Animal Services in Mobile County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Mobile County

If your pet is lost, remember to check with not only your local shelter or impoundment facility, but also those in neighboring cities and counties.

Mobile County Animal Shelter is operated by the Mobile County Commission, according to the MCAS Facebook page, and also contracts with the City of Chickasaw. The shelter reports a live release rate of over 90% for the approximately 1,500 animals intaked annually.

Stray Hold is 7 days, according to the Services page. Spay/Neuter is performed on all animals prior to release to the adopter, per the Shelter FAQ and Spay and Neuter page. All pets are also microchipped. Owner surrenders are not accepted. Animal Census Reports are published on the Statistics page.

City of Mobile Animal Services is led by Robert Bryant, Audrey Evans, and Beth Jones. The shelter invites community members to volunteer and foster. The shelter also offers assistance with pet food and veterinary care.

The shelter website states that the facility “was built in 1965 and no longer suitable for the needs of a modern Animal Services Facility,” thus the city is building a new facility which will include a veterinary clinic. The new facility is expected to open in 2027, according to Jan. 2026 reporting by NBC15.

The new facility will be located at 1668 West Interstate 65 Service Road, the former site of religious broadcaster Trinity Broadcasting Network, as reported by Brendan Kirby on FOX10. The City of Mobile purchased the property for $855,000 in April 2025. Mobile rescuer Denise Todd Grier, who had been advocating for a new shelter for three years, opposed this location due to its lack of green space for an exercise area for the dogs, Kirby reported. On Apr. 21, 2026, Mobile City Council members will vote on a $6.3 million building proposal from Rogers & Willard Inc. to convert the six-acre property into a shelter, Brad Gunther reported for NBC15.

Previously, the City of Mobile had planned to build a shelter on a seven-acre lot on Montlimar Drive. In December 2023, the City Council unanimously approved a $1.7 million contract for initial site work, per a City of Mobile Facebook post. Mayor Sandy Stimpson told WALA that the design of the shelter was nearly complete. However, the project was scrapped sometime in 2024. “After the first phase of this project was completed, the cost estimates for a new facility came in far higher than expected,” a city representative commented on Facebook, and the city began investigating other options.

Prichard Animal Shelter is directed by Andrew Stubbs, who has worked for over a decade to improve animal welfare. The shelter is run directly by the City of Prichard and also contracts with the City of Chickasaw.

Stray Hold is 7 days. Owner surrender requests are considered on a managed basis. Animal Census data is published on the Prichard Animal Shelter website: click the menu, then Monthly Shelter Statistics.

The Saraland Animal Shelter has a staff of three, according to the city website. Adoption fees include a microchip in addition to the state-required sterilization and rabies vaccination. Impounded dogs and pets available for adoption are posted on Facebook.

Founded in 1885, the Mobile SPCA is a nonprofit, no-kill, managed intake shelter that is not funded by the county or any municipality, according to their website. The organization operates Mobile County’s pet-friendly emergency shelter.

Animal Control in Mobile County

Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Mobile County: The county website states that Mobile County Animal Department consists of the Animal Shelter and Animal Control Field Operation Divisions. For assistance, contact MCAS at 251-574-3647. See the website for what to do in the event of an after-hours emergency.

According to an announcement published in Nov. 2019, Mobile County ACOs were deputized in 2019 to allow them to issue citations for the Dogs Running at Large statute, which the Mobile County Commission adopted in Nov. 2018.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Bayou La Batre is served by Mobile County Animal Department.
• The best way to report an animal-related issue in Chickasaw is to email photos and videos to ACOfficer@cityofchickasaw.org. If you do not receive a response within one business day, follow-up with a call to 251-452-6467. Bobbie Bush serves as Animal Control Supervisor at Chickasaw Animal Services. In an emergency, call 251-675-5331. Also, follow City of Chickasaw Animal Services for compassionate education from ACO Bush including free and discounted vaccinations, spay and neuter, and microchips; Chickasaw’s pet licensing requirement; education; and and volunteer and donation opportunities. Dogs impounded in Chickasaw are held for up to three days in Chickasaw. If not reclaimed during that time, they may be brought to Prichard Animal Shelter or Mobile County Animal Shelter. Owner surrender requests are considered on a managed basis.
• Officer James Stokes heads animal control for Dauphin Island. Call 251-313-2378 or email jstokes@townofdauphinisland.org.
• For assistance in the City of Mobile, contact Mobile 311 or Mobile County Animal Control Dispatch at 251-574-3647. In an emergency, including a dog bite or attack or an animal that has been injured and cannot move (such as hit by a car), call Mobile Police Department at 251-208-7211.
• Prichard Animal Resources, which is structured under the Public Works Department, serves the City of Prichard. Call 251-456-5399.
• In Saraland, contact Saraland Animal Control by leaving a message at 251-679-5570.
• To report an animal concern in Creola, Mount Vernon, Satsuma, or Semmes, call your city’s police department. The Mobile SPCA website provides phone numbers.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Mobile County

