Title 3 — Title 3

Owner, Etc.; Disposition of Proceeds of Sale. If the owner or his agent shall not, when he has made no bond, reclaim his livestock or animal within 24 hours after the judge of the district court shall have ascertained such damages, then the judge of the district court shall order…

Not Repealed. (a) The governing bodies of all cities or towns may adopt all such ordinances and laws as shall be necessary to prevent the running at large within the limits of the municipality of all livestock or animals and to take up and impound all such livestock or animals fo…

Another or Upon Public Lands, Highways, Etc. (a) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any livestock or animal, as defined in Section 3-5-1, to knowingly, voluntarily, negligently, or wilfully permit any such livestock or animal to run at large in the State of Alabama either upon…

at Large; Judgment Lien Upon Animal or Livestock Causing Damage. (a) The owner of such livestock or animal being or running at large upon the premises of another or upon the public lands, roads, highways or streets in the State of Alabama shall be liable for all damages done to c…

Etc.; Notification of Owner Thereof Generally. Any state trooper, the sheriff and his deputies of any county, or the constable of any precinct or any law enforcement officer of any municipality shall take possession of any livestock or animal found at large upon the premises of a…

Damages and Costs of Feeding Animals; Disposition of Fees, Damages, Etc. The owner of the livestock or animal shall have the right to secure such livestock or animal upon the payment of a fee of $1.00 for each head of livestock or animal taken up to the officer taking up such liv…

Another by Owner, Etc., of Said Lands; Notification of Owner of Livestock or Animals Generally. Any person who is the owner of or in the lawful possession of any land or the agent of any such person shall have the right to take possession of any livestock or animal found at large…

Unknown, Not Resident of County, Etc. (a) If the owner of any livestock or animal found at large and uncontrolled on the premises of another or upon the public lands, highways, roads or streets in the State of Alabama is unknown or if the owner is known but has no place of reside…

Proceedings Where Owner Appears and Claims Livestock or Animal Generally; Proceedings and Entry of Judgment for Sale Where Livestock or Animal Not Claimed and Adjudged to Be Unlawfully at Large Generally. (a) The district court shall give notice, by posting in three public places…

Etc., Where Same Adjudged Not Unlawfully at Large. If on the trial of any action or proceeding brought under this chapter it is ascertained and adjudged by the judge of the district court that the livestock or animal taken up by the party complaining was not unlawfully at large u…

Upon Property Owned or Controlled by Owner, Etc. If any dog shall, without provocation, bite or injure any person who is at the time at a place where he or she has a legal right to be, the owner of such dog shall be liable in damages to the person so bitten or injured, but such l…

For the purpose of this chapter a person shall be considered to be lawfully upon the private property of the owner of such dog when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this state or by the laws of the United States or the postal l…

The owner of such dog shall, however, be entitled to plead and prove in mitigation of damages that he had no knowledge of any circumstances indicating such dog to be or to have been vicious or dangerous or mischievous, and, if he does so, he shall be liable only to the extent of …

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as diminishing any right or liability for injury by dog bites now existing under the laws of this state. History: (Acts 1953, No. 320, p. 379, §4.)

This chapter is known and may be cited as Emily’s Law. History: (Act 2018-182, §1.)

The Legislature finds that certain dogs are an increasingly serious and widespread threat to the safety and welfare of citizens of this state by virtue of their unjustified attacks on and associated injury to individuals; that these attacks are in part attributable to the failure…

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER. Any person employed by a county or municipality who performs animal control functions or any person who performs animal control functions who is employed by an ent…

(a)(1) When a person claims that a dog is dangerous, the person shall make a sworn statement before a city magistrate or sheriff setting forth the name of the dog owner, if known, the location where the dog is being kept in the city or county, and the reason he or she believes th…

(a) If a dog that has previously been declared by a court to be dangerous, when unjustified, attacks and causes serious physical injury or death to a person, the owner of the dog shall be guilty of a Class B felony. (b) If a dog that has not been declared by a court to be dangero…

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to repeal other criminal laws. Whenever conduct prescribed by this chapter is also prescribed by any other provision of law, the provision which carries the more serious penalty shall be applied. History: (Act 2018-182, §6.)

(a) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to restrict or negate the requirements of the rabies control law contained in Sections 3-7A-1 to 3-7A-15, inclusive. (b) Nothing in this chapter is designed to abrogate any civil remedies available under statutory or common law. (c) …

If the appropriate jurisdiction does not employ an animal control officer, the duties of this chapter shall be carried out by a law enforcement officer. History: (Act 2018-182, §8.)

