San Antonio animal care services launches artificial intelligence study to track roaming dogs

San Antonio Animal Care Services is turning to artificial intelligence to track roaming dogs across local neighborhoods and measure the effectiveness of current interventions. The city launched a $99,000 study utilizing specialized computer vision software developed by the local Southwest Research Institute.

Roaming animals that typically have owners but are allowed to run loose remain an ongoing challenge in the community. City leaders increased fines for roaming dogs in 2024 following two fatal canine attacks, prompting a push for more advanced monitoring methods to protect residents.

The software is designed to automatically detect and highlight loose dogs in fenced driveways and public spaces using imagery collected from mobile cameras. This technology gives animal services personnel a clearer and more objective picture of population density and distribution trends across different council districts.

Animal Care Services leaders said that early indicators suggest the city is turning a corner in addressing the loose dog population. Despite these positive trends, reliable data collection remains necessary to evaluate ongoing field operations and target high-risk zones effectively without relying solely on citizen complaints.

The pilot study will help agency leadership measure the true impact of current policies, educational outreach, and enforcement actions. Field teams intend to use the software analytics to adjust daily patrol routes and response priorities as the evaluation progresses through the winter.

City officials plan to review the data gathered through the research institute software once the project reaches its next reporting phase next year. The final findings will directly guide future resource allocations and staffing levels for animal control operations across the municipality.

The agency continues to urge residents to report loose animals directly while the technological assessment moves forward.