SF's Stalled "Dog Court" Gets a Restart Date as Bite Cases Pile Up

The San Francisco Government Audit & Oversight Committee spent the bulk of its May 21 meeting drilling into a public safety gap hiding in plain sight: for nearly a year, the city has had no process to adjudicate vicious and dangerous dog cases, leaving dozens of bite victims and dog owners without recourse. The mayor's office promised a July restart, but supervisors pressed hard on whether the fix is durable — and whether hearings alone are enough.

• 66 dangerous-dog cases backlogged after nearly a year without hearings; mayor's office commits to July restart with a new hearing officer

• Over 1,000 dog bites reported since July 2025, with the Tenderloin accounting for more than a quarter of incidents

• Public Works gains drone and camera powers to catch and fine illegal dumpers $1,000 per incident, with plans to publicly shame violators

• Seven city settlement items forwarded to the full board without discussion

The basics: San Francisco's vicious and dangerous dog hearing process — sometimes called "dog court" — is the legal mechanism the city uses to hold owners of dangerous dogs accountable. Because dogs are legally property, the city cannot restrict or remove a dangerous animal without a formal adjudication. The Department of Police Accountability took over the hearing officer role in 2018 after a civil grand jury found inconsistencies in the prior system.