Animal Services in Marengo County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Marengo County

With no county-operated or contracted impoundment facility, no vet contract, and no animal control, Marengo 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.”

As of April 2025, plans for a shelter were “in beginning stages,” according to Marengo County Administrator Shannon Drake. Marengo County does provide some support to Bigbee Humane Society, as noted below.

Demopolis Animal Control is an open-intake impoundment facility serving only the City of Demopolis. The facility is directed by Valarie Ulmer, who also serves as the Demopolis ACO. Bigbee Humane Society (listed next) pulls dogs from Demopolis when their stray holds end to offer them for adoption.

The Demopolis City Council voted in Nov. 2025 to convert a Jefferson St. building into a new animal shelter with approximately 15 kennels, according to reporting by Brad Fisher at Black Belt News Network. The new six-acre site will double the size of the existing facility. The council allocated up to $150,000 for the conversion.

Bigbee Humane Society is a nonprofit organization that shares information, helps reuite or rehome lost and found animals, coordinates a foster program, and offers spay/neuter assistance, according to a profile by Babette De Jongh. “We’ve been asking for a county shelter since 2016,” wrote Bigbee Humane Society President Whitney Hall on Apr. 30, 2025, when we reached out for more information about the sheltering situation in the county. “There is no contract, the commission gives us $5000 a year donation,” Whitney wrote.

Animal Control in Marengo County

Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Marengo County: Marengo County has no animal control services in the unincorporated area. We offer this guidance to residents and advocates who need help or who would like the county and municipalities to offer animal services.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• Valarie Ulmer serves as ACO for Demopolis. For assistance, call the Demopolis Police Department at 334-289-3073.
• For assistance in Linden, contact Linden Police Department at 334-295-8697.
• In Dayton, Faunsdale, Myrtlewood, Providence, Sweet Water, or Thomaston, call your Town Hall or Police Department.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Marengo County

County Adoption of Alabama’s Dog Confinement Statute: Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Marengo County because the Marengo 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 Demopolis (§ 5-20) and Linden (§ 2005-02).
• There may be no requirement in Dayton, Faunsdale, Myrtlewood, Providence, Sweet Water, or Thomaston. These municipalities do not appear to share their ordinances on their websites or via Municode and we have not yet confirmed whether a running at large law is in effect. Please email us if you can share information.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Marengo County

We are aware of no reduced-cost spay and neuter services anywhere near Marengo County, Alabama. For the resources we are aware of elsewhere in the state, see Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama.

Can you can provide spay/neuter information? Please email us.

Marengo County Documents

Marengo 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.

Sources

• Shannon Drake, Marengo County Administrator, 334-295-2200 x8x1, said on Apr. 4, 2025, that she could find no record of adoption of Alabama Code § 3-1-5, and on Apr. 29, 2025, that the County currently has no shelter, no vet contract, and no AC.
• Whitney Hall, Bigbee Humane Society President, provided information via Facebook Messenger on Apr. 30, 2025.

Do You Have a Correction, Addition, or Comment?

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