Animal Services in Cleburne County

We welcome your updates, additions, corrections, or comments: please email us. Information that you provide can be attributed to you or kept anonymous, as you prefer.

Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Cleburne County

Cleburne County Animal Shelter, a nonprofit organization, formed in 2022 to collaborate with Cleburne County and the City of Heflin toward the construction of an animal shelter. Melissa Christopher serves as board president of the nonprofit organization, with support from Caron Duckworth, Carol Wright, and many other volunteers. Once open, the nonprofit organization will lease the site and operate the shelter independently, with funding from the city and county.

Site & Funding: The shelter will be located on a 26-acre parcel owned by the City of Heflin, Bill Wilson reported in the Anniston Star. (A site near the jail was also considered, and was rejected due to concerns about noise.) Cleburne County Commission contributed $200,000 toward the project, with additional funding from grants and donations.

Design: Aspects of the shelter design were modeled after a shelter in Polk County, Georgia. Commissioner Emmett Owen was particularly impressed by underfloor heating, which he and Heflin Mayor Robby Brown decided to replicate in the door kennels. The heated concrete slab floor will help the concrete dry faster and reduce odors, per Owen.

Livestock, Too: In addition to indoor housing for cats and dogs, the shelter will include a fenced outdoor space for larger animals including horses, goats, and pigs.

Construction Progress: The main building, which includes cat housing and staff offices, was completed in January 2026, per Owen, and the shelter was expected to open within 3-4 months. Volunteer training events were held in May and June. As of late July, the facility had hot water, a shelter representative told us. In the rear part of the main building, kennels constructed of metal fencing and concrete block were mostly in place, with doors arriving soon. “We are still waiting for the city to complete the septic and fencing,” the representative added.

As volunteers and residents looked forward to opening day, the representative kept a positive outlook. “We are just grateful for any investment our community is putting in this project so that we can provide the services that are needed,” she said. “I just keep reminding myself that Randolph County had to wait 10 years from the start until they opened.”

Although Alabama law has required an impoundment facility since at least 1935, this will be Cleburne County’s first animal shelter. Many counties and cities across the states have yet to begin meeting the state’s requirement.

Animal Control in Cleburne County

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• In Heflin, call the Police Department at 256-463-2292. Until the shelter opens, impounded animals are held “at a temporary location in the public works department” and also at Randolph County Animal Shelter in Wedowee, per the Anniston Star.
• For assistance in Edwardsville, Fruithurst, or Ranburne, call your police department or the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office at 256-463-2277.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Cleburne County

Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Cleburne County because the Cleburne 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 that residents 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 Heflin (§ 8-66).
• Edwardsville, Fruithurst, or Ranburne: These municipalities do not appear to post their ordinances on their websites 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 Cleburne County

• Pinhoti Animal Rescue hosts discounted spay/neuter events for Cleburne County residents. Watch for upcoming opportunities at Events or on Facebook.
• Pet transportation is available from Clay County to Alabama Spay Neuter in Irondale. Financial assistance is also available.
• See Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama and Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Calhoun County for additional resources.

Cleburne County Documents

• Cleburne County Commission Public Records Request Form — If your request is denied on the basis of the in-person requirement stated on the form, see this information.

Sources

• Lisa Copeland, Cleburne County Administrator, 256-463-3827 spoke to Aubrie Kavanaugh on May 1, 2025 regarding the shelter and animal control, and to Kristin Yarbrough on Mar. 28, 2025 regarding Alabama Code § 3-1-5.
• Cleburne County Animal Shelter representative (no name provided) replied to our Messenger inquiry on Mar. 29, 2026, with a request that we provide an email address, however we did not receive an email from the shelter. We inquired again on July 27, and a representative offered a friendly update on the status of the shelter.

Do You Have a Correction, Addition, or Comment?

Please see the note at the top of this page.