Alabama Animal Advocates

Animal Services in Franklin County

Animal services in Franklin County, Alabama. How to get help with animal concerns, impoundment facility, animal control, low-cost spay & neuter, dog confinement requirements.
Written by Kristin Yarbrough
Additional Research by Aubrie Kavanaugh
Updated Sept. 13, 2026

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Animal Control in Franklin Co.

Alabama requires local governments to pick up and impound loose dogs. Animal Control Officers (ACOs) also respond to reports related to dogs and cats.

Franklin Co. Animal Control
ACOs Joey Wingo & Matt Mayfield
256-332-1217
Serving unincorporated areas
and some municipalities.

Although ACOs may investigate cruelty or address municipal code violations, most Alabama ACOs are civilians who do not have law enforcement authority. The sheriff’s office and local PDs are responsible for the enforcement of cruelty laws.

Sheriff’s Office Encouraging Criminal Activity?

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

Franklin Co. Animal Services At-a-Glance

Report animal concerns or violations according to the location, as noted below. For more information about animal control and enforcement of animal laws, or if your concern is not being addressed, see this guidance.

Pop. Jurisdiction Pound ACO RAL
32,113 Franklin Co. County County § 3-7A
Report animal concerns in unincorporated Franklin County — including the towns of Hodges, Phil Campbell, and Vina, and the communities of Atwood, Burnout, Frankfort, Halltown, Liberty Hill, Nix, Old Burleson, Pleasant Site, Pogo, and Spruce Pine — to Franklin County ACOs Joey Wingo and Matt Mayfield at 256-332-1217. (Population figure is the entire county population of 32,113 less the two municipal populations below.)
3,232 Red Bay County City § 95-11-27
Report animal concerns in Red Bay to Town Hall at 256-356-4473. Pickup of loose dogs is the responsibility of the Street Department. Impounded animals are posted to the City of Red Bay Facebook page. Report neglect, abuse, cruelty,, or other legal issues to the PD at 256-356-4455.
10,855 Russellville City PD § 6-67
Report animal concerns in Russellville to ACO Copeland at 256-332-2230. “Holding kennels located near the dump” serve as the impoundment facility. The location is not open to the public, and found animals are not posted publicly; residents can call to ask if their pet has been impounded.

[County population includes municipalities.]

Dog Confinement Requirements in Franklin Co.

Requirements vary by location, as indicated in the right column above. See Dog Confinement Laws in Alabama for more info.

How to get help:

Alabama Code § 3-1-5 is not applicable in Franklin County. If adopted by the Commission, residents of the unincorporated area and some municipalities would be required to confine dogs to their premises or keep them in their charge if off-premises.

Impoundment Facilities & Shelters

Government Animal Shelters in Franklin Co.

Franklin County’s small animal impoundment facility is operated directly by Franklin County and managed by ACOs Joey Wingo and Matt Mayfield.

Joey has led animal control for 10 years. Together he and Matt operate FCAS and care for the animals in addition to responding to calls across the unincorporated area and all municipalities except for Russellville and Red Bay (which have their own ACOs). This is a substantial amount of responsibility and a large territory; Joey said he and Matt are “constantly on the go.”

Franklin County Animal Control
Located near the landfill.
Not open to the public.
256-332-1217

Joey said FCAS takes in 5–15 dogs per week, and anywhere from 1–30 cats. He estimated annual intake to be in the neighborhood of 700–750 animals.

The current Franklin County Animal Control (FCAS), constructed in 2001 and intended to be temporary, has been in use for over 20 years, Aria Pons reported for WAFF. Its capacity is approximately 20 animals, per María Camp of Franklin County Times. A replacement is under construction.

Joey and I spoke about the multiple disturbing claims about FCAS that peppered social media and also that had been reported through this website, including that the relationship with the only rescue partner had fizzled, a rescuer’s report “that Franklin County [was] not in the dog business that it was easier to euthanize than to try to help save them,” and that all animals were killed every Friday to avoid having to feed animals during the weekend. Two highly trustworthy sources had independently confirmed my fear that this was a disposal facility.

It all seemed to add up: I had not been able to reach Joey in several attempts over the summer. Franklin County Administrator Leah Mansell confirmed that she did have Animal Census Reports but refused my request. Not open to the public, no postings of found animals, certainly no fostering program, and even no adoptions! These were not good signs. Admittedly, I shuttered to think what was happening in Franklin County.

And then I left one more message for Joey, even while seeking a Franklin County resident who could assist with in-person research. This time, on Sept. 4, 2026, Joey called right back, and his abundant care and openness offered an entirely different impression.

Ideas are being considered as to how to spread the word about impounded animals, including running an ad with the newspaper. Joey confirmed the plan is still to offer adoption upon the completion of the new county facility. “Wait til we get it up,” Joey said. He expects that the county will then hire another staff member, since it will be a “pretty big facility.”

Joey said he does work with rescues. He mentioned that FCAS does okay with live release. When I asked about Census Reports, Joey said the computer system had crashed, erasing all records. Joey said he keeps animal data by hand and is working with the county IT director to create a simple software to track animals, record pick up locations, flag hot spots. Another hurdle was that he does not have a county email address. Still, he said he believed he could obtain reports from the Commission and jotted down my email address as we chatted about the importance of transparency.

The good-natured Joey offered that he shaved his head because he had been pulling out his hair. It seemed to me that this was not completely a joke. As for the disturbing claims, he seemed unaffected. Without a shred of defensiveness, Joey mentioned the public’s need for someone to attack.

As for the rumor that all FCAS animals were killed before every weekend, Joey mentioned a dog who has stayed at FCAS for a year because although she was not suitable to be offered to rescue or adoption, he loved her and was not going to let her go. She will have her own room at the new facility, Joey said.

He mentioned another dog taken in as part of a murder case eight months ago, also not suitable for placement (and hopefully not still being held as evidence). Joey offered to show me around the shelter and to meet Mary Lou and Draco — the two dogs so clearly beloved to him. I can’t wait to do just that.

New Franklin Co. Impoundment Facility Opening Soon

The replacement for the current facility nears completion. Located adjacent to the sheriff’s office and the Franklin County Jail near the city limit of Russellville, the new facility will be “almost three times bigger than the current” with space in the back of the property left open for future expansion, per Pons, 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, per Camp.

“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 November 2024 approval of the construction bid. How are things progressing?

Joey hopes the new facility will be open before Christmas, he said, by November or December. Is there no heat in the current facility? — I wondered aloud — and thus learned that Joey has spent money out of his own pocket to ensure that everyone was comfortable.

Dog Attacks in Franklin Co.

Two women were killed in April 2022 attacks by seven loose dogs in Red Bay, Alabama, in what appears to have been an unincorporated area of Franklin County.

Colbert County Administrator Roger Creekmore spoke of the two maulings on a Apr. 1, 2025 call. The second victim, Summer Beard, a 17-year employee of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), was mauled upon her arrival to investigate the attack on Michelle Ann Sheeks.

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, Dowdy was found guilty in Nov. 2025 of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and two violations of Emily’s Law. On Aug. 4, 2026, Dowdy was sentenced to 26 years in jail, per the Times Daily:

A pivotal question in the criminal case was whether Dowdy could be considered the owner of the dogs, as is addressed in the FAQ. The civil suit is still underway.

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter and Other Assistance in Franklin Co.

Documents & Sources

County Sources:

Municipal Sources:

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