Animal Services in Franklin County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Franklin County

This small impoundment facility is operated directly by Franklin County. It was intended to be temporary but has instead has been in use for 20 years, according to reporting by Aria Pons for WAFF. The facility, located near the landfill, is not open to the public and the county does not share its address. ACO Joey Wingo stated that facility holds approximately 20 animals, María Camp of Franklin County Times reported.

Impounded animals are not shared on Facebook or by any other means to facilitate the reunion of animals with their families, nor are residents allowed to come to the facility to seek their lost pet. Alabama Code § 3-7A-7 requires that notice of impoundment be provided when the owner of an impounded animal is known.

All animals that are not pulled by rescue organizations are killed, and we have been advised by Marcia Henson that FCAC no longer partners with the one rescue with which FCAC previously partnered. FCAC does not offer adoptions and has no fostering program. One rescuer said she “was told that Franklin County is not in the dog business that it was easier to euthanize than to try to help save them.” After the 7-day stray hold, unclaimed dogs are sent to Marion County to be destroyed.

• Stray Hold is 7 days.
• Spay/Neuter is not performed and adoptions are not currently being offered; the county plans to offer animals for adoption “in the future.”
• Animal Census Reports: ACO Joey Wingo said he is aware of the Animal Census Reporting Act but heard conflicting information. Joey said he keeps up with the animals they have.

New Facility Under Construction: “It is a huge need, and this is something we've been working on for a long time,” said Franklin County Commission Chairman Barry Moore upon the approval of a new animal control facility. How is construction progressing?

• May 2024: After years of discussion, Franklin County Commission approved design services for the facility, María Camp of Franklin County Times reported.
• November 2024: a $485,000 construction bid from Hovater Metal Works was approved, per Aria Pons of WAFF. Of the total cost, $300,000 was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, a Biden-era post-COVID stimulus package, with the balance paid by Franklin County Commission, per Camp.
• January 2026: County Engineer Jason Baggett said he expected the facility to be operational by mid-summer 2026. The concrete slab had been completed, he said, and the contractor was getting ready to begin plumbing and other subgrade work. Sewer work was on hold due to cold and rainy weather, Jessica added.
• March 2026: With site prep completed and a prefabricated metal building already delivered to the site, “Hovater said he hopes the project will be finished in about three months,” Camp reported.
• July 2026: The contractor is working on the block walls “as we speak,” Jason said. He expects that the facility may open in a few months.

The future impoundment facility, located next to the Franklin County Jail near the city limit of Russellville, will be “almost three times bigger than the current [facility]” with space in the back of the property left open for future expansion, Aria Pons reported, and will include a 50-run kennel, according to Marion/Winston Animal Shelter Director Charlotte Williams. ACO Joey Wingo said its capacity will be 60-80 dogs, Camp reported.

Animal Control in Franklin County

Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Franklin County: Animal Control Officers Joey Wingo and Matt Mayfield serve Franklin County. They are employed by the County Commission. For assistance, call 256-332-1217.

We have been advised that Franklin County Sheriff’s Office regularly tells residents that they can shoot any stray dog on their property — which when done without legal cause, is animal cruelty, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and $15,000 in fines.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• For animal concerns in Red Bay, call Town Hall at 256-356-4473.
• In Russellville, call the Police Department at 256-332-2230.
• For concerns in the small towns of Hodges, Phil Campbell, and Vina, call town hall, police, or Franklin County Animal Control.

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

Dog Attacks in Franklin County

Two women were killed in April 2022 attacks by seven loose dogs in Red Bay (Franklin County), Alabama.

Colbert County Administrator Roger Creekmore spoke of the two maulings on a Apr. 1, 2025 call. The second victim was Summer Beard, a 17-year employee of the Alabama Department of Public Health who had traveled to the location to address the first attack and would not have known that the dogs were still loose, since the dogs should have been confined or seized. Beard was not allowed to be armed on the job, Roger said.

Brandy Dowdy was arrested and indicted on two counts of manslaughter and a violation of Emily’s Law (Control of Dangerous Dogs, Alabama Code §§ 3-6A. The estate of the Public Health worker filed a civil suit against the dog owner, the property owner, the County, Animal Control, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and other individuals and agencies, which points to the public safety liability of governments and officials.

After three years of delays related to the defendant’s health, the dog owner was found guilty in Nov. 2025 of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and two violations of Emily’s Law. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, following several delays. The status of the civil suit is unclear.

A pivotal question in the case was whether Dowdy could be considered the owner of the dogs, as discussed in the FAQ.

Dog Confinement Requirements in Franklin County

Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Franklin County because the Franklin 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 Red Bay (§ 95-11-27).
• Dog confinement is not required in Russellville.
• Hodges, Phil Campbell, Vina: Please contact us if you can provide information. Unless these municipalities prohibit running at large via ordinance, there is no dog confinement requirement.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter and Other Assistance in Franklin County

• Shoals PAWS (Fb) offers spay/neuter and TNR assistance to pet owners and community cat caretakers in Colbert, Franklin, and Lauderdale counties. PAWS also operates foster programs and offers puppies, dogs, kittens, and cats for adoption.
• Northwest Alabama Spay and Neuter Assistance (NASANA) (Fb) offers financial assistance for pet sterilization to residents of Colbert, Franklin, and Lauderdale counties who receive either food stamps or Medicaid. Fill out the application on their website.
• See Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama for additional resources.

HOPE in Franklin County (Fb) is a nonprofit group working to help the county and its animals through fostering, spay and neuter, and transporting animals to rescue partners in the northern U.S.

Franklin County Documents

• County Commission Public Records Request: The form and procedures are posted on the Commission website. The Commission’s procedure includes an in-person requirement. If your request is denied on that basis, see this information.
• Animal Shelter Census: See above.

Sources

• Joey Wingo, ACO, Franklin County Animal Shelter, 256-332-1217, spoke with Aubrie Kavanaugh on April 29, 2025 about the shelter and animal control.
• Jessica, Franklin County Commission, 256-332-8850 x13, spoke with Kristin Yarbrough on Mar. 27, 2025 regarding Alabama Code § 3-1-5; she stated that Franklin County has not adopted the statute. On Jan. 9, 2025, we spoke about progress on the new shelter; Jessica said the county had been waiting on sewer work and now has been waiting on the weather, which she said has been too cold or rainy, and then referred the question to Jason Baggett.
• Tracie, Franklin County Commission, was not aware of the status of the new animal control facility or shelter on a Dec. 30, 2025 phone call.
• Jason Baggett, Franklin County Engineer, 256-332-8434, provided status updates for the in-progress animal control facility on Jan. 13 and July 20, 2026.
• Amber Hardin, Business/Revenue Clerk, City of Red Bay: 256-356-4473. On a call with Kristin on Dec. 30, 2025, Amber said that the city does their own impoundment, with dogs taken to holding kennels located near the dump, a facility that serves only the city and that is not associated with the county facility. Amber said that animal ordinances are also enforced internally, though was unclear whether by code enforcement personnel or the police.
• Tamy, Russellville City Hall: 256-332-6060. On a call with Kristin on Dec. 30, 2025, Tamy (sp?) said that AC is handled by the police department and that the city has no animal control ordinance.
• Marcia Henson advised us on July 20, 2026 that FCAC no longer works with the local rescue that previously pulled dogs.

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