County Adoption of Alabama’s Dog Confinement Statute: Dog confinement is required in Mobile County because the Mobile County Commission adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5, which requires that dogs be confined to the owner’s premises or kept in the charge of a responsible person if off-premises.

Mobile County adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5 in 2018 and announced the adoption on the county website. The county began issuing citations a year later once officers were deputized by the sheriff to give them authority to cite. See also the Minutes from the Commission meeting at which the statute was adopted, at the encouragement of Public Services Director Douglas Hathcock and County Humane Officer Carmelo Miranda in addition to the several other residents and officials who spoke.

Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• The City of Mobile requires dog confinement by ordinance (§ 7-10). Mobile also has a humane tethering ordinance. Amid pressure from advocates in Jan. 2026, the City of Mobile is considering increasing fines for violations of animal ordinances, per NBC15 and two reports on FOX10. A city dog license is required; microchipped dogs are exempt.
• Dog confinement is required by ordinance in Bayou La Batre (2001-455), Chickasaw (2021-13, which also requires dog licensing, thus rendering § 3-1-5 inapplicable), Citronelle (§ 4-7), Creola (§ 4-2), Dauphin Island (81-F 2025), Mount Vernon (§ 4-2), Saraland (§ 8-113), Satsuma (377 and 520-1), and Semmes (2022-09).
• Following an attack outside Prichard Elementary, Prichard is currently considering adopting a confinement ordinance or leash law, according to a statement issued by the city and reports by FOX10 in December 2025 and January 2026.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Mobile County

• Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter helps City of Mobile residents sterilize their cats and dogs. Fill out the Spay or Neuter Assistance form on the organization’s website to request help. The organization also shares information about low-cost vaccinations, microchips, and nail trims.
• Mobile SPCA offers spay/neuter vouchers for dog owners who meet residency and income qualifications and discount coupons for all other dog owners. The organization also subsidizes vet care and vaccinations.
• Chickasaw Animal Control Supervisor Bobbie Bush helps residents with access to sterilization. Her contact information is listed in the Animal Control section above.
• Save a Stray offers discounted sterilization in Mobile.
• Saraland Animal Shelter offers discounted sterilization opportunities that are open to all.
• Two Mobile County vets participate in the ALVMF license plate program, which offers $10 cat sterilization or $20 dog sterilization for Medicaid recipients.
• For additional low-cost sterilization resources and options, see Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Alabama.

Cat TNR & Fostering: Three 501c3 nonprofits in Mobile County — Mobile Cat Society (Fb), Mobile Bay Cats, and Dauphin Island Cat Association (Fb) — support TNR (trap, neuter, return) efforts and spay/neuter assistance for feral and friendly community cats. 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. If you have noticed a cat colony in your area, need financial assistance, or would like to volunteer for trapping, fostering, or caretaking of community cat colonies, contact these organizations.

Mobile County Documents

Animal Census Reports:

• Mobile County Animal Shelter data
• Prichard Animal Shelter data — click the menu icon, then Monthly Shelter Statistics

Alabama Code § 3-1-5 Adoption:

• Mobile County Adoption of Alabama Code § 3-1-5

Public Records Request:

• Mobile County Public Records Request
• City of Mobile Public Records Request

Sources

County and municipal governments, shelters, animal control officers, and nonprofit animal groups in Mobile County deserve recognition for their unusually informative internet presence. While animal services research in other Alabama counties typically requires several phone calls and emails, a great deal of information was available for this page without even picking up the phone.

• Bobbie Bush, Animal Control Supervisor, Chickasaw Animal Services, contacted us on Mar. 24, 2026 with animal control information for the City of Chickasaw. Owner surrender information for Chickasaw, Prichard, and Mobile County is also from Bobbie. Thank you, Bobbie!
• Bayou La Batre Receptionist: Although the city established an ACO position and refers to a shelter in a 2001 ordinance, a receptionist at the Bayou La Batre Police Department confirmed on Jan. 16, 2026 that the city does not have its own ACO or shelter; animal control is provided through the county.

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