Animal Services in Houston County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Houston County

Wiregrass Pets Rescue & Adoption Center opened in fall 2025 after two decades of planning, according to Jacklynn Lambert on WTVY. The $10 million facility was funded by the City of Dothan, Houston County, and the Wiregrass Foundation. All pets that were previously housed at the Dothan Animal Shelter were transferred to this new facility.

• Stray Hold is 7 days.
• Spay/Neuter is performed on all animals prior to release to the adopter.
• Animal Census data is provided on the shelter website.

Serving all of Houston County, Wiregrass Pets Rescue & Adoption Center is a 501c3 nonprofit that “was established for the sole reason to build a new animal shelter and to assume responsibility as manager of the animal shelter,” according to the shelter FAQ page.

The organization aims to utilize adoption, rescue partnerships, fostering, volunteers, community support programs, low-cost spay and neuter, managed (rather than immediate) intake for owner surrenders, and other programs to establish positive placements for all shelter animals, thus avoiding ending lives for space reasons.

Wiregrass Humane Society is a private 501c3 shelter that established its current facility in 2000. The organization raises about half of its funding through Second Chance Thrift Shop. All animals are sterilized prior to release to the adopter, according to the FAQ.

See Animal Services in Coffee County.

Animal Control in Houston County

Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Houston County is called Rabies Control. Its two officers are employed by the Houston County Commission and work in the Water & Rabies Lab Department. For assistance, call 334-678-2810.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• To report a lost pet, neglect, or other animal concern in Dothan, call the Communications Center at 334-793-0215.
• In the towns of Ashford, Avon, Columbia, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Gordon, Kinsey, Madrid, Rehobeth, Taylor, or Webb, call Houston County Rabies Control.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Houston County

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

Dogs run loose everywhere in the county, according to Jackie Culpepper of Houston County Commission.

Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Dog confinement is required by ordinance in Dothan (§ 10-8).
• There may be no requirement in Ashford, Avon, Columbia, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Gordon, Kinsey, Madrid, Rehobeth, Taylor, or Webb. Please email us if you can share information.

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

[The Association of County Commissions of Alabama publication Comparative Data on Alabama Counties, Part I (PDF) states that Houston County had adopted; no citation is provided for that information.]

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Houston County

• The nonprofit Wiregrass Spay/Neuter Alliance in Dothan specializes in sterilization surgeries. In addition to their standard low prices, the organization also participates in the ALVMF license plate program, which offers $10 cat sterilization or $20 dog sterilization for Medicaid recipients.
• Felines Under Rescue (FUR) is a Dothan-based organization that assists owners with costs for spay and neuter and medical care of both dogs and cats. FUR also provides owners with pet food when supplies allow. Contact FUR through Facebook or email.
• Two options in Tallahassee: Tally Spay Wellness Clinic and Animal Aid Spay & Neuter Center.
• For additional information and resources, see Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama.

Houston County Documents

• Houston County Commission Public Records Request Form— if your request is denied on the basis of the in-person requirement, see this information.
• Animal Census data is provided on the Wiregrass Pets Rescue & Adoption Center website.

Sources

• Walter Lewis, Senior Rabies Control Officer (ACO) for Houston County, provided information on the Dothan Animal Shelter and animal control in Houston County on Apr. 25, 2025.
• Rabies Control Officer (ACO), Dothan Animal Shelter, 334-678-2810, stated definitively on a Mar. 26, 2025 call that Houston County has no leash law. He would not provide his name as a source, only offering his title of Rabies Control Officer.
• Jackie Culpepper, Commission assistant, stated on Apr. 1, 2025 that she believed the county had not adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5, but was not sure and thought she might research it herself even though it “could take weeks” because “things have not been scanned.”

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