Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Tuscaloosa does have a leash law. When not secured behind a fence an animal must be leashed. The corresponding city code is shown below:

Sec. 4-40. – Running at large prohibited.

(a) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to allow or permit such dog to be at large, unconfined or able to travel on public property or the property of another in the city unless such dog is restrained by a leash, rope or chain of not more than ten (10) feet in length and of sufficient strength to control the actions of such dog.

(b) It shall be no defense in any prosecution for a violation of this section that such dog was at large without the knowledge, consent or permission of the person charged with such violation.

Tuscaloosa does not have any breed specific restrictions. However, when it comes to housing many apartment and housing complexes do have restrictions. We suggest doing research prior to renting if you have pets.

Tuscaloosa has no pet registration or micro-chipping requirements. However, micro-chipping your pet is a great way to make sure they are returned to you if they ever go missing. So we definitely recommend getting your pets micro-chipped!

Tuscaloosa restricts the number of pets to 3 cat and 3 dogs per household. However, currently, the ordinance is not typically enforced. The restrictions on pet ownership is below:

Sec. 4-13. – Limitation on number of cats.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or board on such person’s premises within the corporate limits of the city more than three (3) cats. Provided, however, this section shall not apply to kittens under the age of three (3) months.

(b) A violation of this section existing at the adoption of this section may continue; however, additional cats shall be prohibited. (Ord. No. 5405, § 4, 9-10-96)

Sec. 4-46. – Same—Location.

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or board on such person’s premises within the corporate limits of the city more than three (3) dogs where any point of the enclosure of the dogs is less than three hundred (300) feet from the residence or dwelling of another person, unless such person operates a licensed kennel, veterinary office, humane society or the city’s animal shelter. Provided, however, this section shall not apply to puppies under the age of three (3) months. (Ord. No. 3588, 3-25-93)

The keeping of livestock is prohibited in the city limits unless you can keep their enclosers at least 300ft away from the nearest residence. The ordinance governing this is listed below:

Sec. 4-22. – Proximity to churches, schools, residences, etc.—Generally.

It shall be unlawful and shall constitute a public nuisance for any person to keep within the city any livestock, rabbit or fowl unless such animal is kept at all times at a distance of not less than three hundred (300) feet from any church or other house of worship, school, public building, park, public playground or the residence of another; provided, that any rabbit or fowl which is kept inside a residence or building as a pet or ornament shall not be subject to this provision. (Ord. No. 3588, 3-25-93)

Sec. 4-23. – Same—Swine.

Not withstanding any other provision of any ordinance, it shall be unlawful for any person to keep within the city any hog or other animal of the swine family. (Ord. No. 3588, 3-25-93)

Tuscaloosa does place restrictions on dangerous dogs. You can find the ordinance pertaining to dangerous/vicious dogs below.

Sec. 4-43. – Vicious or dangerous dogs.

(a) Defined. As used in this section, the phrase “vicious or dangerous dog” shall mean and include: (1) Any dog with a propensity, tendency or disposition to attack, cause injury or otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or other domestic animals as evidenced by its habitual or repeated chasing, snapping or barking; (2) Any dog which attacks a human being or another domestic animal without provocation; or (3)Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting or any dog trained for dog fighting

(b)Running at large prohibited. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any vicious or dangerous dog to allow such dog to be at large or unrestrained within the city

(c)Conditions permitting dangerous dogs to be taken off premises. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any vicious or dangerous dog to allow such dog to be at large or off the owner’s property unless such dog is securely muzzled so as to effectively prevent such dog from biting another animal or person and unless such dog is secured on a leash or chain of not more than five (5) feet in length that is held or controlled by a person of not less than sixteen (16) years of age

(d)Owning/training dogs for fighting or attacking. No person shall own or harbor any dog for the purpose of dog fighting or train, torment, badger, bait or use any dog for the purpose of causing or encouraging such dog to engage in unprovoked attacks upon human beings or domestic animals.

(e)Keeping in multiple dwelling. No vicious dog may be kept within any portion of any multiple dwelling.

(f)Signs. All owners, keepers or harborers of any vicious dog, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, shall display in a prominent place on their premises a sign easily readable by the public using the words “Beware of Dog

(g)Destruction. Any vicious or dangerous dog which attacks a human being or domestic animal may be ordered destroyed when in the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction the dog represents a continuing threat of serious harm to human beings or domestic animals.

