Dogs at Larz Anderson Park

Dogs are allowed at Larz Anderson Park on a leash no longer than 7 feet. Dogs registered in Brookline's Green Dog program may also run off leash on the top of the hill, Avon Street side only, from dawn to 1:00 pm March through November and dawn to dusk December through February. No dog, leashed or not, may go into the children's play area, the pond, the garden area, or the BBQ sites and shelter. Owners must pick up after their dogs everywhere in the park.

The Leash Rule

Brookline's park rules make it an offense to have a dog off leash, or on a leash longer than 7 feet, anywhere except an off-leash area the Park and Recreation Commission has set up under the Green Dog program. The same rules require owners to pick up after their dogs, and they keep dogs off playgrounds, water play areas, synthetic turf fields, tennis and basketball courts, conservation areas and passive parks where posted. Brookline Police and Animal Control enforce them.

Green Dog Off-Leash Area at Larz

Larz Anderson Park is one of 14 Brookline off-leash areas. The Town's listing is specific: the top of the hill area, Avon Street side only. Everywhere else in the park dogs must be leashed, and the children's play area, pond, garden area and BBQ sites and shelter are off limits to dogs altogether. The Town publishes a Green Dog park map, and the Green Dog logo is displayed at participating parks.

• March through November: dawn to 1:00 pm
• December through February: dawn to dusk
• Dogs are kept off fields while the ground thaws, generally all of March. Obey Field Closed signs.
• Off-leash hours can be suspended for permitted activities, such as a school group or a game.

Larz, the Brookline Avenue Playground and Harry Downes Field are the parks the Town lists with all-day (dawn to dusk) off-leash time from December through February. Hours and the list of parks are on the Town's off-leash hours page.

How to Join Green Dog

Off-leash privileges are for dogs registered in the Green Dog program, which requires a current dog license and a program fee. The Town handles registration and renewals through its Green Dog page, and its FAQ covers visitors' dogs and dog walkers with clients. Questions go to the Parks and Open Space Division at 617-879-5650 or greendog@brooklinema.gov.

Is the Field Open Today?

The Town closes off-leash fields when they are wet or booked. Call the Green Dog hotline, 617-879-4850, any time of day, or check the field-closure calendar on the Town's Green Dog page before you drive over.

Where Dogs Can't Go

• The enclosed children's play area.
• The pond (the lagoon), including wading in it.
• The community garden area.
• The BBQ sites and the picnic shelter.
• Inside the auto museum, unless it is a service dog.

Dogs at Car Shows

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum calls its lawn events dog friendly: dogs are welcome as long as they stay on a leash the whole time, and owners clean up after them. Only service dogs may go inside the museum building. See lawn events.

Reporting a Problem

To report an aggressive dog or an off-leash violation, the Town asks you to call Brookline Police / Animal Control at 617-730-2222. Violators face incremental fines, removal from the off-leash area, and suspension or loss of off-leash privileges, and the Park and Recreation Commission can close or shrink an off-leash area for damage, safety or rule-breaking.