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Alabama Dog Laws: A Guide for Dog Lovers!

Planning to move to Alabamawith your pooch? Thinking of getting pets? Or just curious on what facts youneed to know about dog laws in Alabama?

There are many laws aboutdogs in different states, but here are some of the common laws you need to knowin Alabama.

AlabamaLeash Law

Nearly every administrationin the country has a leash law. A LeashLaw is one that prohibits dog owners from letting their dogs run loose,meaning dogs must always be confined or leashed.

You might wonder “Why? Isn’tit better if dogs run wild and just have fun?” Uh –- no! We should rememberthat dogs have different ways of assessing situations, leash laws are meant toprotect not just the public health and safety but as well as your dog’s healthand safety.

There are actually a lot ofbenefits in keeping dogs in leashes such as:

  • Itimproves your relationship as well as strengthens your bond together. Anobedient and well behaved dog is a positive reflection of its owner, plus itkeeps your dog from jumping on other people or going places where it might getexposed to viruses such as Parvo or Distemper.
  • Aleash can also be called as “Your Pet’s Lifeline”, itkeeps your pets from running in the middle of the road, it can also keep yourdog from being bitten or starting a fight with other dogs.
  • It’sa great identification tool; it signifies that the dog has anowner, it enables people who sees the leash and identification tag attached tofind you if ever you and your pet become separated.

Keep in mind that a dogowner may be fined between $2 and $50 for failure to leash their dog. Above allelse, leash laws are a way to keep your beloved dogs safe and sound.

BreedSpecific Laws

It is also known as Breed Discriminatory Legislation, is basically a set of laws that urge certain restrictions on owners of specific dog breeds in the hopes of decreasing human dog bite injuries.

There are different forms of BSL, one is a complete ban, others are incomplete forms such as mandatory spayedand neuter, muzzle laws, special licensing or liability insurance, confinement restrictions etc.

A bill was signed by Governor Kay Ivey called Emily’s Law, the law seeks to hold pet owners criminally liable if and when their dog causes injury or death to another human.

The law sets up a process for people to file a sworn statement that dog is dangerous, prompting an investigation by an animal control or law enforcement officer.

If your dog is declared dangerous, a number of things might happen such as, the owner might be required to muzzle the dog in public or to affix a “vicious dog” sign on your front door.

The owner might also be ordered to find their dog a new home in another community. In worst cases there’s a chance that your dog will be ordered to be euthanized.

If a court rules that a dog is dangerous, but has not caused serious physical injury or death, the owner could be allowed to keep the dog.

However owners must register the animal annually with animal control or the county health department, have the dog spayed and neutered as well as have the animal permanently identified with a microchip and obtain a $100,000 bond protecting against injuries by the dog.

Here are the differentcities implementing Breed Specific Law:

Albertville                   Pit Bull                                                Declared“Dangerous”

Center Point              Pit Bull                                                Ban

Fayette                       Pit Bull                                                Ban

Gardendale                Pit Bull                                                Ban

Gadsden                    Pit Bull                                                Declared“Dangerous”

Irondale                      Pit bull &PresaCanario                    Ban

Jacksonville City       Pitt Bull, Rottweiler & Wolf-dogs     Declared “Dangerous”

Lanett                         Pit Bull&PresaCanario                    Ban

Midfield                      Pit Bull                                                Ban

Tarrant                        Pit Bull, BullRottweiler & Terriers   Declared“Vicious”

Weaver                       Pit Bull                                                Declared“Vicious”

Although their main goal is to promote human safety by reducing the number of “dangerous” dogs who could potentially bite humans, there has been no scientific study supporting that dog breed is a factor for dogs randomly biting or being dangerous whatsoever.

There has been no evidence that breed-specific laws make communities safer for people either, but of course we have to obey the law.

PetLicense

Getting a pet licensing orsimply renewing one is a yearly requirement in many cities and towns in theUnited States. All dogs and cats over the age of 4 months must be registeredand licensed each year.

Owners will need to bring:

  • Proof of current rabies vaccination, such asa copy of the certificate from your vet.
  • Proof of spay/neuter (for a reduced licensefee), either notated on the rabies certificate by the vet, a spay/neuterverification form or a note from your vet.
  • Payment – cash, check, credit card. Licensesfor altered pets are available for a one-timefee of $35 for a lifetime license or $10 for a one-year license. If yourpet is not spayed or neutered your annual license fee is $50.

Identification and Microchip

It is recommended thatpets have both microchips and a buckle or snap collar with a personalizedidentification tag.

  • Collars should fit snugly on the neck closer to the pet’s ears
  • Identification tags should feature a few phone numbers and an address
  • It is best to purchase multiple tags in case one is lost
  • Remember to keep your pet’s microchip information and ID tag updated

It may seem inconvenient to some, but there are several benefitsin licensing your pet such as:

  • Ensures that animals receive vaccinations against diseases suchas rabies, which can be fatal to humans as well as other animals.
  • It informs animal control officers that a dog has an owner, thishelps reunite the dog with his family if in case it goes missing.  It also protects a lost pet from beingeuthanized,
  • Licenses help municipalities keep track of how many pets aperson owns.

Make sure to license yourpet as well as vaccinate your fur babies to keep your pets in top shape! Alittle price to pay to keep the community as well as other animals safe andsound.

Dog Bites Law

If you’re a dog owner, dogbite liabilities can be a serious concern. Laws have been passed makingpenalties more severe for damages caused by dogs. Dog owners are liable for thefull amount of damages their dog causes to a person, domestic animal or property.

LiabilityStatute for Dog bites occurring on Dog owner’s Property

Alabama has a statute that makes dog owners liable for damages when their dog bites or injures a person, as long as the injured person is lawfully on the dog owner’s property at the time of the injury.

This also applies to cases where the injured person was lawfully on the dog owner’s property, but, because the dog chased the person, the injury actually occurred off the owner’s property.

A person is lawfully on the owner’s property if that person was invited there, on the other hand trespassers are not lawful; guests f the owner.

The only exception to this rule is in cases where the injured person provoked the dog and that provocation caused the dog to attack.

The statue permits a dog owner to defend the case by proving that he or she had no knowledge that the dog was vicious, dangerous or mischievous.

If the owner proves lack of knowledge, damages are limited to actual expenses incurred  by the injured person. 

CommonLaw Liability for Dog Bites occurring outside of Owner’s Property

When a dog bite occurs outside the owner’s property, the injured person’s right to recover damages is governed by negligence principles under the common law.

In that case, the injured person must prove that the owner knew that the dog had a dangerous tendency.

If the owner can prove that he had no knowledge of this, the owner will still be liable to pay for the actual expense incurred by the injured person.

RabidDogs

Alabama also has a rabid dogstatute, if a dog owner knows the dog has rabies, the owner will be liable to twice the damages suffered by theinjured person.