Walk down almost any street in south Modesto – such as Dallas Street or Imperial Avenue – and you’ll come across dogs of all shapes and sizes running loose through the neighborhood.
Some are strays, and some might be wandering away from their homes, but they continue to pose a threat to south Modesto residents. People in the neighborhood have complained about dog attacks, property damage and an unresponsive and confusing reporting system. Some dog attacks have even led to serious injury, and death.
This has left many residents fearful and frustrated. Now, they’re demanding answers from local agencies they say have failed to adequately respond to a problem that has been building for years.
Community members describe a neighborhood where packs of dogs roam freely, attacking children on their way to school, disrupting bike riders, biting adults on their daily walks, and driving families to change how they move through their own streets. Despite repeated calls to city and county animal control agencies, many say the situation has not improved.
“It is very sad to have to give up that freedom to be free to walk instead of having to drive,” Cecilia Zamora, south Modesto mother and promotora with Sierra Vista Child & Family Services, said in Spanish.
Zamora said that shortly after moving to the city over a decade ago, her then 3-year-old daughter stepped out of the car, only to be surrounded by a pack of about a dozen dogs of varying sizes. Zamora ran, screamed and physically pushed the animals away to protect her child. The incident, she says, is not unusual for the area.
Last month, south Modesto resident Juan Escatal reported to Telemundo that his 13-year-old son was attacked by a pack of stray dogs. He was left with bite marks and had to go to the emergency room for a rabies shot. The incident reminded Zamora and other south Modesto community members of the frustrations that they have felt for several years with ongoing dog attacks.
And, this isn’t a new problem for this community.
Violent dog attacks cause injury and even death
In 2014, another pack of dogs attacked Maria Fernandez and her son, Juan Fernandez, in the driveway of their southwest Modesto home. The dogs were owned by the victims’ neighbors and got into the victims’ yard by digging a hole under a common fence. After spending a month in critical condition in the hospital, Maria died from her injuries. Fernandez was a neighbor and a friend to several women in the Sierra Vista promotora group who recalled the frightening situation.
Fernandez’s next door neighbor and close friend R.F., who declined to share her full name because of safety issues, was at the scene when the attack happened. She visited her in the hospital until she passed away.
“I watched her suffer from her injuries in the hospital,” R.F. said through tears. “I still have a lot of trauma from it. It’s hard to talk about.”
Guadalupe Yepes, another south Modesto resident and promotora, said the dogs have been a constant presence in the neighborhood for years. Last August, her son was attacked by dogs on his way to Modesto High School. The tenth grader escaped serious injury only because he was wearing thick pants and the bites did not break his skin. But his pants were left with several visible holes and tears.
“We have had problems with dogs,” Yepes said. “I have called animal control but they have not come, and I think we need them to come and maintain this area and do something about these animals so that our children and ourselves are safe and our children will arrive safely at school.”
Residents say reporting process makes getting help harder
For many residents, the danger does not feel evenly distributed. They said areas like south and west Modesto are particularly prone to stray dogs, and confusing reporting processes have left them feeling hopeless on solutions.
Yepes says her deepest worry is not for herself but for children whose parents are unable to walk them to school because of work – forcing the students to make their way alone. Still, for many residents, calls to county and city agencies have not translated into action. Yepes said she called animal control after her son’s attack and received no response.
“I can take my girls to school right now, thank God, but I am afraid for other children whose mothers maybe cannot because they are working,” she said. “There are many children around here who have to walk. I have a lot of fear for those children.”
Part of the problem, residents and officials say, is a jurisdictional divide that leaves many south Modesto residents unsure of who to call when they encounter a dangerous animal. The county and city respond to animal calls based on geographic boundaries.
Connie Hooker, operations manager at Stanislaus Animal Services Agency (SASA), said the distinction is straightforward in principle but confusing in practice. Her agency covers animal control for the unincorporated areas of Stanislaus County, while the City of Modesto handles animal control within city limits.
“The easiest way for them to know who to report it to is who responds to you for the police,” Hooker said. “If the (Stanislaus) Sheriff responds to you, then you need to contact Stanislaus County Animal Services. If the City of Modesto police respond to you, then you need to contact the City of Modesto.”
Hooker attributes the explosion of stray animals to a broader overpopulation crisis rooted in a lack of affordable spay and neuter resources, compounded by the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
County animal services urged residents to spay, neuter pets
“Without having resources to get their animals spayed or neutered, that increases the problems of animals wanting to go find friends and making more animals,” Hooker said.
The pandemic forced some veterinary offices to close for extended periods, she noted, and when they reopened, skyrocketing costs and long wait times meant many pet owners were unable to access basic care. In the meantime, unspayed and unneutered animals continued to breed.
Most dog bites occur because animals are unneutered or spayed, Hooker said. Her department found that the majority of bite incidents involve intact males pursuing females, or females defending themselves or their puppies.
“Intact is not a good thing,” she said flatly.
The problem is further strained by an overburdened shelter system. Stanislaus Animal Services Agency operates as the housing agency for animal control for both the unincorporated areas and the City of Modesto. According to the SASA monthly report, in December of 2025, the agency brought in a total of 873 animals, with an average of 28 animals per day, and received 757 calls for field service in the single month. With limited kennel space and only six officers on staff covering the entire county, the department is stretched thin, Hooker said.
Low-cost spay and neuter clinics do exist in the area, including Valley Pet Care and Turlock Spay and Neuter, but Hooker says those programs are equally overwhelmed. Because SASA covers the entire county, they often face long travel times and must prioritize urgent calls, which can delay or prevent responses to other calls, she said.
Hooker said she wants Spanish-speaking and immigrant residents in particular to know that Stanislaus Animal Services is not an adversary.
“We don’t want your dogs,” she said. “Keep your dogs on your property. Fix your fences. Don’t be afraid of us. We want to help you and return your dogs to you.”
To report strays call Stanislaus Animal Services at 209-558-7387. For active dog attacks, call 911.
Ximena Loeza is the bilingual communities reporter for The Modesto Focus, a project of the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. Contact her at ximena@themodestofocus.org.