Animal Services in Jefferson County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Jefferson County

Allison Black Cornelius has led Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) since September 2014. GBHS began contracting with Jefferson County for animal control and impoundment facility operations in January 2015. The organization also holds contracts with several county municipalities.

• Spay/Neuter is performed on all animals prior to adoption, according to GBHS Animal Care & Control dispatch manager Kristin Pierson.
• Stray Hold is 7 days. Animals are held at the Woodlawn facility.
• Animal Census Reports are required by state law; however, GBHS has not provided 2025 records, in violation of Alabama’s Animal Census Reporting Act and Open Records Act. Our request was acknowledged on Mar. 18, 2026 by GBHS Chief Program Officer Ivana Sullivan, but data has not been provided. Paws4Change also made a records request for 2025 census reports on Jan. 12, 2026, to which there has been no response. (This will be promptly updated if data is provided.) Most large operations like GBHS share data online, but GBHS ceased publishing data on their website some years ago.
• GBHS Animal Census Data: The most recent GBHS data we are aware of is from 2024, parsed by Paws4Change, in which GBHS reported live release of 49% of dogs and 70% of cats. See Documents for previous years. Former staff members have described GBHS data as untrustworthy.

In November 2025, multiple news sources reported that Jefferson County, GBHS, and several partners had began construction on a 6.5 acre, 36,000 sq.ft., $26 million facility at 1052 Sydney Drive. Described by Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson as “a Taj Mahal for our animals,” the facility was to include adoption, volunteering, and educational spaces under one roof, according to Pat Byington in Bham Now. Construction was expected to take one year.

On Apr. 15, 2026, GBHS CEO Allison Black Cornelius described the project as GBHS’ “planned $50 million, nationally recognized medical-model campus” in a Facebook post that raised doubt of the project’s status following the permitting of a 75-acre AI data center. An Apr. 29 video elaborated on unanswered questions and concerns about the proximity of the data center and stated that GBHS had filed two appeals of the data center permit.

The former Jefferson County Animal Shelter, now referred to as Woodlawn, is Jefferson County’s intake facility for animals impounded, seized, or found by residents within GBHS’s animal control jurisdiction. GBHS Animal Care & Control, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GBHS, has operated Woodlawn since January 2015.

After the state-mandated 7-day hold, some animals are transferred to Snow Drive, while a large number of lives are ended at Woodlawn, “GBHS’s primary location for euthanasia operations” according to reporting by Donald Watkins.

Watkins reported that the Woodlawn facility was “in a run-down and dilapidated condition” when GBHS ACC began operating it in 2015. AL.com characterized Woodlawn as “unsafe” for the animals held there. GBHS CEO Allison Black Cornellius described the facility to AL.com’s Ivana Hrynkiw as unremediable, equating repair to “putting lipstick on a pig” and stating “We have got to get out of here... This is unacceptable.”

Animal Control in Jefferson County

In unincorporated areas of Jefferson County, animal control is the responsibility of GBHS Animal Care & Control (ACC). “We have four ACOs including the field services supervisor. At full staff, we have six ACOs,” ACC Dispatch Manager Kristin Pierson told us in April 2025. GBHS ACC officers are civilians who do not have enforcement authority; ACOs work with Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments for criminal charging.

If the animal concern is located within the corporate limits or police jurisdiction of a city or town, here’s who to contact:

