For dogs and dog lovers, Allegheny County's new leash-free dog park is almost heaven.

All dogs large and small run free and frolic in a large area that is surrounded by a very high, very sturdy chain link fence.

On a recent Friday, from 6 to 8 p.m., I saw at least 60 dogs at a time in there and probably twice as many people, which is pretty astounding because the dog park opened with no fanfare, no announcements and no signs telling people how to get there.

The dog park is within South Park on Maple Springs Drive, just off Corrigan Drive, which is the park's main drag. When leaves start falling off the trees, you'll be able to see the dog park from Corrigan.

When did the dog park open? Four to six weeks ago, according to the regulars who stumbled onto it while leash-walking their dogs on Corrigan Drive.

"I heard about it from other dog walkers," said Emily Little, 23, of Mt. Lebanon, who was there with her brother, Danny, 16, and their dog, Max, a blue-eyed, long-legged St. Bernard mix who is not quite 1 year old. Max was running vigorously in the area, which appears to be at least two acres.

Word of mouth has steadily boosted attendance at the facility, which is especially popular on weekends and after 5 p.m on work and school nights.

"I've counted 85 dogs at times," said Bart Bartolotta, of Pleasant Hills, who regularly brings Allie, 3, a golden retriever-Labrador retriever mix. Bartolotta knows some of the dogs and their people by name. "I ran into Vince Gastgeb just the other day, and I thanked him for doing this."

Gastgeb is the District 5 county councilman whose territory includes the South Hills. He's made South Park one of his priorities.

He said he'd had nothing but positive feedback on the leash-free area.

"It's something I personally wanted. It's been in the park's master plan for some time. I appropriated money two years ago. We haven't even had a grand opening yet. We'll continue to invest in the park," he said, noting that other improvements are planned, including construction of a skateboard park. Leash-free dog areas also are planned for North Park and Boyce Park.

"Another nice touch is the picnic tables and chairs" that were put in to accommodate dog owners, he pointed out.

The only drawback I could see was that people who used to exercise themselves while leash-walking their dogs are now sitting or standing around while the dogs exercise.

The chain link fence is at least 6 feet tall, and there are two double gates for going into and out of the dog park. This drastically reduces the chances of dogs darting out into the park. You open the first gate and you're in a kind of cage. You have to take several steps to get to the second gate.

On the two visits I made to the park, even small children were closing the gates behind them.

There's a garbage can for dog-dropping deposits, and a plastic bag dispenser for dog owners who forget to bring their pick-up bags.

The dog park even has dog-friendly water fountains. One is the usual height while the second is at ground-level. Veronica, a five-pound miniature dachshund puppy, was able to drink from it.

Veronica, sometimes called "Weenie" by her owners, was a hoot to watch. She fearlessly mixed and mingled with even the biggest dogs.

"It takes us about 30 minutes to get here but it is so worth it because Veronica has so much fun," said Georgia Wheeler, of Green Tree.

Dog owners are being very responsible about supervising their pets, according to Wheeler and others I talked to. Owners are not bringing aggressive dogs to the park, and they're making sure their big dogs aren't beating up on little dogs like Veronica/Weenie.

"If my big dog stepped on her, he could break her back," said Mark Wollenweber, of Venetia, who was in the park with a big Rottweiler named Tilo and a Rottie-Labrador retriever mix named Marshall.

Wollenweber supervised his dogs while Veronica sprawled on her back in front of them, all but inviting a wrestling match. While the younger Marshall ran around and played, the quiet, gentle Tilo mostly visited with people.

The Animal Friends shelter is holding a low-cost rabies inoculation clinic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Millvale Recreation Center, Lincoln Avenue. The shots are $8, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Dogs must be on leashes and cats in cages.

State law requires rabies inoculations for pets 3 months and older.