As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings respectively ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (1) CANINE CORPS DOGS. Those members of the canine family maintained by governmental agencies for exclusive use…

Optional Quarantine. Those domesticated species, for which rabies vaccine is recognized and recommended, upon exposure or potential exposure to a known rabid animal, shall be humanely destroyed or slaughtered immediately. Provided, however, the owner has the option of quarantinin…

Duties; Authority of County Board of Health. (a) The county board of health shall nominate annually one duly licensed veterinarian from each county within the state for the position of rabies officer. Applications for this position may be received from any duly licensed veterinar…

Except as provided for in Section 3-7A-6, any person violating or aiding or abetting the violation of any provision of this chapter, or counterfeiting or forging any certificate, or making any misrepresentation in regard to any matter prescribed by this chapter or rule promulgate…

(a) The State Health Officer, upon request of authorized local officials, may place certain areas of the state under a rabies quarantine to prevent the spread of rabies. In extreme situations, the State Health Officer may place the area under quarantine without waiting for local …

Nothing in this chapter shall be held to limit in any manner the power of any municipality to prohibit dogs, cats, or ferrets from running at large, regardless of rabies immunization status as herein provided; nor shall anything in this chapter be construed, in any manner, to lim…

The State Board of Health is authorized to adopt and promulgate rules for the enforcement of this chapter, which rules shall have the force and effect of law. History: (Acts 1990, No 90-530, p. 816, §15.)

A licensed veterinarian and his or her assistants, whether compensated by fee or otherwise or not compensated, when assisting the county rabies officer at any officially designated rabies vaccination clinic shall be considered a volunteer for the purpose of Section 6-5-336. Histo…

Vaccination Exemptions. (a) Every owner of a dog, cat, or ferret required to be immunized for rabies as defined in this chapter, shall cause the animal to be immunized by the rabies officer, his or her authorized representative, or any duly licensed veterinarian, when the animal …

At public rabies clinics, the rabies officer may charge an immunization fee established by a committee consisting of the State Health Officer, the State Veterinarian, and the president of the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association, and approved by the State Board of Health prior …

Coincident with the issuance of the certificate of immunization, the rabies officer, his authorized representative, or any duly licensed veterinarian, who provided the certificate shall furnish a serially numbered tag bearing the same number and year as that of the certificate, w…

In the event a tag or certificate is lost after it has been legally issued, every replacement thereof shall be upon such terms as may be agreed upon with the rabies officer or veterinarian by whom the animal has been immunized. In that instance, a new certificate marked “duplicat…

The owner of any dog or cat found not wearing the evidence of current immunization as provided herein or for which no certificate of current immunization can be produced, and which is apprehended by an officer or other person charged with the enforcement of this chapter, shall fo…

Each county in the state shall provide a suitable county pound and impounding officer for the impoundment of dogs, cats, and ferrets found running at large in violation of the provisions of this chapter. Every municipality with a population over 5,000 in which the county pound is…

Redemption by Owner; Adoption of Animals. All dogs, cats, and ferrets which have been impounded in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, after notice is given to the owner as provided in Section 3-7A-7, may be humanely destroyed and disposed of when not redeemed by the …

Destruction and Examination of Animal; Violations; Instructions for Quarantine; Report of Results; Exemptions. (a) Whenever the rabies officer or the health officer receives information that a human being has been bitten or exposed by a dog, cat, or ferret required by this chapte…

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, it shall be illegal to own, maintain, sell, or trade any canidae or felidae for which there is no USDA licensed rabies vaccine. Anyone currently owning or maintaining such animal may keep the animal for the length of the anima…

As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) ANIMAL SHELTER. Any facility operated by or under contract for the state or any county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of the state for the purpose of impounding or harborin…

(a) Any public or private animal shelter, animal control agency operated by a political subdivision of this state, or humane society shall make provisions for the sterilization of all dogs or cats acquired from a shelter, agency, or humane society by providing for all of the foll…

It shall be a misdemeanor to fail or refuse to comply with this chapter. Any person failing or refusing to comply shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of a minimum of fifty dollars ($50) and not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200). Hi…

This chapter shall not prohibit the adoption by any political subdivision of this state of shelter policies which are more stringent than the requirements of this chapter. History: (Act 2006-627, p. 1421, §4.)

This chapter shall be known and cited as the “Animal Census Reporting Act.” History: (Act 2015-433, §1.)

For purposes of this chapter, the following words have the following meanings: (1) ANIMAL SHELTER. A public facility, which includes a physical structure, that provides temporary or permanent shelter to stray, abandoned, abused, or owner- surrendered animals that is operated, own…

On a monthly basis, each animal shelter owner, operator, manager, or director shall compile a report containing all of the following information: (1) The number of animals of each species taken in from all of the following sources: a. Owner surrenders. b. Strays. c. Other animal …

(a) Each animal shelter shall report the information required in Section 3-10-3 no later than 30 days after the end of each month. Each animal shelter shall make the report available to the public upon request. The animal shelter may compile, publish, computerize, and enter the d…

A violation of this chapter does not create a civil statutory cause of action or criminal liability. History: (Act 2015-433, §5.)