Stay Out of the Dog House: New Law Enforces Pet Owner Responsibility

Posted on: Oct 8th, 2019 | News and Announcements

Effective November 1, 2019, Mobile County Animal Control Officers will begin issuing written citations to dog owners in violation of Alabama Code, Title 3, Section 3-1-5. Simply put, pet owners who do not have their dog(s) confined, in compliance with the code, will be ticketed for a misdemeanor and fined. 

The Mobile County Commission adopted the law in November of 2018. However, it was difficult to enforce because Animal Control Officers were unable to write citations, until now. On October 1, 2019, eight Animal Control Officers were deputized by Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran and given the full authority to issue these new citations. 

"As always, Mobile County Animal Control promotes responsible care of your pets," said County Humane Officer Carmelo Miranda. "By giving our officers this enforcement tool, we can better protect the health and safety of Mobile County residents from dogs roaming freely in unincorporated communities. We encourage dog owners to start preparing for this new law and if they need advice on confinement devices or methods, we are here to help."

For more information on confinement techniques, as well as pet vaccinations or spay and neutering, contact the Mobile County Animal Control at (251) 574-3647.