Animal Services in Talladega County

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Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Talladega County

Sylacauga Animal Shelter is operated by the City of Sylacauga, according to Jennifer Lacey of Talladega County Commission. The shelter is managed by Stephanie Engle with Trish Smith assisting. This shelter was previously operated by Talladega County until Sylacauga took it over, per Winston Randle.

Staffing: “Our staff to animal ratio is brutal and despite my effort to change that, it has been denied thus far,” per Stephanie Engle, shelter manager. “We are a total team of five people. Between scheduled time off days, various appointments, or call-offs, we average (3) workers/day.”

Budget: The City of Sylacauga allocates “close to half a million dollars per year” to Sylacauga Animal Shelter. Compared to other Alabama public shelters, a $500,000 annual budget is enormous for shelter serving a city of 12,000, especially considering the poor outcomes. As a comparison, Huntsville Animal Services serves 369,000 people on a 2026 budget of $3.9 million, and with far more positive outcomes.

Talladega County contributes $20,000 per year to the Sylacauga Animal Shelter, according to councilmembers at the May 6, 2026 Sylacauga council meeting (at 1h18m) and Talladega County Commission meeting minutes. This amount is substantially lower than what we would consider pro-rata share.

Sylacauga Animal Shelter Animal Census Data for 2025 (provided by SAC Manager Stephanie Engle as an Excel file) indicates:

• A live release rate (LRR) of 58% for dogs and 59% of cats.
• Of 733 animals taken in as strays, 6 (less than 1%) were returned to their owner.
• Most of the positive dog outcomes were from transfers to over agencies (76%) compared to adoptions (23%), representing what we consider an unsustainably heavy reliance on outside groups.

SAC's 2025 live release rates declined from 2024, in which SAC recorded live release of 55% for dogs and 81% for cats, or 67% overall — however, we are unsure of the reliability of 2024 data since in that year SAC recorded 154 fewer outcomes than intakes. Of 687 animals recorded to have been brought in as strays in 2024, 35 were reclaimed by their owner.

Sylacauga has the opportunity to increase the number of pets reunited with their families, such as by engaging with local vets to do a month-long chipping event (with chips bought by the city so it is free), collecting donated collars and writing a phone number on the collar with a Sharpie, and ensuring that all animals are scanned for a microchip and owners sought in nearby hours prior to the animal being imounded. Other areas have achieved greater than 65% of animals returned home.

Impoundment Jurisdiction: Sylacauga Animal Shelter accepts animals found within City of Sylacauga police jurisdiction, which includes “the 3-mile unincorporated area immediately adjacent to the City of Sylacauga,” as stated above and as defined in Alabama Code § 11-40-10. We have requested the county contract as well as any contracts between Sylacauga and Lincoln, Oxford, or the City of Talladega.

Sylacauga Mayor Matt Hubbard stated at the May 6, 2026 Sylacauga council meeting (at 1h18m55s) that 70% of the dogs brought to Sylacauga Animal Shelter by the Sylacauga ACO are from outside of the City of Sylacauga. Dogs found even in Coosa County are impounded by Sylacauga, Hubbard said, while expressing a misconception that Sylacauga could not limit its impoundment jurisdiction. (Under no circumstances is it appropriate for the City of Sylacauga to impound Coosa County animals. No animal found outside of municipal Sylacauga should be impounded except by contract. We have requested contracts to determine what agreements may be in place.)

Also of interest is that Sylacauga City Ordinance § 4-25 states that loose dogs “may” (rather than shall) be impounded. If the city is allowing dogs to run at large and making no attempt to impound them, that is a public safety issue.

Acceptance of Found Animals from Residents: Residents can bring dogs or cats to the shelter for impoundment, but only on the rare occasion that space is available, according to a shelter representative, and only if the animal is found within the contract’s range. That said, SAC data shows a very large number of stray or at-large animals accepted from the public: 294 animals in 2025 and 537 animals in 2024.

Shelter Programs: Sylacauga Animal Shelter welcomes volunteers most Saturdays anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for dog walking events; dates are posted on Facebook. The shelter has also “increased our rescue network, grown our donor base, and reached out to schools and other interested parties to illuminate the plight of unwanted animals in our county and the associated costs on several levels,” per Stephanie Engle, shelter manager.

Municipal Compliance with State Law: With populations above 5,000, Lincoln, Oxford, Sylacauga, and the City of Talladega also have a statutory mandate to “maintain a suitable pound or contribute their pro rata share to the staffing and upkeep of the county pound.” (Childersburg population was recorded at just below 5,000 at the 2020 census.) Sylacauga is fulfilling the state’s requirement. We do not know whether Lincoln, Oxford, and/or the City of Talladega comply with state law.

Animal Control in Talladega County

There is no animal control in the unincorporated area of Talladega County, according to Jennifer Lacey of Talladega County Commission, and most county residents cannot bring loose animals to the shelter themselves due to the limited impoundment range. Animal concerns are the responsibility of Talladega County Sheriff’s Office. Call 256-362-2748 (Talladega office) or 256-245-5121 (Sylacauga office).

Talladega County used to contract with the City of Talladega for animal control services, but the agreement ended “due to a lack of agency cooperation,” Lacey said in April 2025.

Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:

• For assistance from Childersburg ACO Payton Hastens, call Central Dispatch at 256-761-1556 x8. Animal Control is a division of Childerburg Police Department. Impounded dogs are posted on the Childersburg Code Enforcement / Animal Control Facebook page.
• Lincoln is served by ACO Tiffany Dickie at Lincoln Police Department’s Animal Control Division: 256-761-1556 x8.
• Animal control in Oxford appears to be the responsibility of the Police Department. Call 256-831-3121.
• Sylacauga ACO Brandon Gerrins, a military veteran and Sylacauga native, began his service as Sylacauga ACO in December 2025, according to a Facebook post from Sylacauga Animal Shelter. For assistance, call the Sylacauga Animal Shelter. The police department is responsible animal law enforcement and the handling “vicious” dogs, per WBRC.
• In the City of Talladega, call Talladega Animal Control at 256-362-5856. Talladega Animal Control is a private company that contracts with the city. Announcements and adopted animals are shared on the Talladega Animal Control Facebook page. Talladega AC patrols only a five mile radius, per Sylacauga Animal Shelter Manager Stephanie Engle.
• Alpine, Sycamore, Fayetteville, Munford, and Renfroe have no animal services — no ACO and no impoundment facility — per Mitzi Martin. For assistance with animal crimes, contact the police department or the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office or ask for help from town officials.

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

Dog Confinement Requirements in Talladega County

Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Talladega County because the Talladega 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 Lincoln (2010-16), Oxford (§ 6-70), Sylacauga (§ 4-24, and citations are issued, per Sylacauaga Animal Shelter Manager Stephanie Engle), and Talladega (Ordinance 1799). In Talladega, confinement must be indoors or in a fenced enclosure. Tethers, ropes, and chains are prohibited by Ordinance 1901.
• Childersburg, Bon Air, Munford, Oak Grove, Talladega Springs, Vincent (also in Shelby County & St. Clair County), Waldo: No animal control ordinance appears to be posted on the the website of these municipalities or via Municode. Please email us if you can share information.

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

Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Talladega County

• Sylacauga “has started a spay/neuter clinic for residents,” per Mayor Matt Hubbard via WVTM on May 12, 2026. Please email us if you can share information.
• In 2025, Talladega County supported The Feral Dogs of Avondale Mill with a $25,000 grant which enables the organization to hold $30 sterilization voucher sales and to sterilize strays at no cost to the neighborhood, according to board member Mitzi Martin. Martin hopes the grant will be awarded again and added that with more funding, the organization would be able to sterilize more strays.
• Pet transportation is available from Sylacauga to Alabama Spay Neuter in Irondale. Financial assistance is also available.
• See Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama and Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in St. Clair County for additional resources.

Talladega County Documents

• Animal Census Reports for Sylacauga Animal Shelter: 2025 and 2024, transferred to NFHS forms by AlabamaAnimalAdvocates.com from Excel data provided by SAC Manager Stephanie Engle.
• Sylacauga Animal Shelter Contract with Talladega County was requested May 26, 2026 and again on July 1, but has not been provided by the City of Sylacauga.

Public Records Requests:

• Talladega County Commission Public Records Request Form: Talladega County does not appear to have a Public Records Request form on their website. Call the Commission to request or submit according to the Open Records Act template.
• City of Talladega Public Records Request Form
• Sylacauga Public Record Requests can be emailed to cityclerk@sylacaugaal.gov, per Madison in the City Clerk’s office.

Sources & Details

History of Animal Control in Sylacauga: Sylacauga has technically had an ACO position for years, however there have been significant gaps in coverage. Current ACO Brandon Gerrins began in December 2025. The position was empty for approximately 6-9 months, Mitzi Martin estimated, since the resignation of previous ACO Douglas Nixon. There was another huge gap before the city hired Nixon, Mitzi said. Animal control is currently structured under the shelter; prior to Nixon it was the responsibility of the police department. WBRC reported that the police department transferred impoundment responsibilities to the shelter in August 2024.

Other sources:

• Stephanie Engle, Manager, Sylacauga Animal Shelter, 256-391-4142, sengle@sylacaugaal.gov, provided staffing information, programs, and shelter data via email to Kristin Yarbrough starting on May 28, 2026 and continuing into July. Stephanie provided the Childersburg ACO's name on July 7, 2026.
• Jennifer Lacey, Commission secretary, 256-362-1357, stated on Mar. 25, 2025 that the Commission has not adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5. On Apr. 29, 2025, Lacey offered information about Talladega County’s contract with Sylacauga and the lack of animal control. We spoke again on Aug. 28, 2025 regarding the impoundment range.
• Mitzi Martin, Feral Dogs of Avondale Mill board member, has been instrumental in keeping us updated about animal resources in Sylacauga and in Talladega County. In May 2026, Martin provided the history of Sylacauga animal control information recorded just above. We also conversed at length about the city council’s consideration of the Green Landscaping proposal. Mitzi shared information on Facebook on Aug. 28, 2025 about the Sylacauga Animal Shelter’s impoundment zone, as noted above. We thank Martin also for advising in Jan. 2026 that Sylacauga had hired an ACO in Dec. 2025.
• A Sylacauga Animal Shelter representative stated via Facebook Messenger on Aug. 15, 2025 that “Our animal control services Talladega county up to 5 miles outside our city limit. We take strays when we have available space.” A question about funding sources was not answered.
• An unidentified representative stated Talladega Animal Control is a private company handles animal control for the City of Talladega. The company also provided animal control for Talladega County until the contract ended in August 2024 and the Talladega County Commission did not renew.
• Madison, City Clerk's Office, City of Sylacauga, provided the cityclerk@sylacaugaal.gov email address for submitting a public records request to Interim City Clerk Kassey Epperson, via a July 1, 2026 phone call.
• Winston Randle, trapper and rescuer, spoke extensively about trapping, the dogs on the 280 corridor, and GBHS via phone calls on June 1 and July 8.

Other information was sourced from websites, as linked.

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