The City of San Antonio is counting loose dogs for the first time since 2019 as city records show a rise in reported severe bites.
The earlier study estimated that more than 34,600 dogs roamed the city at any given time, and that 80% to 90% had owners. Now Southwest Research Institute is conducting a new loose dog survey for the city using AI and video cameras mounted on cars driving across city neighborhoods. Fieldwork for the count is expected to continue through December.
Local public safety advocate Tracy Voss says San Antonio has seen too many fatal dog attacks. She argues that the city gives too much weight to keeping shelter animals alive and too little to protecting residents from dangerous dogs. In 2023, loose dogs with owners killed Ramon Najera, 81, and fatally injured Paul Anthony Striegl, 47, in separate attacks. Striegl was attacked in his own backyard.
The city council responded to the deadly dog attacks by promising to increase enforcement against the owners of loose dogs and picking up stray dogs. Loose dogs are canines with owners but are allowed to roam. Stray dogs have no owners.
The council raised the department’s fiscal 2024 budget to $28.5 million, a 33% increase, and funded 29 new positions. Those included seven positions for bite investigations and dangerous-dog enforcement and eight to respond to critical calls.
In December 2024, city council raised fines for repeat violations and set a $1,000 minimum fine for a first offense when an owner fails to prevent an unprovoked bite. It also authorized Animal Care Services to spay or neuter impounded roaming pets before returning them to their owners.
Since the new measures were adopted official statistics from Animal Care Services given to City County on Oct. 20 indicate a slight reduction of dog attacks in the city.
In fiscal year 2025 Animal Care Services recorded 3,407 “Aggressive Critical Calls for Service Received” compared to 3,425 in 2024 and 4,016 in 2023.
Also, a grim indicator of how many loose dogs in are in San Antonio is also trending lower, the number of “Deceased Dog Pick-up Calls for Service.” In FY 2025 the number fell to its lowest in 10 years: 5,332.
However, the San Antonio compared to Dallas and Houston tracked many more dog bite investigations. San Antonio charted 3,801, Dallas 1,704 and Houston 1,073.
Simultaneously, San Antonio is issuing considerably more dog related citations. San Antonio issued 11,297. Dallas had 3,497, and Houston had 2,218.
The municipal shelter reported an 87.1% live-release rate for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Which is a 1% improvement from the previous year.
“We did see about a 10% decreased in the number of animals euthanized” ACS director Jon Gary told the City Council public safety committee on Oct. 20, with a total number of 3,398.
The city also administered 19,629 spayed and neuter surgeries last fiscal year.
“San Antonio performed more spay and neuter surgeries than anywhere else in the country. I’m pretty proud of that number,” Gary said. That number climbs to 40,766 when the surgeries of contract and partner organizations are added.
Spay and neuter surgeries help reduce pet overpopulation, improve animal health, and support a safer, healthier community.
Guest:
Tracy Voss is the executive director of the San Antonio Coalition for Humane Prevention and Public Safety.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982.
During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will be recorded live Monday, November 9, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
