Animal Services in Covington County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Covington County

With no impoundment facility and no animal control, Covington County is failing to fulfill the statutory mandate of Alabama Code § 3-7A-7 that “Each county within the state shall provide a suitable county pound and impounding officer.”

The Andalusia Animal Shelter is a public shelter operated by the Andalusia Police Department. According to the Facebook page, the Andalusia Animal Shelter intakes strays and owner surrenders from all of Covington County, which is unusual since Covington County does not contract with Andalusia, according to Covington County Administrator Karen Sowell.

Animal Control in Covington County

Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Covington County: Covington County employs no dedicated animal control officers. For assistance, call the Covington County Sheriff’s Office at 334-428-2641.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Andalusia Police Department is responsible for impoundment and enforcement of animal laws. The department employs an animal control officer, and other officers assist when the ACO is not on duty, according to a statement from Chief Paul Hudson that encouraged residents to proactively report loose dogs. For assistance, call 334-222-1155.
• ACO Sgt. Justin Holland of Opp Police Department serves the City of Opp. Call 334-493-4511. An organization called Opp Pound Project promotes adoption and medical care for dogs impounded in Opp.
• We do not if any of Covington County's many small towns — Babbie, Carolina, Florala, Gantt, Heath, Horn Hill, Libertyville, Lockhart, Onycha, Red Level, River Falls, and Sanford — have an ACO or code enforcement officer. For assistance, call the police department (if none, call Covington County Sheriff’s Office at 334-428-2641) or town hall.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Covington County

County Adoption of Alabama’s Dog Confinement Statute: Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Covington County because the Covington 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.

Citizens had asked the Commission to adopt in 2023 and 2024, as reported by the Andalusia Star News. If the 2024 article is accurate, both the county attorney and the sheriff were unaware that the statute could be adopted to give the county authority to address at-large dogs.

Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Dog confinement is required by ordinance in Andalusia (statement) and Opp (§ 3-21).
• Confinement is also required in Florala, according to a June 9, 2025 City Council meeting report posted on Facebook, though the ordinance is not included on the city’s Ordinances page.
• We do not know if Babbie, Carolina, Gantt, Heath, Horn Hill, Libertyville, Lockhart, Onycha, Red Level, River Falls, or Sanford require owners to keep their dogs on their own premises. Please email us if you can share information.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Covington County

• Blooper Animal Rescue & Transport coordinates low-cost spay & neuter including transportation to and from Andalusia, Opp, and Enterprise. Dates and registration details are posted on the Blooper website and Facebook page.
• Two Covington County vets participate in the ALVMF license plate program, which offers $10 cat sterilization or $20 dog sterilization for Medicaid recipients.
• Mack the SNipper offers spay and neuter in Crestview, Florida. Call 850-417-8779.
• See Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Alabama for additional resources.

Covington County Documents

• Covington 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.

includes an in-person requirement. If your request is denied on that basis, see this information.

Sources

• Karen Sowell, Covington County Administrator, 334-428-2610, provided shelter and animal control information to Aubrie Kavanaugh on May 1, 2025.
• Rachel Faust, Covington County Commission administrative assistant, stated on a Mar. 31, 2025 call with Kristin Yarbrough that Covington County has not adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5.

Do You Have a Correction, Addition, or Comment?

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