Dogs will have their day in their own park in Penn Hills as early as this summer.

Work has begun to clear a wooded area above Jefferson Road to make room for the 0.6-acre dog park, said Terry Van Horne, municipal manager.

The facility at the old Jefferson Road park site should be ready for dog owners and their furry companions in mid- to late August, Van Horne said.

The municipality has a budget of $40,000 for the dog park, but Van Horne said he is cautiously optimistic that more grant money could be obtained to double the funding.

He said more funding is needed to make the park larger and provide more parking.

Most of the dog park expenses will be covered by grant money from Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Van Horne said.

Councilwoman Sara Kuhn said she is grateful for the grant state Rep. Anthony DeLuca Sr. obtained for the dog park because the municipality received requests from residents for a dog park.

The addition of a dog park is included in a draft of the upcoming municipal comprehensive plan.

The municipality will advertise in early summer for bids to construct the park, Van Horne said.

The park, open to Penn Hills residents and others who want to use the park, will be accessible via a road near Jefferson Road's intersection with Jefferson Heights Road.

The dog park will be the second addition to the municipal park system since Penn Hills opened a skatepark at Duff Park in October 2006.

Dogs are welcome in the municipality's parks as long as they stay on leashes and their owners clean up after them.

The closest dog park to Penn Hills is in Monroeville, which opened its park five years ago.