Animal Services in Clay County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Clay County

Clay County Animal Shelter is a nonprofit organization which contracts with Clay County Commission to provide animal services to Clay County, Alabama.

A no-kill shelter since 2014, CCAS reports maintaining a live-release rate at or above 90%. CCAS keeps all animals until a good home is found, according to Director Linda Clausen.

• Stray Hold is 7 days.
• Owner Surrender requests are handled on a managed basis. Residents are offered assistance to help keep families together, and if no other solution can be found, pets are taken in when space becomes available.
• Spay/Neuter is done on all animals prior to adoption, per Linda Clausen.
• Animal Census Reports are prepared monthly. Request from Clay County Animal Shelter. Per shelter records, Clay County Animal Shelter took in 87 animals in 2025: 61 dogs and 26 cats.

The Clay County Commission provides funding to the shelter in the form of 20% of the county’s tobacco tax, an arrangement which has been the subject of two legal battles. In April 2026, the briefing to the County Commission reported that “tobacco tax revenue has dropped from an average of $4,100 to just under $3,000 per month which primarily covers payroll.”

Compliance with the Alabama’s Pound Mandate: With a county pound contract and no municipal requirements (since both of the county’s municipalities have populations under 5,000), Clay County is fulfilling the state’s basic mandate of providing an impoundment facility, but is not fulfilling the impoundment officer requirement. The state’s law also specifies that the pound must be “suitable,” without defining the term. Is Clay County fulfilling that requirement?

• Dogs are loose everywhere in the county, according to Clay County Clerk Linda Varner, while CCAS reports an “overwhelming community need to intake abandoned cats and dogs.”
• Is Clay County’s funding of CCAS, at less than $36,000 per year, sufficient to cover staffing, upkeep, and operational costs? CCAS documentation states that “constant fundraising [is] needed to support operation and veterinarian costs.”

Animal Control in Clay County

Clay County employs no animal control officers to serve unincorporated Clay County. How to get help:

• Clay County Commission, 256-354-7888, and Clay County Sheriff’s Office, 256-354-2176, are responsible for the impoundment of loose untagged animals.
• Report neglect or abuse or any other violation of animal law to Clay County Sheriff’s Office, 256-354-2176.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Ashland has an ACO. Call the Ashland Police Department at 256-354-2122 or City Hall at 256-354-2121.
• For assistance in Lineville, call the Police Department at 256-396-2633 or City Hall at 256-396-2581.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Clay County

Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Clay County because the Clay County Commission has not adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5, which 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 you can take to address issues or to encourage the county to require confinement.

Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Dog confinement is required by ordinance in Ashland (§ 2022-09-06-01).
• Lineville does not appear to share ordinances on the city website or via Municode. Please email us if you can share information.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Clay County

Clay County Animal Shelter has developed a strong partnership with Alabama Spay and Neuter Clinic for a monthly transport to Irondale. Snip-It Tickets and a Family Assistance Program minimize costs. Register online at the Clay County Animal Shelter website. The shelter continues to raise money to help low-income families alter their dogs and cats. CCAS reported sterilizing over 340 animals in the year of April 2025 through March 2026.

For other low-cost sterilization options, see Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Alabama and Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Talladega County.

Assistance

Clay County Animal Shelter coordinates Pet Food Pantry events for families in need. The pantry served over 450 households in the year ending in March 2026, according to CCAS documentation, helping families keep their pets during financial hardship and reducing shelter intake.

Clay County Documents

• Animal Census Reports are prepared monthly. Request from Clay County Animal Shelter.
• Clay County Commission Public Records Request Form: The County Commission does not appear to have a Public Records Request form on their website. Call the Commission to request a form or submit according to the Open Records Act template.

Sources

• Linda Varner, Clay County Clerk, 256-354-7888 spoke to Aubrie Kavanaugh on May 5, 2025 about the shelter and animal control, and to Kristin Yarbrough on Mar. 28, 2025 regarding Alabama Code § 3-1-5 and loose dogs in the county. Linda initially said she was “pretty much certain” that the statute has not been adopted, and said she would follow up if she received different information from the county attorney, who has worked for the county for 25 years. Linda followed up on the same day to state that the attorney was not aware of any resolution.
• Linda Clausen, Director, Clay County Animal Shelter, 251-402-6513, spoke to Aubrie Kavanaugh about the shelter on May 7, 2025. Linda had not heard of the Animal Census Reporting Act; the statute and a form were provided upon her request. (Clay County Animal Shelter has now begun preparing census reports each month.)
• Ann East, President, Clay County Animal Shelter, spoke to Aubrie Kavanaugh on May 9, 2025. Ann prepared shelter data on May 15, 2026, at the request of Kristin Yarbrough.
• Pam, Clay County Animal Shelter, conversed with Kristin Yarbrough in May 2026 regarding the shelter and the animal census.

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