(h)Running at large or improper muzzling without owner’s knowledge deemed no defense. It shall be no defense in any prosecution for a violation of subsections (b) and (c) that such dog was at large or improperly muzzled without the knowledge, consent or permission of the person charged with such violation

(i)Penalty for violations. Violations of the provisions of this section, unless otherwise enumerated, are punishable under section 1-8 of this Code

(j)Violators liable for expenses. Any person found guilty of violating this section shall pay all expenses, including shelter, food, veterinary expenses for identification or certification of the breed of the animal, or boarding and veterinary expenses necessitated by the seizure of any dog for the protection of the public, and such other expenses as may be required for the destruction of any such dog.

(k)Application to police dogs. The provisions of this section shall not have applicability to dogs while engaged in police service training at a recognized and duly licensed facility and under supervision of professional instructors

(l)Validity. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this section is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court, such a decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this section. (Ord. No. 3588, 3-25-93)

Yes, contact Tuscaloosa 311. Allowing a dog to continuously bark and become a nuisance is prohibited within city limits.. The provisions in city code are shown below:

Sec. 4-47. – Continuous barking prohibited.

(a)Definitions. The following definitions shall apply to this section.(1)”Bark,” “barks” or “barking” shall mean barking, yelping, howling, growling or otherwise making noise.(2)”Continuously,” in regard to barking, shall mean barking which occurs during the majority of any ten-minute period.

(b)Prohibition. It shall be unlawful for any person in charge or control of any premises within the city to have or allow upon such premises any dog which barks continuously. (Ord. No. 3588, 3-25-93)

No, it’s illegal to keep dogs on chains within the city limits of Tuscaloosa. The regulation pertaining to chaining is below:

Sec. 4-44. – Tethering and collars.

(a)Tethering. It shall be unlawful for any person to tether, fasten, chain, tie, restrain or cause a dog to be fastened, chained, tied or restrained to houses, trees, fences, garages or other stationary or highly immobile objects by means of a rope, chain, strap, or other physical restraint for the purpose of confinement, except in circumstances where all of the following requirements are met:(1)Tethering shall be with the owner present and shall not be for more time than is necessary for the dog owner to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be physically restrained for a reasonable period of time not to exceed sixty (60) minutes.(2)The dog must be tethered by a nonchoke-type collar to a tether at least ten (10) feet in length and which tether is free from entanglement.(3)The dog must have access to food, water and shelter during any period of tethering.

(b)Collars. The collar or harness fitted to dogs shall consist of leather or nylon of not more than two (2) inches in width or chain of not more than one-half inch in diameter or width and be of sufficient strength to control the actions of the dog. (Ord. No. 3588, 3-25-93; Ord. No. 6883, 4-13-06)

Tuscaloosa Police handle any animal cruelty criminal cases. You can call either TPD or Animal Control to report a cruelty situation.

It is unlawful to allow an animal to become a nuisance, whether it be a cat or dog. Contact Animal Control and they can speak to the neighbor. If the neighbor doesn’t comply, you can have animal control set a trap for nuisance animal. The provisions governing owner responsibility and nuisance animals are below:

Sec. 4-12. – Responsible dog and cat owners; public nuisance.

(a)All owners of cats or dogs in the corporate limits of the city are expected and required to exercise control over the animal in such a manner and to such an extent as to prevent damage, inconvenience, annoyance or alarm to others. It shall therefore be unlawful and constitute a public nuisance for any person, including those that own, control or maintain any cat or dog in such a manner that the same is allowed or permitted to commit or engage in any of the following acts or conduct:(1)Damage the property of another, including, but not limited to, damages to shrubs, flowers or other vegetation, entering into or searching through garbage and other waste receptacles, defecating upon the property of another, entering into, over or upon automobiles or motor vehicles of others in such a manner as to scratch, dent, mark or otherwise damage the same.(2)Habitually or repeatedly chases, attacks, barks, snaps, or engages in overtly hostile or aggressive behavior toward others, including, but not limited to, children, pedestrians, joggers, bicyclers, or other vehicles or other animals lawfully at large in the presence of their owner or upon property of the owner.(3)Hunting, stalking or attacking animals or fowl, whether wild or domesticated, on the property of another.