• In Adamsville, Homewood, Hoover, Hueytown, Lake View, Leeds, and Vestavia Hills, contact city hall or the local police department.
• As part of their contract with Jefferson County, GBHS Animal Care & Control serves Jefferson County municipalities under 5,000 residents (except for Adamsville): Argo, Brighton, Brookside, Cardiff, Graysville, Kimberly, Lipscomb, Maytown, Morris, Mulga, North Johns, Sumiton, Sylvan Springs, Warrior, and West Jefferson. Additionally, GBHS ACC holds contracts with the cities of Clay, Fairfield, Fultondale, Irondale (see Documents), Midfield, Pinson, and Trussville (since 2017). For assistance, see GBHS Animal Care & Control contact info above.
• In Bessemer, animal control is the responsibility of the Public Improvements Department (Street & Sanitation). “Each day, two dedicated women, Belinda Pruitt and Rachel May, work tirelessly to provide a safe haven for our community by responding to loose, stray, and aggressive animals,” Councilman Chester W. Porter wrote on a February 2026 Facebook post. Call 205-424-4084 for assistance. WBRC reported in July 2025 that Bessemer Police also has an ACO “who goes out daily looking for stray dogs.” Police Chief Gary Carmichael told WBRC that the officer cites for violations of the city’s dog confinement ordinance and impounds when the owner cannot be identified in the field. Animals are held at Woodlawn.
• Birmingham ACOs work directly for the city under the leadership of Animal Control Supervisor Shellie Kurtz. Call 311 or 205-254-6314. Impounded animals are brought to Woodlawn.
• Center Point: Call City Hall at 205-854-4460.
• Gardendale: Call Dispatch at 205-631-8787 or submit a Stray Dog Complaint online.
• Helena splits animal control between the Street Department (loose dog reports) and the Helena Police Department. Report violations at Dog Complaint or call the Helena Police Department.
• Hoover: Call Hoover Animal Control.
• Mountain Brook: Call Mountain Brook Animal Control Unit, 205-802-3844.

Dog Confinement Requirements in Jefferson County

Statute Adoption: Jefferson County officials could not locate any record of adoption of Alabama Code § 3-1-5 and expressed misconceptions over statute applicability and enforcement, as detailed below.

Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Dog confinement is required in Bessemer (§§ 14-58, 14-60, 14-81), Birmingham (§ 6-1-14), Center Point (§ 5-1), Fultondale (2001 No. 519), Gardendale (§ 8-44), Helena (§ 368-69), Homewood (§ 4-4), Hoover (§ 4-21), Hueytown (§ 10-21), Irondale (§ 3-26, § 3-52), Leeds (§ 8-53), Midfield (§ 10-42), Mountain Brook (§ 6-107), Pleasant Grove (§ 18-45), Tarrant (§ 3-4), Trafford (see Blount Animals), Trussville (§ 10-53), and Vestavia Hills (running at large is prohibited on streets and other public areas of the city, § 4-19; § 4-20).
• Dog confinement is not required by ordinance in County Line.
• Dog confinement requirements unknown (ordinances are not published online) in Argo, Brighton, Brookside, Cardiff, Clay, Fairfield, Graysville, Kimberly, Lake View, Lipscomb, Maytown, Morris, Mulga, North Johns, Pinson, Sumiton, Sylvan Springs, Warrior, West Jefferson.

Our Recommendation for those in the unincorporated area or in a municipality with unclear statutory authority is to proceed as if the statute or an ordinance is applicable, by keeping their own dogs confined or in their charge and by reporting owners who allow their dog to run loose, for the safety of people and animals alike.

How to Report: See How to Report an At-Large Violation.

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Jefferson County

Cat TNR & Fostering: See ASV in the table above for free sterilization of community cats. If you know of a colony of cats in in Jefferson, Chilton, Shelby, or St. Clair County; for assistance with TNR (trap, neuter, return) or vet care; or if you would like to foster or adopt, contact the Country Cattery via email or through Facebook. TNR ensures the health and stability of the colony by trapping the cats so they can be sterilized, ear-tipped (for identification), vaccinated, and have any health needs attended to prior to returning to their home.

Additional Low-Cost Sterilization Options & Tips: See Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama, and see options in Blount County, St. Clair County, Walker County.

