SF looks to strengthen dog safety protocols following brutal Tenderloin pit bull attack
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A week after a woman was severely attacked by a pit bull in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, a city supervisor is proposing changes aimed at improving dog safety and accountability.
The attack occurred near a permanent supportive housing complex. Authorities have not located the dog's owner, and no one has been held accountable in the case.
According to a friend, the woman was walking the dog as a favor when it charged at her minutes later. Witnesses said the pit bull attacked her for 10 to 15 minutes before police arrived. Her friend said she can currently use only one arm because of the severity of her injuries.
The incident has renewed concerns about dog attacks in the Tenderloin and across San Francisco.
"The city cannot allow people to be on the sidewalk with their dogs just running wild. I think that police have felt like it's too small of a thing to do. It has to become a priority," said Randy Shaw of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic.
VIDEO: Woman with life-threatening injuries after Tenderloin dog attack; dog dead: SFPD
According to the San Francisco City Administrator's Office, there were 926 dog bites in 2025. ABC7's data team found dog attacks in the Tenderloin have doubled over the last three years compared with other city neighborhoods.
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said many dog-related incidents appear to be concentrated around specific locations.
"What we are finding is that a lot of these incidents tend to be concentrated around shelter, permanent supportive housing," Mahmood said.
Mahmood introduced a resolution that would strengthen dog safety protocols with assistance from city housing providers.
"They have to collect the registration of vaccination records of all the dogs in the building, and we have to know which dogs are there to encourage there is going to be potential accountability and when dog incidents happen, they have to be reported as soon as possible to PD and to the vicious and dog unit," Mahmood said.
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The proposal also seeks to address a backlog in the city's Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit, which is responsible for investigating cases and holding owners accountable.
"The resolution is calling for sustained funding, so we don't move backwards and reduce those hearings again," Mahmood said.
When asked when the city last held a hearing related to a vicious dog attack, Mahmood said, "It was over a year ago so there is a massive backlog in dog incident that have not being held accountable so if there is not accountability, we can't get those dogs off the streets."
Mahmood said the backlog means hundreds of cases have not resulted in accountability proceedings since last year.
San Francisco police officer Robert Rueca declined to comment on whether the issue was related to funding.
Regarding the lack of hearings, Rueca said: "There haven't been any hearings for the vicious and dangerous dogs however they will resume in October and continue on a regular basis."
A source confirmed the dog involved in the attack was off leash and unneutered. It is illegal for a dog to be unneutered in San Francisco.
Officer Rueca said authorities have the power to take action when dogs pose a threat to public safety.
"If the dog is not in control and is posing a hazard to public safety such vicious or dangerous status of that dog showing the potential of biting someone or another dog or having bitten another dog then we act and we have the authority to impound that dog," he said.
Mahmood's resolution is scheduled to go before the Board of Supervisors for a vote next week.
