Tired of ‘Entitled’ Dog Owners, Neighbor Launches Dog-Tracking Website

Dogs are beloved companions for many people. But there are places where they aren’t allowed under San Francisco Park Code and Health Code, such as Jackson Playground’s athletic fields. Despite the canine prohibition, non-service animals often run amok in the park, as well as in other open spaces throughout San Francisco. 

One Potrero Hill resident, who wishes to be known as “Sean,” had enough. Earlier this year he launched a website, https://sfdogtracker.com/, to enable people to report errant canines.

“Dogs being in places they shouldn’t be has been bothering me for a long time,” he said. “I’m a dog owner myself, I love dogs, but there’s a lot of dog entitlement and people thinking they don’t have to follow the rules.”

Dogs can damage turf, increasing maintenance costs. Off-leash canines frighten some people, who may be allergic to dog skin or saliva, or worry that their children might get injured by a misbehaving animal. Exposure to dog allergens can make it difficult to breathe in up to one-third of asthma sufferers. 

“I saw on Reddit that other people are sick of it, too,” Sean said. “There’s a need to reinforce the rules, but I can’t do that, so I decided to show the City how large this problem is.”

Sean invested more than $200 to create SF Dog Tracker, including a website and posters with QR codes to let people know about it. 

“I got some of my frustration out because I wanted to do something about the problem of dog owners not following the rules,” he said.

SF Dog Tracker lists eight parks where dogs are banned in certain areas, two of which are in the View’s readership area: Jackson Playground and Bayfront Park in Mission Bay. Anyone can submit a dog sighting to the website. All data is anonymous; there are no user accounts or cookies collected. That also means multiple users can report the same animal, inflating overall numbers. 

Since it was launched in February, 1,710 dogs have been identified as improperly off leash, though again, the same canine may be reported multiple times. At Jackson Playground, there’s been 924 reports; at Bayfront Park, 180.

Periodically, Sean sends the data to the general email boxes at San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) and the Mayor’s office.

“We need more City enforcement of these rules,” Sean said. “Why do they exist if they’re not enforced? And I understand there are bigger issues the City needs to deal with but just because bigger issues exist doesn’t mean they should ignore the smaller issues.”

“A far more efficient way to communicate with us about a problem at a park, including an unleashed dog in a leash-only area, is by contacting our rangers at 415-242-6390,” said RPD Communications Manager Daniel Montes, who wasn’t aware of the website until the View contacted him. “We find most people want to do the right thing, so our rangers lead with education and outreach. However, we do issue citations when appropriate. Another option would be to call 311.”

Neighborhood response to SF Dog Tracker has been mixed. Placards listing the website’s QR code are frequently ripped down, despite being compliant with posting rules. When Sean announced the site on social media, he received 200 comments, including “Thanks for doing this.” But the majority made statements along the lines of “Don’t you have anything better to do?” or “You’re such a loser.” 

“I’m not offended,” he said. “If people are upset about this, they’re the exact demographic I’m hoping sees the website. They need to reflect on their own actions and entitlement, thinking the rules don’t apply to them.”