Animal Services in Marion County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Marion County

Charlotte Williams serves as director, CET, kennel tech, transporter — she is the sole operator of Marion/Winston Animal Shelter.

The arrangement began over 20 years ago, she said. Charlotte and her husband trained dogs for Border Patrol and other agencies at their 38-run facility; they shut down the service when her husband had a stroke. Marion County Commission officials then approached them and she has been running the shelter since, receiving some funding but not enough to cover costs, she said. She also contracts with Winston County.

Charlotte spoke about the low prioritization of animals by Marion County, stating that animals fall “below potholes” in terms of importance and that the Commission would rather not talk about county animal needs. Charlotte said she is burnt out after 20 years in sheltering and her husband passing away last year, and “won’t be doing this much longer.”

Marion County used to have animal control, but currently does not, Charlotte said. Residents bring in strays which she is required to accept. She occasionally accepts surrenders, in situations such as the death of the owner. Small dogs, challenged by the shelter environment, go to Hoof or Paw, a 501c3 animal welfare organization which does home-based sheltering.

Charlotte does have some volunteer help, primarily via community service orders, which she said works just fine since the workers prefer to assist in the shelter rather than picking up trash. Other volunteers are mostly unavailable during the school year, with more availability when school is out, Charlotte said. Insurance is a challenge because the cost is very high due to the liability posed by volunteers.

On Sept. 4, 2025, Marion County Administrator Scott Hunt provided this document in response to my request for the current contract or agreement between Marion County and Charlotte Williams for animal services. Notably, the contract’s first clause specifies service as impounding officer, but Charlotte said that the county has no animal control. I asked Scott for clarification on whether the 24,000 on the last page is the compensation for the year of services or what the county is paying for fulfillment of the agreement; I did not hear back.

• Stray Hold is 7 days.
• Spay/Neuter of adopted animals is challenging, Charlotte said, as the only real option is the Irondale (Birmingham) clinic. She meets the bus/van in Jasper, a 45-mile drive, and returns the next day to pickup animals after surgery.

Animal Control in Marion County

Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Marion County: Since Marion County Commission no longer funds animal control, there is no ACO serving the unincorporated area if Marion County.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• For assistance with animal concerns in Hamilton, call City Hall at 205-921-2121.
• There is no animal control in the Marion County municipalities of Bear Creek, Brilliant, Guin, Hackleville, or Twin. If you have information about a crime, such as animal cruelty, report to law enforcement.
• For animal assistance in Haleyville, see Winston County.
• Winfield, Glen Allen, Gu-Win: It is unclear whether these municipalities have animal control. Please contact us if you can provide information. (Also see Animal Services in Fayette County.)

If your ACO is unable to help or if your area has no animal services, see this guidance.

Dog Confinement Requirements in Marion County

County Adoption of Alabama’s Dog Confinement Statute: Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Marion County. If Marion County has adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5, it appears that the County has no record of having done so, as detailed below. If adopted, the law would require that dogs be confined to the owner’s premises or kept in the charge of a responsible person if off-premises. There are still steps residents can take to address issues and to ask the county to require confinement.

Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Dog confinement is required by ordinance in Hamilton (§ 6-52, 6-53; also see this letter from Neil West), Haleyville (2025-03), and Winfield (Ordinance 958).
• Bear Creek, Brilliant, Glen Allen, Gu-Win, Guin, Hackleville, Twin: Please contact us if you can provide information.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Marion County

• Marion County Humane Society, Win-Mar Humane Society, and Hoof or Paw assist with spay/neuter access.
• The Snip Station in Merona, Mississippi, is a nonprofit organization that offers low-cost spay and neuter to shelters, rescues, and low-income families.
• Pet transportation is available from Jasper (Walker County) for surgeries at Alabama Spay Neuter, the Birmingham-area nonprofit clinic.
• See Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama for additional resources.

Access to Information & Public Records in Marion County

Commission: County Administrator Scott Hunt initially said the Commission had adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5, but in seven weeks of correspondence which included an Apr. 11, 2025 records request, Scott did not provide records or a year of adoption. Charlotte Williams stated on a May 15 call that she believed Marion County had not adopted.

Research began Mar. 26, 2025, with a call to the SO (205-921-2101), where a dispatcher referred me to Shelly, administrative assistant. Shelly did not know and referred me to the Commission (205-921-3172 x6); I left a vm. I called again Mar. 28 and spoke with Scott Hunt, county administrator (and also an attorney), who said the county has adopted the statute. He did not know the year, so he took my tel to call back with that information.

On Apr. 11, 2025, I submitted a records request for the adoption document(s). On Apr. 28, after the 10 business day initial response period had passed without communication from the County, I called to follow up, but the line only rang. On Apr. 29 at 8:50, the line just rang again. Two hours later, I spoke to Lori, who said Scott would call when he is free. On Apr. 30, I left a vm. On May 1, Scott said he would look for the records and would call me back that afternoon. On a May 5 call, Lori talked to Scott, who said he will email me the records. On May 7, Lori said he had gone to a conference and would return Friday, May 9. On that day, Scott had not returned and Lori suggested calling on Monday. On several calls to the Commission on the morning of May 12, there was no answer and no vm option; I sent an email to Scott. On May 13, Scott was on a call so Lori took a msg for him. On May 15, there was no answer at the Commission. Charlotte Williams said that she has had the same diffficulty in reaching or hearing back from Scott Hunt. (Adoption of § 3-1-5 is still important in counties without AC, which is the situation in Marion County, and enforcement is still possible via citizen complaint.)

Scott did respond to a different request which I emailed on Aug. 25, 2025; he providing the requested document on Sept. 4.

Animal Shelter: Charlotte Williams, director of Marion/Winston Animal Shelter, was glad to share information.

Marion County Documents

• County Commission Public Records Request Form: Call the Commission to request or submit according to the Open Records Act template. I emailed my request to Scott Hunt.
• Marion County Contract with Marion/Winston Animal Shelter

Sources

• Charlotte Williams, Director, Marion-Winston Animal Shelter. We spoke several times in April and May 2025.
• Scott Hunt, County Administrator, Marion County Commission, shunt@marioncountyal.org. See Access.
• Lori Carter, Accounts Payable, Marion County Commission. We spoke on Apr. 25, 2025. Lori stated that there is no County AC; the only AC is in the City of Hamilton. Regarding the question of a shelter, Lori mentioned Hoof or Paw (Fb), stating that they take horses, dogs, and cats when they have space, then said there is “someone else who takes in animals in Winfield and puts them down after 10 days.” Lori thought both they receive funding from the County. That “someone else” is Marion/Winston Animal Shelter.

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