Animal Services in Calhoun County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Calhoun County

Calhoun County Animal Control is operated by Calhoun County. The facility serves the unincorporated area of the county and some cities which contribute financial support.

• Stray Hold is 7 days.
• Spay/Neuter is sometimes performed prior to adoption; for other animals an appointment is scheduled at the time of adoption and the adopter is contractually responsible for transporting their new family member to the veterinarian used by the shelter.
• Animal Census Reports are prepared monthly and may be requested from the Commission.

On July 24, 2025, Calhoun County Commission announced plans to acquire the 38-acre OneWorld Pet Resort for $2 million to utilize as a new animal shelter. On Aug. 15, the Commission granted permission for the chairman to move forward in the purchasing process. In late November, ABC3340 reported that the county would take over animal care at OneWorld starting Dec. 1, 2025.

In 2022 and previously in 2011, Calhoun County Animal Control employees were reported to have been killing shelter animals via heart stick (intracardiac euthanasia) which is criminal animal cruelty in Alabama. The then-director and an employee resigned when the 2022 news broke.

According to their website, Calhoun County Humane Society is a 501c3 nonprofit animal shelter. Jacksonville Animal Control brings retrieved animals to this shelter.

Animal Control in Calhoun County

Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Calhoun County: Calhoun County Animal Control is part of Calhoun County Commission and employs two ACOs, including AC Director Naomi Richards. For assistance, call 256-241-2929.

Animal law enforcement is in collaboration with local deputies and police officers. In Jan. 2026, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office offered a textbook example of how to address abandonment, which is criminal animal cruelty in Alabama, when a man who abandoned his seven dogs inside and outside of the home upon his eviction. He was charged with seven counts of cruelty and held on a $21,000 bond.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Animal control in Anniston is coordinated by the Police Department. Call 256-238-1800.
• For assistance in Glencoe, call ACO Stanley Trimm at the Police Department at 256-492-1425 x4.
• Jacksonville ACO Karon Johnston can be reached through City Hall at 256-435-7611. Retrieved animals are taken to Calhoun County Humane Society and are posted on Facebook.
• In Hobson City or Ohatchee, contact Calhoun County Animal Control.
• Animal control in Oxford appears to be the responsibility of the Police Department. Call 256-831-3121.
• In Piedmont, call ACO Christian Crider at 256-447-3586 or 256-452-5225.
• Southside’s ACO is Victoria Cranford. Victoria is a civilian ACO who works in the Police Department. For assistance, call 256-442-9775 x129. Impounded animals are brought to Rainbow City Animal Shelter and posted on Facebook.
• Weaver coordinates animal control through the Police Department. Call 256-820-0530.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Calhoun County

County Adoption of Alabama’s Dog Confinement Statute: Dog confinement is required in Calhoun County because the Calhoun 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.

Calhoun County adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5 in 1984 via Resolution.

Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Dog confinement is required by ordinance in Anniston (§ 4.36), Glencoe (§ 6-96), Jacksonville (§ 5-59), Oxford (§ 6-70), Piedmont (§ 4-19), Southside (§ 6-55), Weaver (§ 8-28).
• We have requested information from Hobson City; requirements will be added here if received. (It is likely that confinement is required, whether by statute and/or ordinance.)
• We do not know requirements in Ohatchee. The town required a $20 payment to view or receive the ordinance, an unreasonable fee which we did not pay.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Calhoun County

• Calhoun County Snip-It Ticket offers reduced-price vouchers to all Calhoun County residents (unincorporated and municipal) for surgery at Alabama Spay Neuter.
• Alabama Spay Neuter, a non-profit clinic specializing in sterilization, offers everyday low prices, aid programs, and pet transportation from Calhoun County and Etowah County.
• If Pell City is convenient to you, the ASPCI Spay/Neuter Assistance Program offers discounted sterilization to anyone with a household income below $49,000/year. See details at Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in St. Clair County.
• See Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama for additional resources.

Also, the nonprofit Animal Advocates for Calhoun County assists pet owners with free microchipping events, food and vet assistance, and sturdy, weather-resident dog houses.

Access to Information & Public Records in Calhoun County

Commission: In violation of Alabama’s Open Records Act, Calhoun County Commission did not fulfill a public records request for the county's Ala. Code § 3-1-5 adoption resolution. There was no response to the Mar. 29, 2025 request within the Open Records Act’s 10-business day acknowledgement window. Upon an Apr. 15 follow-up, Christi Ford, administrative secretary, had me send the request directly to her and confirmed receipt. On Apr. 29, Christi stated that requests are forwarded to the county attorney.

County Attorney’s Office, 256-241-2937: On Apr. 29, Heather Turner, legal administrative assistant, said the Commission had in Nov. 2024 adopted a new in-person policy, citing “cybersecurity risk.” I spoke this policy violating the Act for the reasons stated at Open Records Access. Heather then asked me to provide her that same information in writing so that she could check with the county attorney the next day; Heather did not call nor was there any response during two weeks of follow-up via email and voicemail.

Sheriff’s Office: I contacted the Sheriff’s Office (256-236-6600) upon finding a 2016 Calhoun County SO Facebook post [jpg] stating that the statute had been adopted in the mid-’80s. On May 9, 2025, I spoke with Lt. Doggrell (256-241-8055). He recalled “the flier that we put out since we get such a large number of complaints about dogs,” thinking it may mention § 3-1-5; the code reference was actually to the county responsibility to provide a pound and AC in § 3-7a-7. Then he turned to the SO SO for a resolution about implementation of § 3-1-5, but it did not include a year or details. After continued research, Lt. Doggrell provided the Resolution on May 13.

Municipalities:

• Karin Cooper, Ohatchee town clerk, emailed the town’s records request form immediately after our phone call; when I returned the form, she wrote that there would be a $20 fee for her to email, to mail, or even to get out the binder of ordinances for in-person viewing. Mayor Steven E. Baswell said the fee was justified because the the ordinance would have to be scanned. I offered to scan it for them for free and provide a digital file if they could mail me a paper copy. He chuckled and said that I could come in to view the ordinance for free; he was not aware that the town clerk was charging $20 for that also and replied “If that's what she said, we’ll stick to it.” A Police Department representative said that the PD enforces the state law which he said the town had adopted via ordinance.
• In Piedmont, Ben Singleton of the building and zoning department emailed Piedmont’s ordinance just 25 minutes after I emailed an informal request.
• I emailed Hobson City at Hobsoncityclerk@bellsouth.net on Jan. 9, 2026 to confirm that AC is indeed provided by the county and to ask whether the city requires confinement by ordinance. I called on Jan. 13 to follow up; there was no answer and no voicemail option.

Calhoun County Documents

• Calhoun County Resolution to Adopt Alabama Code § 3-1-5 (1984)
• Calhoun County Commission Public Records Request Form: None or not available. Prepare according to the Open Records Act template or fill out in person. If your request is denied on the basis of a Calhoun County Commission in-person requirement, see this information.

Sources & Contact Information

• Naomi Richards, Director, Calhoun County Animal Control, spoke with Aubrie Kavanaugh about animal control and the county AC facility on May 2, 2025.
• Lt. Josh Doggrell, Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, provided Calhoun County Resolution to Adopt Alabama Code § 3-1-5 to Kristin Yarbrough on May 13, 2025.
• See also municipal contacts, listed above.

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