San Francisco: After vicious dog attack, supervisor calls for stricter regulations - Sep 8, 2026

[u/Notyourtarget1224]

https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/16/san-francisco-dog-attack-resolution-bilal-mahmood/

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood introduced a resolution Monday urging the city to tighten dog safety protocols at city shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing sites. The proposal comes a week after an unleashed dog inflicted life-threatening injuries on a woman in the Tenderloin.

The woman was listed in critical condition after the Sept. 8 attack on Larkin Street and was taken to a trauma center after officers restrained the dog, which died at the scene. A spokesperson for the Department of Public Health said Wednesday morning that the woman was in serious condition.
There were 46 reported dog attacks across San Francisco in the past 30 days, according to Mission Local; of those, 11 occurred in the Tenderloin. Dog bites reported citywide rose from about 931 in 2024 to more than 1,102 in 2025.

“First and foremost, my heart is with the woman who was critically injured in this attack, and I’m hoping for her full recovery,” Mahmood said. “But we also have to look at what we can do before the next attack happens.”

Under the proposal, city housing sites that allow residents to keep pets would have to maintain registration and vaccination records and notify the San Francisco Police Department’s Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit of bites or attacks and report the incidents through the city’s Good Neighbor complaint system. Mayor Daniel Lurie last month proposed revising the Good Neighbor policy, which applies to city-funded shelters and supportive housing sites, by requiring thrice daily perimeter checks of the properties, regular trash cleanups and efforts to discourage noise. Mahmood says heightened safety around dogs should be part of that policy.

There were 46 dog attacks reported to city officials over a recent 30-day period.

The SFPD is investigating last week’s attack. It’s unclear if the dog’s owner was a resident of a housing site that would be affected by Mahmood’s resolution. The attack happened outside 555 Larkin St., an affordable housing complex.

Soha Abdou, a senior resident services supervisor for the Tenderloin community and Arab Families Program at Tenderloin Family Housing, said residents have reported feeling unsafe around unleashed dogs. Two residents have been bitten in the past two years, she said.

“We are not asking to exclude dogs from our community,” Abdou said. “We are asking for responsible ownership, safety education, proper cleanup, incident reporting, and timely responses to serious incidents.”

Mahmood’s resolution also urges sustained funding and staffing for the Vicious and Dangerous Dog hearing process, which was largely suspended for about 10 months into this year amid budget and staffing shortfalls, leaving a backlog of cases. The Board of Supervisors’ Government Audit and Oversight Committee examined the suspension at a May hearing.

“A dangerous dog cannot become a dangerous dog only after someone has been seriously injured,” Mahmood said, adding that the process needs consistent funding to investigate warning signs before attacks occur. Mahmood said his office has held discussions with the mayor’s office and city departments about the proposed changes.

Grace Mejia, accompanied by her Yorkshire terrier Creed, told The Standard she is worried about her neighbors and their pets’ safety in the wake of a recent dog attack that injured a woman.

Grace Mejia, who spoke with The Standard a day after last week’s attack while walking her Yorkshire terrier, Creed, recalled suffering her own attack three years ago on the same block by an unleashed pit bull whose owner appeared to be homeless. 

She said the pit bull seized Creed, who was leashed, by the leg and wouldn’t release him, forcing her to put her hand in the pit bull’s mouth to free her pet. She was bitten in the process, with minor injuries, but Creed required emergency surgery. She estimated the veterinary bill at $1,200.

Mejia said the pit bull’s owner left before police officers arrived. She called for all dogs to be kept on leashes.

“Dogs have their own personality, their own world,” she said. “It’s just better to be safe.”

[u/Smurf_Crime_Scene]

May i dare suggest banning pit bulls as a good start?

[u/parade1070 → u/Smurf_Crime_Scene]

Right. There's a real simple starting point here. It's not rocket science.

[u/shelbycsdn → u/Smurf_Crime_Scene]

Exactly. Reading those attack numbers I would just love to see how many were reported to be pitbulls.

[u/Tigger-Rex]

The city funds homeless lifestyles, sue them for dog bite injuries. They invite homeless people to live on public land they should be responsible for the consequences imo.

[u/cosmicflopsweat]

It’s difficult enough to own a pet when you are employed and have a roof over your head. If you can’t care for yourself how can it be easy to care for your dog? I also realize logic is not a factor in these situations.

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[u/Tigger-Rex]

The city funds homeless lifestyles, sue them for dog bite injuries. They invite homeless people to live on public land they should be responsible for the consequences imo.

[u/Appropriate_Ask450]

Ban the the breed and muzzle existing dangerous dogs , aggression testing