Other Assistance for Pet Owners, Shelters, and Rescues

• The Sugarbelle Foundation (Fb) helps financially-struggling families with vet care, temporary fostering, training, pet food, and supplies in accordance with their mission to keep people and pets together.
• Alabama Pet Pantry (Fb) distributes free pet food in Pelham, Bessemer, and Montevallo, with details posted on Facebook.
• The GOODS Program, operated by Greater Good Charities and facilitated locally by GBHS, offers pounds, shelters, TNR groups, and rescues low-cost food and supplies.
• GBHS Outreach Team supports pet owners facing barriers to keeping their pets by providing pet food and supplies, preventative care, microchipping, behavioral or training assistance, medical grooming, dog houses, fencing repair, and emergency boarding such as for those fleeing an abusive situation, experiencing homelessness, or otherwise temporarily unable to care for their pet.
• Low-cost rabies vaccination is offered by the county rabies officer; rabies clinic dates are posted on Facebook.
• For emergency vet care, see Birmingham Now’s compilation of options.

Jefferson County Documents

• Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) Animal Census data: Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) is non-compliant with state law, as detailed above. Previous-year GBHS reports: 2024 data, parsed by Paws4Change, reported live release of 49% of dogs and 70% of cats. See also GBHS reports from 2016, 2017, 2018, most months of 2019, and scattered months in 2020–2023; files were sourced from Eye on the GBHS and an unidentified squarespace source. We suggest that anyone who would like to review data contact Ivana Sullivan or submit a records request to Jefferson County Commission.
• Irondale-GBHS Contracts from 2022, 2023, 2025
• Public Records Request Forms: Jefferson County (NextRequest Portal), Trussville ($25 minimum fee), Bessemer

Sources

Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) and The Country Cattery:

• Allison Black Cornelius, GBHS CEO, corresponded with Kristin Yarbrough regarding Alabama Code § 3-1-5 applicability in Jefferson County in several emails beginning on Oct. 20, 2025. Allison detailed research by GBHS on the statute and related topics and guidance provided by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to GBHS ACC. Other details on this page, such as the January 2015 date in which GBHS took over management of Woodlawn, were also provided by Allison.
• Kristin Pierson, GBHS Animal Care & Control dispatch manager, conversed with Kristin Yarbrough via tel and email on Apr. 25, 2025 and several more times throughout the year.
• Stephanie Salvago, GBHS Development & Marketing, 205-937-3042, SSalvago@gbhs.org, confirmed the municipalities that contract with GBHS ACC via email on Oct. 20, 2025. A Mar. 4, 2026 request to Stephanie for 2025 Animal Census reports was not answered.
• Rachel Cochran, VP of the Country Cattery, messaged with Kristin Yarbrough on Apr. 22, 2026.

Jefferson County:

• Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office: 205-325-5700 x8, info@jeffcosheriffal.com. I emailed regarding Alabama Code § 3-1-5 applicability on Oct. 16, 2025. On an Oct. 20 follow-up call to 205-325-5700 x8 (for other topics), the receptionist transferred me to Dispatch. At Dispatch, Operator 119 said he was not allowed to discuss laws. My next call to JCSO rang many times and then disconnected.
• Deputy Tim Stanford, animal cruelty investigator: Upon hearing from Allison that Dep. Stanford had spoken to GBHS ACOs about 3-1-5, I asked that my email to JCSO be forwarded to Dep. Stanford with hopes he could provide more information. 325-5700 x patrol administration. I was able to reach Dep. Stanford on Oct. 28 but he said he was not allowed to speak for research purposes without the granting of permission by his superior.
• Honorable Tanita Cain, District Judge: 205-325-5296. On Oct. 20, the judge was not in and Gloria Rutledge offered the judge’s email address; I emailed that morning. On an Oct. 28 follow-up, Gloria said she would ask the judge about it when she returned to the office; I also provided the email to Gloria for her reference.

Municipalities:

Adamsville, Bessemer, Birmingham, Homewood, Hoover, Hueytown, Mountain Brook, and Vestavia Hills have their own animal control officers, according to the GBHS Animal Control page. Guidance above is based on that information and the sources listed in the Animal Control section and below. When no information was available (such as on the city or town website), residents are advised to ask the police department or city/town hall.

