Alabama Animal Advocates

Animal Census Reports in Alabama

Imagine of woman sitting at a desk examining data.

Monthly Animal Shelter Data is Required

Public pounds and shelters in Alabama are required to report monthly on animal intakes, outcomes, and other data, per Alabama Code §§ 3-10, the Animal Census Reporting Act of 2015 and the Open Records Act. The requirement applies to all facilities that are government-operated or that contract with a county or municipality, per § 3-10-2.

Many animal shelters use industry-specific software that includes the information required by the law, but not in the exact format required by the law. The specific information to be included is delineated in § 3-10-3:

Each report is due 30 days from the end of the month and must be maintained for at least three years, per § 3-10-4.

Why Data Matters

Claims About Alabama Animal Shelter Data Are Not Reliable

We frequently see claims such as how many animals die in Alabama shelters each year or how Alabama shelters compare to other states. Such claims are broad estimates, at best. The data that would be required to make such claims simply does not exist.

There is no agency in Alabama that oversees animal shelters or that collects data. Unlike other states, the Alabama Agricultural Department exercises no direct oversight over companion animals, animal shelters or rescue groups. Pounds and shelters are the responsibility of counties and cities, who either run them directly or contract their operation to a third party. Although shelters and their supervisory governments and boards should be regularly reviewing census data, we have found that many officials and some shelter directors have not even heard of the Census Reporting Act and are neither collecting nor reviewing data.

Very few Alabama shelters proactively share their census data. Those that do are included in the Alabama shelter data linked below. For every other pound and shelter, animal census data can be requested via a public records request. The data we share, for example, has required many, many hours of requests and followup, and still represents only a small percentage of public facilities in the state.

Some shelters do not comply with the Animal Census Reporting Act. Although noncompliance is a violation of Alabama law, individuals cannot insist on compliance because the law was amended during the legislative process to remove any private right of action. The government officials that could insist on compliance have, in our experience, chosen not to.

Even if all or most Alabama data could be collected, the data would also have to be parsed to make it comparable. Since there is no consistency in how data is tracked or reported, and since accurately parsing even a single report typically requires clarification from shelter directors who may not even be able to provide that clarification, this too would be an enormous project. Some shelters do not have tracking software. Others do not track or report on all of the data points required by the law.

Most shelters or local governments provide at least some records upon request, even if those records do not fully comply with state law. Others do not track animal intakes and outcomes, choose not to provide data, or publish manipulated data.

Alabama Animal Shelter Data

This list includes data that is shared publicly or that has been provided in response to our requests. To submit data, email us.

If a facility reports surprisingly large numbers in the Lost or Died in Care, the most frequent explanation is that the facility had not been accurately tracking their animal outcomes, and no one can remember what happened to the animals weeks or months later when the discrepency was discovered.

How to Request Animal Shelter Data in Alabama

Sometimes the animal census is provided online, such as on the shelter website or a government website. Those that we are aware of are linked below. In most cases, though, it is necessary to request the report from the shelter or from the local government (county or city). For example:

This is a request for the [Name of Shelter] monthly animal census reports, per Ala. Code § 3-10-1 et seq., for January through July 2026. Please email the records to ___.

You may be asked to fill out a Public Records Request form or submit a formal request according to the Open Records Act. Per § 3-10-4, “access to the reports shall not be denied for any reason.” (If your request is denied, please let us know.)

The shelter, county commission, or city council is allowed to charge a “reasonable fee,” which is undefined. We have never been asked to pay for census records delivered digitally nor more than $5 for paper records.

Examples of Non-Compliant Reports

If you are provided with a report that does not separate all intakes and all outcomes by species, such as shown below, ask for a report that separates the data.

This sample animal census report shows combined animal outcomes. Ask for a report that breaks down the data by species.
This sample animal census report shows combined animal outcomes. Ask for a report that breaks down the data by species.

Yet other shelters create a narrative report that logs activity by date, as shown below. This does not meet the detailed requirements of the law. If you are provided with a narrative report, ask for a report that sets out the data as detailed in the law.

This sample animal census report is prepared in a narrative style that does not meet the requirements of the Animal Census Reporting Act.
This narrative-style report does not meet the requirements of Alabama’s Animal Census Reporting Act, Alabama Code §§ 3-10.

If you interact with a public official or shelter director who is open to using a free form to make it easier to meet the reporting requirements, share this form. The information about costs and expenses will need to be recorded separately and attached to the report form.