In Stockton, a grassroots dog rescue and City Hall are teaming up on an experiment that tries to help people and their pets at the same time. The Stockton-based effort, called the Safe Grounds Project, would create a pet-friendly temporary campground for residents living outdoors, with basic services on site and a path into longer-term housing. Supporters say the approach is a direct response to what they describe as a sharp rise in abandoned and stray dogs across the city.
According to CBS Sacramento, Stockton Street Dogs founder Jesse Mejia said his group recently handed out roughly 200 pounds of food to around 70 animals at a Church Street encampment and has been working with the city to launch the pilot site. Mejia told the outlet the Safe Grounds Project would work with rescues around the country to foster or adopt animals, while people staying at the camp would have access to mobile showers, portable toilets and Wi-Fi. He said the effort is designed to help move residents into stable housing within about 18 to 24 months and predicted it would “alleviate the street dog population by at least 80% in the first 90 days.”
Officially, animal control and sheltering in the area are handled through county programs. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office notes that Animal Services works with the City of Stockton on sheltering and public health responsibilities, and that the county coordinates impound and sheltering functions. San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office Animal Services describes a system that partners say has been stretched thin by the volume of dogs volunteers report seeing on Stockton streets.
How organizers say it would work
Mejia and volunteers describe the Safe Grounds site as a managed, temporary campground with services on hand and a firm “good neighbor” approach meant to reduce spillover impacts while keeping pets and their people together. On site, organizers plan to triage animals, direct treatable dogs into foster and adoption pipelines and offer case management for residents. That case management is intended to link people with rental and housing resources so they can eventually move out of the campground.
The broader goal, backers say, is to cut off the cycle of abandonment that happens when people feel they have no way to keep their animals while they try to regain financial and housing stability.
Backstory and next steps
An earlier April report from CBS Sacramento documented what Mejia described as hundreds of abandoned and stray dogs in Stockton. He told reporters that coverage helped speed up talks with city leaders about a coordinated response.
The outlet reported that the city’s ad-hoc homeless committee is now reviewing the Safe Grounds proposal, while Councilmembers and rescue partners weigh potential locations and the logistics of running the site. According to officials and organizers, the key milestones ahead include the committee’s recommendations, any formal city approvals for a pilot campground and figuring out how rescue networks will scale up fostering and medical support for the animals they hope to move off the streets.
