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How to address dogs-at-large violations

Update, June 20, 2025: Allowing dogs to run at large is now prohibited in all of Blount County. For an updated step-by-step guide, see How to Report At-Large Violations.

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Seven months after Blount County adopted Alabama’s dog confinement statute, your neighbor’s dog continues to run loose. Conversations with the owner have gone nowhere, a visit from Animal Control hasn’t spurred him to action, and you just don’t trust his dog around your kids or your animals. What can you do?

Blount County and municipal officials have charted the course for residents who would like their neighbors to comply with at-large laws. Though the specifics vary by location, these laws typically require that dogs be confined to the owner’s premises, and leashed or otherwise kept under control if off-premises. As of the County Commission’s adoption of Alabama Code § 3-1-5 in August 2024, the state law and/or a municipal ordinance is in effect in most areas of the county.

The exceptions are Allgood and Altoona. Allgood has no confinement ordinance, and the state law is inapplicable within the town’s municipal limits. In Altoona, running at large is a violation only on streets, highways, or alleys.

Enforcement of at-large laws requires specific conditions: the dog must be owned, the owner must be identified, and the violation must be witnessed and documented. Blount County Animal Control Officer Dep. Echols, for example, may issue a citation if all three conditions are met while he is on site. Typically, though, it is the responsibility of the affected resident to bring evidence of the violation to the court.

Residents may report a violation as follows:

1. Locate: Note the address at which the dog is running at large.
2. Collect evidence: Take photos or videos that clearly show the dog off of the owner’s premises in violation of the law. Ensure that both the dog and surrounding landmarks can be identified.
3. Report: If the violation is within municipal limits of Blountsville, report to Town Hall; or if Oneonta, to City Hall. In other areas, call Blount County Dispatch at 205-625-4913. State that you would like to report a dog-at-large violation.

An officer or appointed agent may address the situation in a variety of ways. Most commonly, the officer will attempt to inform the dog owner that he must comply with the law, issue a warning, and prepare an Incident Report. If the neighbor denies ownership and the dog is not wearing a current rabies tag, the officer may impound the dog. Or, if ownership is confirmed and the officer witnesses the violation, a citation may be issued.

If no citation is issued and violations continue, you may bring your evidence directly to the court:

4. Follow up. After allowing the dog owner reasonable time to comply, pick up a copy of the Incident Report.
5. Press charges. Bring the Report and your evidence to the appropriate courthouse (municipal or county) during magistrate hours to write a statement and speak with a magistrate. If there is sufficient cause to charge the dog owner, he will be summoned to court to have the opportunity to plead guilty or to contest.

Violation of Alabama’s confinement statute is a misdemeanor which, upon a guilty plea or conviction, carries a fine of $2 to $50 and court costs of $332, according to Blount County Circuit Clerk Cindy Massey. Violation of municipal ordinances usually carries a higher fine and, in some cases, the possibility of imprisonment.

Massey stressed the serious nature of pressing charges against a neighbor, and urged careful consideration before beginning the process. Anonymity is not possible, and charges are not dropped.

Dog owners who have not yet complied with the confinement law may consider keeping dogs inside or installing a fence, pen, run, or trolley line. Sterilization is critical to reduce the urge to roam or the attraction of male dogs to intact female dogs. A current rabies tag, required by state law, reduces the risk of impoundment. And a microchip with current contact information greatly improves the odds of reunion with a lost or impounded pet.

For more information about state and local confinement laws, the enforcement procedure, low-cost spay and neuter, and tips for keeping pets at home and out of the shelter, visit BlountAnimals.com.

Information for this article was provided by Sgt. Jason Paul of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Blount County Circuit Clerk Cindy Massey, and officials from the County’s municipal governments, police departments, and courts.