing expenses; and
  • Assess environmental impact.

Since these pilot projects are temporary, dog owners should be aware that water will not be available, owners are still expected to clean any dog waste for the health of the community, and any off-leash dogs outside of the designated area violates city ordinance.

Circle C Ranch Metropolitan Park Off-Leash Area Pilot
Overhead image of Circle C Metropolitan Park with outline of Pilot DOLA near Donald E Carpenter Way, West Slaughter Lane, and the Park Trail

Location Selection

The Parks and Recreation Department considered possible locations in the park. However, the location selected was determined to be the least impactful on current park uses with minimal ecological impact.

Anticipated Schedule

  • February 2025: Install temporary DOLA and open community survey (ongoing)
  • June 3, 2025: Remove temporary DOLA and close community survey
  • Summer 2025: Publish monitoring and survey results

Community Engagement

Community members are invited to share their feedback and thoughts about the pilot DOLA:

Circle C Ranch Pilot DOLA Community Survey (February 4 to June 9, 2025)

You can also report any dogs off-leash to Austin 311.

Results of the pilot project will be shared publicly. Future decisions about a dog off-leash area will consider this input before taking additional steps.

Longview Neighborhood Park Off-Leash Area Pilot

Please note: Dogs on- or off-leash are not allowed in preserve areas for the health of these areas.

Overhead image of Longview Neighborhood Park with a red rectangle where the perimeter of the DOLA is near Longview Road

Location Selection

The Parks and Recreation Department considered possible locations in the park. However, the location selected was determined to be the least impactful on current park uses with minimal ecological impact.

Anticipated Schedule

  • February 2025: Install temporary DOLA and open community survey (ongoing)
  • June 3, 2025: Remove temporary DOLA and close community survey
  • Summer 2025: Publish monitoring and survey results

Community Engagement

Community members around Longview Neighborhood Park are invited to share their feedback and thoughts about the pilot DOLA:

Longview Pilot DOLA Community Survey (February 4 to June 9, 2025)

You can also report any dogs off-leash to Austin 311.

Results of the pilot project will be shared publicly. Future decisions about a dog off-leash area will consider this input before taking additional steps.

Little Zilker Neighborhood Park Off-Leash Area
  • Little Zilker DOLA Pilot ended Friday, December 6. Visitors to all areas of the park are required to have dogs on a leash per city code. 

Overhead image of Little Zilker Park showing outline of Pilot Off-Leash area near tennis courts within walking trail

The Pilot DOLA at Little Zilker Neighborhood Park was the first off-leash area to be considered in a neighborhood park. The Pilot Program ran from October 2023 to December 2024. The Parks and Recreation Department is currently reviewing the comments received to make a decision about moving forward.

Little Zilker Neighborhood Park Pilot DOLA Final Report (PDF)

Location Selection

The Parks and Recreation Department considered possible locations in the park. However, the location selected was determined to be the least impactful on current park uses with minimal ecological impact.

Review the location options here (PDF, 4.8MB).

Anticipated Schedule

  • Fall 2023: Install temporary DOLA and open community survey
  • December 2024: Remove temporary DOLA and close community survey
  • Winter 2024: Publish monitoring and survey results

Community Engagement

Community Survey Results

You can report any dogs off-leash to Austin 311.

Decision Criteria

When deciding next steps and where to commit resources to permanent DOLAs, the Department weighs the following considerations and tradeoffs:

  • “Our Parks, Our Future” Parks and Recreation Department Long Range Plan 2020-2030 (LRP): Goal 6 of the LRP aims to “provide dedicated off-leash dog areas in appropriate locations to ensure both dog-owners and non-dog-owners can enjoy parks” (p. 94). Considerations include:
    • 6.1: Ensure Equitable distribution of off-leash areas throughout the city.
    • 6.2: Refrain from placing off-leash areas in existing neighborhood parks with space constraints.
    • 6.3: Create a set of standards for off-leash dog areas.
  • Department Guidelines: The Department maintains guidelines on planning for DOLAs (see Dog Off-Leash Area Guidelines (PDF)). These are a set of standards that the Department considers for all DOLAs, including site criteria that considers environmental factors.
  • Community Support: Moving forward with a DOLA should consider representative input from community members impacted by the addition of a DOLA, including dog-owners and non-dog-owners who live within the service area of the park.
  • Impact on change of use for proposed DOLA location: The decision to permanently shift a park space to a DOLA will consider existing recreational uses and amenities near DOLA and uses before temporary DOLA.
  • Priorities and Cost Analysis: PARD will evaluate the costs and required resources for the development of a permanent DOLA against budget constraints and established prioritization criteria. Available budget for a proposed DOLA will also be considered for required infrastructure (e.g., fence, shade, water, benches, etc.) and specialized maintenance.

Funding and Resources

The pilot projects are funded by the Parks and Recreation Department general fund.

Contact Information

For more information, please email dola@austintexas.gov. 

Related Links
Off-Leash Areas
Our Parks, Our Future Long Range Plan