A loose dogs sunbathes outside a San Antonio home. Credit: San Antonio Current Staff

San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) is teaming up with Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to find out just how many dogs are roaming the city streets.

Starting this month, ACS will use advanced machine vision technology developed and tested at SwRI to document how many unrestrained canines are loose across 32 study areas in San Antonio. The analysis will make use of sampling technology, including smartphone cameras and other automated equipment, city officials said.

The effort builds on a 2019 ACS study, which counted 34,636 roaming dogs citywide.

Roaming dogs differ from stray dogs in that they have a home, but their owners allow them to wander the streets during the day. The problem is most common on the South and West Sides, ACS officials previously said.

Following the mauling of Air Force Veteran Ramon Najera Jr., an incident that made national headlines, City Council in 2024 unanimously passed a resolution that increased fines for owners of roaming dogs and mandated that loose dogs picked up by the city be neutered at the owners’ expense.

“This study gives us another tool to better understand where we are seeing unrestrained dogs while also supporting our broader work to protect the health and safety of people and pets in San Antonio,” ACS director Jon Gary said in a statement. “Ultimately, this study and the data we get from it will help promote responsible pet care and strengthen community connection.”

The collaborative analysis by ACS and SwRI is expected to wrap up by December.

Although the project makes use of advanced technology, it’s not intended to count every unrestrained dog in San Antonio or produce a citywide census, ACS officials said. Instead, surveying the same areas as the 2019 study will give the city updated information where unrestrained dogs have historically been spotted.

“We are excited to test this technology and help the City of San Antonio apply real-world solutions to an issue affecting many residents,” Mike Koets, a staff engineer in SwRI’s Intelligent Systems Division, said in a statement.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...