SF Official Pushes Return of 'Dog Court'

San Francisco Supervisor Stephen Sherrill wants the city to restart its “dog court” after dog-bite reports rose again last year. (abc7news.com) ABC7 reported April 24 that San Francisco Animal Care and Control logged 926 dog bites in 2025, up from 868 in 2024. Sherrill said the city has left a hearing-officer post unfilled for nearly a year. (abc7news.com) Without those hearings, the San Francisco Police Department’s Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit can still investigate bites, but orders such as muzzling, obedience training, or euthanasia can stall. (abc7news.com) (media.api.sf.gov) The immediate fight is over staffing and backlog, not whether bite complaints exist. SFist reported 61 cases were still waiting for hearings as of April 24. (sfist.com) Sherrill brought the issue to the Board of Supervisors last week and said the hiring question should come up in May. The board’s April 21 minutes show he raised the matter during a regular meeting. (abc7news.com) (sf.gov) A board hearing has already been introduced. City records show Sherrill, Bilal Mahmood, and Rafael Mandelman sponsored an inquiry into hiring a hearing officer, restarting proceedings, clearing the backlog, and adding behavioral-course requirements. (sf.gov) San Francisco’s rules already contemplate a formal hearing process for “vicious and dangerous dog” cases. A Police Commission redline says a hearing can be requested by a victim, owner, police officer, animal control officer, or public health representative. (media.api.sf.gov) The broader city structure is split. The Commission of Animal Control and Welfare can hold hearings and make recommendations, while police and animal-control agencies handle investigations and enforcement under the health code. (sf.gov) (media.api.sf.gov) That leaves San Francisco with a simple problem: more reported bites, an empty hearing seat, and owners waiting for a system the city already has on paper. (abc7news.com) (media.api.sf.gov)