An animal leash has a flexible line extending from a connector that attaches to the animal. A grip handle is supported for sliding at an intermediate location along the line. The grip handle has a main body with a leash passage receiving the line therethrough and an outer surface for gripping in a hand of a user. Two cavities formed within the main body at a location between one of the major surfaces of the leash passage and the outer surface so as to define a material bridge extending radially outward from the major surface to the outer surface whereby a radially compressive force applied to the outer surface is transferred through the material bridge to the major surface of the passage so as to collapse the passage and grip the line to prevent sliding of the grip handle along the line when applying compressive force.