Animal Services in Tallapoosa Co.

Tallapoosa Co. Does Not Provide Animal Services

Tallapoosa Co. employs no animal control officer, provides no pickup of loose dogs, and has no impoundment facility. As such, Tallapoosa Co. 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.” Residents who would like to ask the county to fulfill their mandate may see this guidance.

Animal concerns in the unincorporated area and cities under 5,000 population are the responsibility of Tallapoosa Co. Commission, while enforcement of animal law is the responsibility of police departments and Tallapoosa Co. Sheriff’s Office.

Tallapoosa Co. Sheriff’s Office
256-825-4264

Our understanding is that the Sheriff’s Office has a small number of dog runs at Lake Martin Animal Shelter for the boarding of dangerous dogs.

Jennie Zinn of Lake Martin Animal Rescue and others have for many years advocated that the Commission provide these state-mandated animal services for the protection of people and animals alike.

Residents Beg Commissioners to Protect Public Safety

The Commission’s choice not to operate a shelter, employ ACOs, or require dog confinement has been a long-standing point of contention.

Many residents report having asked the Commission to provide state-mandated animal services and to adopt the confinement statute — and feeling like their appeals to Commissioners have fallen on deaf ears.

• Feb. 2, 2014: A 4-year-old girl was fatally mauled as she played outside her grandfather's home in Tallassee. Criminal charges against the owners of the suspected dogs would be unlikely, reported the Montgomery Advertiser. “It’s heartbreaking what has happened,” said Tallapoosa Co. District Attorney E. Paul Jones. “Tallapoosa Co. doesn’t have a law on the books that says owners can’t allow their dogs to run-at-large. If there is no law, there can be no charges.”
• Sept. 13, 2014: The Dadeville Record published the first of a planned series of articles, “Lack of confinement law in rural areas leaves authorities boxed in when dealing with dogs running at large.”
• May 7, 2017: Dadeville resident James Derle Patterson, died at age 63 after he was knocked off a small gasoline-powered scooter near Jackson’s Gap. He is thought to have suffered a heart attack while being attacked by several dogs.
• July 13, 2020: Jennie Zinn of Lake Martin Animal Rescue addressed the Commission about adopting the state’s dog confinement statute.
• Sometime in 2023: The Tallapoosa Co. Commission has been “trying to do something” to improve the animal services situation since 2023, County Administrator Embirly Collum told us in 2025. Efforts have included budgeting for animal control and moving toward adoption of Alabama Code § 3-1-5, she said, reiteratating that the topic of animal services continued to be on the Commission agenda.
• Some Years Prior to 2025: The lack of a dog confinement requirement for the unincorporated area has been a long-standing point of contention, according to our 2025 conversation with Lt. Arrington of the Tallapoosa Co. Sheriff’s Office.
• Apr. 30, 2025: We sent the Guide for Counties & Municipalities via email to addresses Embirly provided for herself and for then-County Administrator Blake Beck.
• Mar. 30, 2026: When we checked in a year later for any update on animal services or adoption of the statute, Embirly said nothing would be considered until after the November 3, 2026 election.
• Sept. 14, 2026: Jennie Zinn of Lake Martin Animal Rescue “addressed the commission on their lack of adopting the state’s containment law once again,” she wrote on Facebook, as well as about their failure to provide state-mandated animal control and sheltering.
• Oct. 6, 2026: In advance of the Oct. 13, 2026 meeting, we mailed a package of confinement law information to Commissioner Robinson and emailed a PDF version to Embirly Collum. Embirly confirmed receipt of the documents the same day.
• Oct. 13, 2026: JJ Robinson and Jennie Zinn addressed Commissioners. Gwen Bishop reported in the Dadeville Record:
  • Zinn “brought several posters with photos of rescued dogs, many from Tallapoosa County” and “pointed out that her rescue has provided long-term shelter for several animals from the county.”
  • Zinn requested county contribution to Lake Martin Animal Rescue: “My first request is that the commission provide Lake Martin Animal Rescue with a monthly contribution of some type to help cover the cost of animals already in our facility, our operating expenses, and the animals we continue to take in from Tallapoosa County until a county shelter is built and operational,” Zinn said.
  • Zinn requested county adoption of Alabama Code § 3-1-5 to require dog confinement. “I believe the commission should explore adopting and enforcing the applicable provisions as a step toward addressing this problem while plans for a county shelter move forward,” Zinn said. “Residents deserve a way to report situations where roaming dogs enter their yards, threaten their pets or livestock, damage property or create safety concerns. We should not have to wait for a new shelter to begin addressing these problems.”
  • A new Tallapoosa County resident also asked about the confinement law.
  • “Commissioner John McKelvey said something would be done as far as shelter within the next fiscal year,” Bishop wrote. “‘[Commissioner] Steve Robinson has been in coversations with several of the people that's involved in it,’ McKelvey said. ‘There is money set aside for it. It's been in the budget for the last three years. Some of the accusations are that the money's been spent in other places, and it's not. It's still budgeted. The commission has $500,000 set aside to start a county animal control program.’” McKelvey then said the half million was not enough; stating that a 200-dog capacity would cost $765,000 to operate. We note that a 200-dog capacity would be far too large for Tallapoosa County.
  • Unawareness of Current Law: McKelvey then spoke about his involvement as a LEO in a Tallapoosa Co. dog fighting case. “When you seize animals by law, those animals are evidence. If you're holding them for evidence, you have to hold them til trial. Some of those trials could have lasted four years.” McKelvey was referring to a time prior to the 2000 enactment of the Pet Protection Act, which established a custody procedure so that seized animals could be quickly removed from the shelter rather than having to be held for the length of the trial.
  • Asked the Commission to provide sheltering and animal control as required by Alabama Code § 3-7A-7.
  • Discussed the need for funding for low-cost spay & neuter.
  • Jennie asked for financial assistance toward vet bills for animals taken in from Tallapoosa Co. by Lake Martin Animal Rescue.

Lake Martin Animal Rescue posted on Sept. 28, 2026:

“Many citizens have asked for this for years to protect themselves, their animals, and their families. Same people still in office and same excuses for not making it happen. Y’all wake up. Who is going to run for office and make a change?”

The intention to adopt the state confinement law is central to Commissioners’ efforts to improve animal services, then-Probate Judge Embirly Collum told us in 2025. However, Embirly said, that intention is countered by Commissioners’ beliefs that:

1. Most residents oppose adoption, and
2. Increased funding would then be necessary for sheltering and to establish Animal Control.

Actually, the statute can be enforced without animal control and reduces the need for impoundment. We provided full information to Tallapoosa Co. leaders in October 2026.