(b)It shall also be unlawful and shall constitute a public nuisance for any person that owns, controls or maintains any cat or dog within the corporate limits of the city in such a manner that the area in which the animal is kept is habitually in an unsanitary condition or results in offensive odors, damage to the animals, damage to the public health, safety or welfare, or is maintained in such a manner as to create the potential for the breeding and transmission of diseases or obnoxious odors. (Ord. No. 5405, § 2, 9-10-96)

Yes, however, any feral cat colony in city limits must be registered. You can contact city animal control to register the colony. In Tuscaloosa the Tuscaloosa Spay and Neuter Initiative (or TSNIP) conducts Trap-Neuter-Release control of feral cat colonies in the city. The provisions governing feral cat colonies in the city are below:

ec. 4-14. – Managed care of feral cats.

(a)Purpose. To permit implementation of a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in the corporate limits of the city for the purpose of reducing the population of feral cats, benefiting public health and welfare and ensuring the humane treatment of feral cats.(b)Management of feral cat colonies.(1)A TNR program shall be permitted and caretakers shall be entitled to maintain feral cat colonies in accordance with the terms and conditions of this section.(2)Sponsorship of TNR program. Any animal welfare organization that agrees and is able to comply with the requirements of this section shall be eligible to act as a sponsor of the TNR program upon approval by resolution of the city. Any animal welfare organization intending to undertake the responsibilities of sponsorship shall provide to the city a written letter of intention requesting to be approved as a sponsor of the TNR program.(3)Sponsor requirements. It shall be the duty of a sponsor to:a.Register feral cat colonies managed by caretakers pursuant to section 4-14(b)(5).b.Ensure the ongoing compliance of caretakers of registered colonies with the requirements of section 4-14(b)(4).c.Maintain records provided by caretakers on the size and location of registered colonies, as well as vaccination and sterilization records of cats in the colonies;d.Help to resolve any complaints over the conduct of caretakers of registered colonies or of cats belonging to registered colonies;e.Report annually to the city on the following:1.Number of colonies in the municipality that are registered with the sponsor;2.Total number of cats in colonies in the municipality that are registered with the sponsor;3.Number of cats sterilized and vaccinated pursuant to the TNR program in the past year; and4.Number of cats and kittens removed for the purpose of foster or adoptive placement in the past year.(4)Caretaker requirements. It shall be the responsibility of the caretaker to:a.Submit all feral cat colonies managed by the caretaker for registration with a sponsor pursuant to the requirements of section 4-14(b)(5).b.Make reasonable efforts to trap all cats in a registered colony and have all trapped cats sterilized, vaccinated against rabies and eartipped by a licensed veterinarian.c.Make reasonable efforts to recapture all cats to update rabies vaccinations as required by law;d.Keep and maintain vaccination, sterilization, and medical records for all trapped cats and provide the sponsor with copies of vaccination and sterilization records for all trapped cats;e.Provide or arrange for the provision of adequate food and water on a regular basis to colony cats and make reasonable efforts to ensure adequate shelter for colony cats;f.Make reasonable efforts to trap and obtain proper medical attention for any colony cat that appears to require it.g.Make reasonable efforts to remove and find permanent adoptive homes or foster homes for kittens born to colony cats;h.Make reasonable efforts to work with the sponsor to resolve any complaints over the conduct of the caretaker or of colony cats managed by the caretaker;i.Report annually in writing to the sponsor on the status of the caretaker’s colony, including:1.Total number of cats in the colony and total number of cats in the colony that are sterilized;2.Number of cats in the colony sterilized and vaccinated pursuant to the TNR program in the past year;3.Number of cats that have died or otherwise ceased to be a part of the colony in the past year;4.Number of kittens born to the colony cats in the past year and their disposition; and5.Number of cats and kittens moved for purposes of foster or adoptive placement in the past year.(5)Feral cat colony registration. Upon registration of a feral cat colony, the caretaker shall provide his or her sponsor with:a.The address, telephone number and email address of the caretaker;b.Location of colony;c.Total number of cats in the colony;d.Total number of cats in the colony that are sterilized, total number of cats in the colony that are vaccinated against rabies, and records of such vaccinations and sterilizations.(6)Withdrawal of caretaker or sponsor.a.In the event that a caretaker of a registered colony is unable or unwilling to continue to perform its role, he or she shall notify his or her sponsor in writing and shall make reasonable efforts to secure a replacement caretaker.b.In the event a sponsor is unable or unwilling to continue to perform its role, it shall provide 60 days written notice to the city and shall make reasonable efforts to secure a replacement sponsor.(7)Disposition of colony cats. An animal shelter that has received an eartipped cat from within the municipality shall take reasonable steps to notify all sponsors of the description and sex of the cat and of the address or location of where the cat was captured. Sponsor shall have up to five business days after notification to arrange for the cat to be retrieved from the animal shelter and returned to the colony. The shelter shall return claimed colony cats to sponsors/caretakers within five days without charge.(8)Enforcement.a.An animal control officer may investigate a nuisance complaint allegedly caused by a feral or stray cat or feral cat colony;1.If it is found that a feral or stray cat or feral cat colony within the corporate limits is causing a nuisance, the animal control officer or the city shall provide all sponsors with written notice delineating the nuisance and location of the cat or colony with specificity.2.If a cat or cats belonging to a registered feral cat colony is causing a nuisance, then the sponsor of the colony shall have 60 days from the date that written notice was provided to cure the nuisance. If the sponsor fails to cure the nuisance within 60 days, an animal control officer or the city shall have the right to remove the offending cat or cats.b.An animal control officer may seize and remove a registered feral cat colony or stray cat or feral cat colony if the caretaker regularly fails to comply with the requirements of this article and the sponsor does not correct the situation within 60 days of being given written notice by the city delineating the caretaker’s failures with specificity;c.An animal control officer may reassign sponsorship of a sponsor’s registered feral cat colonies if the sponsor regularly fails to comply with the requirements of this section and the sponsor does not correct the situation within 60 days of being given written notice by the city delineating its failures with specificity.(9)Exemptions. A caretaker in compliance with this section shall be exempt from all other ordinances of the city that impose requirements on cats that are owned, kept, harbored, or in the custody of a person.(10)Grace period.a.If an animal control officer or the city locates or otherwise becomes knowledgeable about an unregistered feral cat colony, reasonable efforts shall be made by the animal control officer or the city to provide written notice to the caretaker of the colony of the registration requirements as set out in this article.b.Upon receipt of written notice a caretaker of an unregistered feral cat colony shall have 30 days to comply with the requirements of this article. During the 30-day period, no cat from the colony shall be removed by an animal control officer or the city for reason of causing a nuisance.c.Upon registration within the 30-day period, a caretaker in receipt of a written notice shall be entitled to the protections as set out in this article. If the caretaker fails to register the colony within the 30-day period, the caretaker shall not be entitled to any protections under this article until registration is complete.(11)Trapping.a.Traps shall be of a type approved by the sponsor and placed at the colony around feeding times and checked at least every 12 hours.b.Owner cats shall be immediately released immediately upon discovery and not taken to the animal shelter.c.Colony cats not intended to be trapped for medical or TNR shall be immediately released upon discovery and not taken to the shelter.d.Sponsor(s) are authorized to further develop trapping procedural guidelines for caretakers not inconsistent with this section.
(Ord. No. 8017, § 2, 10-1-13)

