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Animal Services

Meet our animal shelter veterinarian

Adopt-A-Pet

The Mobile County Animal Shelter provides on-line viewing of animals as soon as they come into the shelter. Simply click on the Pet Adoption link. You will find dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens.

Lost & Found

The Mobile County Animal Shelter (MCAS) wants to reunite lost pets with their owners. If you have lost your pet, contact Mobile County Animal Control at 574-3647 and the shelter staff will be glad to help you. Also, you may visit pet harbor where you will find a listing of all animals in our care, both those on stray hold and those in adoption. In an effort to reunite more animals with their owners, MCAS also is listing stray hold animals on the MCAS Facebook page.

All stray animals are held for seven days to give owners time to reclaim them, after which they will be put up for adoption and rescue or euthanized, depending on the sociability and health assessments of the animals as well as the capacity of the shelter.

The animal assessments will be conducted by the staff and the shelter-contracted veterinarian. If the animals are adaptable, the shelter will hold them for adoption unless the numbers of animals at the shelter exceeds the capacity to maintain a healthy, safe and humane living environment for them.

The county's District Court judges also may influence the length of a hold on the animals by mandating that the shelter hold them for a pending court case.

If you are an owner, or are interested in adoption following the stray hold, or are (or know of) a rescue group that would be interested in an animal, please let the shelter know immediately by telephone (251-574-3857) or email (mcacshelter@mobile-county.net).

If You Have Lost Your Pet 

Step 1: Start Your Search at the Mobile County Animal Shelter   

  • VISIT OUR SHELTER IMMEDIATELY…….and at least every 2 - 3 days thereafter.  Ask the staff for a "lost dog or cat walk-through." Visit the adoptable animal's section and the stray animals that arrive without identification that may be placed up for adoption after seven days. There is NO GUARANTEE that MCAS staff will match an incoming animal with your companion. Only you can positively identify your companion.

Step 2: Use our Database and Social Media

  • Search the Found section on our Lost Pets webpage and check our Facebook album of Strays/Lost Pets.

  • Online and social media sites for searching and posting includes but is not limited to the following:

Step 3: Conduct Your Own Search:

  • Visit ALL Local Shelters to conduct your own search based on the fact that roaming at large animals sometimes crosses municipal boundary lines.

If you find your animal at our shelter:      

  • Bring proof of ownership to claim your animal, if possible, especially if you have a popular breed
  • An impound fee will be charged to reclaim the animal including boarding and pick up fees
  • Other charges such as medical services, no rabies violation, and alternate housing may apply

If You Have Found a Pet 

Step 1: Start at your local animal shelter that service your community.

  • During hours of operation:  Please contact Animal Control at 251-574-7940  for an Animal Control Officer to come and pick up the animal in a reasonable time frame, when possible.  Animal Control works incoming calls based on the priority of situations.
  • Confining the animal on your property does not guarantee the Animal Control Officer will respond immediately or push your request for service to the top of the list.
  • Do not bring the animal to the shelter, they will not accept animals over the counter unless the animal is exhibiting a physical ailment or an injury that can be visually seen.
  • The Animal Control Department highly recommends not making contact with any stray animal for your safety, as well as for the animal.  You do not know if the animal is current with required rabies vaccination or its health condition.  In addition, you do not know how the animal will react when you try to interact with it.
  • If we are closed, do not leave or abandon the animal(s) on the shelter premises without the staff's acknowledgment.  Doing so is considered ‘Abandonment’ no matter whether or not you’re the owner, and you can be prosecuted under Alabama Criminal Code 13A-11-241. The facility is monitored by the camera in all directions for 24 hours.

‘Abandonment’ means failure to redeem an impounded animal within 72 hours of incarceration, leaving an animal in any place where it may suffer injury, hunger or exposure or become a public charge or changing residence and failing to move an animal within 24 hours. Desert or give up an animal previously under the custody or possession of a person without having secured another owner or custodian or by failing to make reasonable arrangements for adequate care for a period of twenty-four (24) or more consecutive hours.

Step 2: Help the Owner Locate their Animal Companion

  • Complete a Found Pet report at your local Animal Shelter
  • Check the following online resources for Lost Pets and post a picture of the animal you found:
Microchip Your Pet

Not everyone speaks the woof or meow language.  Give your pet a voice by getting a microchip to identify your ownership!  The MCAS microchips all of its adoptable pets at the time of its adoption to enhance the chance of our little fur baby being returned to its forever home if the animal gets lost. 

Rabies Vaccination

The Alabama state law mandates that a rabies vaccine must be given to all dogs, cats, and ferrets which are over three months of age. Rabies vaccinations must be current for the issuance of health certificates, dog licenses and kennel licenses.

Diseases commonly vaccinated for puppies include the canine distemper virus, adenovirus 2 (upper respiratory disease virus, which crosses protects for canine hepatitis), parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and parvovirus enteritis.

Kittens are routinely vaccinated for feline distemper, rhinotracheitis, and calicivirus or FDCVR vaccine. Some owners, especially of show cats or those that have increased exposure to other cats, may also elect to vaccinate for pneumonitis, a respiratory disease caused by Chlamydia. A vaccine is also available to protect against feline leukemia virus.

Please contact your Veterinarian for a vaccination program for your pet.

Shelter Animal Vaccinations

Upon intake, the Mobile County Animal Shelter provides dogs and puppies with a 5-in-1 vaccination against canine distemper, hepatitis, adenovirus cough, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. Canines also receive a bordetella vaccine. Cats and kittens receive a 4-in-1 vaccination for viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), calicivirus, panleukopenia, and chlamydia. All animals are given dewormers and are vaccinated against rabies before they are adopted out.

Owner Surrenders

Mobile County Animal Shelter’s ability to accept an owner-surrendered animal is based on space availability.

If you live within the unincorporated areas of Mobile County and are no longer able to keep your pet, you may be able to surrender your animal to Mobile County Animal Control as the last choice option. As an alternative to owner surrender, please consider attempting to rehome your pet through https://home-home.org/. 

If your animal can be accepted for surrender, please note that there are associated fees andAnimal Shelter management cannot guarantee that your animal will be made available for adoption, adopted or rescued. 

Because it is the Animal Shelter management’s goal to adopt behaviorally-sound and healthy animals to the community, all animals are assessed before being placed up for adoption. Based on the assessment there is the possibility that your animal may not be made available for adoption at our shelter.

The following conditions MAY result in your animal's inability to be placed up for adoption:

  • Aggression toward humans or other animals.
  • The animal is a threat to itself or other animals.
  • Unable to safely house or handle.
  • History of biting.
  • Stress-related behaviors stemming from the kenneling/shelter environment.
  • Severe health problems.  

For animals that cannot be made available for adoption at our shelter, we attempt to place them with a partner rescue organization. However, some animals may have to be humanely euthanized.

Before you arrive or bring your animal please note the following:

  • Bring verification of ownership of the animal and vets records stating medical status
  • There is an animal surrender fee.  If the MCAC is required to pick up your animal at your residence there will be an additional transport fee
  • Complete an Owner Surrender intake card which legally changes ownership of the animal from you to the Mobile County Animal Control. 
Behavior Help

Animals are often surrendered because a family is frustrated with specific behavior. Often times, there is help for these behaviors. Here are some online resources that address common behavior concerns:

  • Pet Behavior Library from Denver Dumb Friends League
  • Virtual Pet Behaviorist from ASPCA
  • Pet Behavior Library from the Animal Humane Society

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