• Adamsville has its own ACOs, according to GBHS Animal Control FAQ. However, the most recent Facebook post by Adamsville Police Department that shows an impounded dog is from 2024.
• Bessemer has its own ACOs, according to GBHS Animal Control FAQ. I left a message for City Clerk Rickelle Gray on Nov. 13, 2025, to ask how animal control is handled in Bessemer. On Nov. 14, I spoke to a woman in the Public Improvements Department who would not provide her name. She answered that impounded animals are taken to Woodlawn but would not speak further, stating that her supervisor would call me (I did not hear from the supervisor). Also, Bessemer requires dog licensing (§ 14-51).
• Birmingham: The City of Birmingham has its own ACOs, according to the GBHS Animal Control page and an Oct. 2025 WVTM13 article. Information in the AC section is from Kristin Pierson via tel on Nov. 3, 2025. I spoke with Gloria at Birmingham Public Information Office on Nov. 3, 2025, to ask whether ACOs are authorized to issue summonses for violations of city code; Gloria said she referred the question to Latoya Walker, city liaison. I also messaged Animal Control Supervisor Shellie Kurtz through Facebook to ask. When I did not hear back from either, on a Nov. 13 followup, Gloria said she would escalate again and said she could not give me a direct tel for Latoya or Shellie. I did not hear back.
• Clay information is from Pamela at City Hall on Apr. 27, 2026.
• Center Point Resource Directory lists the city hall phone number for animal control.
• Fairfield contracts with GBHS according to Yvette on Apr. 30, 2026.
• Fultondale contracts with GBHS for animal control, according to the Fultondale Animal Control page.
• Gardendale information is from the city website’s Public Services and Animal Control pages.
• Homewood: Animal control is the responsibility of Homewood Police Department, according to their website FAQ, which also states that animals are held at Vulcan Park Animal Care.
• Leeds Police Department handles most animal complaints, according to the city website.
• Midfield does not address animal control on their website, as of this Apr. 26, 2026 update. There are no animal-related posts on the Midfield Police Department Facebook page. The city reportedly contracts with GBHS, though I could find no reference connecting the city with GBHS.
• Pinson: On Oct. 16, 2025, both Anjelisa and Chris Sharit, Zoning Administrator & Public Safety, said that the city does have animal control services, but neither knew who provided those services.
• Trussville Public Works Department refers residents to GBHS ACC for “Dogs/Cats” and to Trussville Police Department for “Abuse/neglect.” The city renewed a contract with GBHS for animal control and pound services in November 2021, per the Trussville Tribune, and presumably has renewed again since then.
• Vestavia Hills Police Department handles animal control.

Is Alabama’s dog confinement statute applicable in Jefferson County? Sources conflicted:

• A 2011 Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post [screenshot] described enforcement of § 3-1-5. The post does not state that Jefferson County adopted the statute; it states merely that “Alabama has a law,” which is characteristic of the common misconception that 3-1-5 is automatically applicable, when actually it is applicable only if adopted by the county commission.
• On an Apr. 16, 2025 call to GBHS Animal Care & Control, Amanda stated that Jefferson County has a “county-wide leash law” and that enforcing that law is a primary responsibility of ACC. She said officers do not have citation authority, but they can and do pick up animals, whether or not the animal is wearing a rabies tag.
• On an Apr. 16, 2025 call to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Operator 119 said she consulted with a sergeant who said questions related to the statute must go through an attorney.
• On Mar. 29, 2025, I submitted a records request via the portal for the minutes and the resolution by which the statute was adopted, if applicable. On Apr. 14, Jefferson County closed the request, stating, “We have searched our system and do not see where the County adopted it.”
• On Oct. 16, 2025, Chris Sharit, City of Pinson Zoning Administrator & Public Safety, said he was personally aware of enforcement through his 30-year history with the Sheriff’s Office. When I asked about Jefferson County having no record of adoption, Chris said he did not know what was happening in the courts but he knew that LEOs were charging residents for violation.
• On Oct. 20, 2025, GBHS CEO Allison Black Cornelius stated that GBHS ACOs “were instructed by then Deputy Dwight Sloan, and now Deputy Tim Sanford, that 3-1-5 applies to, and is enforced in, unincorporated Jefferson County. If an official from the Jefferson County Commission says they have no record of an adoption [of the statute], then that would be what one would have to go by.”

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