No, Tuscaloosa County does not have a leash law. However, the county does fall under the state’s dog-at-large law. Your dog cannot leave your property. Provisions of that law are listed below:

Permitting dogs to run at large; applicability of provisions of section in counties and certain cities or towns.

(a) Every person owning or having in charge any dog or dogs shall at all times confine such dog or dogs to the limits of his own premises or the premises on which such dog or dogs is or are regularly kept. Nothing in this section shall prevent the owner of any dog or dogs or other person or persons having such dog or dogs in his or their charge from allowing such dog or dogs to accompany such owner or other person or persons elsewhere than on the premises on which such dog or dogs is or are regularly kept. Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than $2.00 nor more than $50.00.

(b) This section shall not apply to the running at large of any dog or dogs within the corporate limits of any city or town in this state that requires a license tag to be kept on dogs nor shall this section apply in any county in this state until the same has been adopted by the county commission of such county. (Acts 1915, No. 185, p. 259; Code 1923, §3221; Code 1940, T. 3, §5.)

You can call the sheriff department and ask to speak with county animal control. Tuscaloosa County AC has a barn next to the shelter where they can keep stray livestock until the owner is located.

Tuscaloosa County Animal Control is under the sheriff’s department. They currently have a dedicated investigator for animal cruelty cases.

There are no limits to the number of pets you can have in Tuscaloosa County.

Unfortunately, there are no provisions preventing the chaining of a dog in Tuscaloosa County.