Birmingham requires spay or neuter for adopted shelter animals and offers low-cost surgery referrals; intact pets need a higher-fee license and may face restrictions after a roaming complaint.
Birmingham Code Title 4 ties licensing fees to sterilization status: intact dogs and cats pay a substantially higher license fee than altered animals. All pets adopted through the city shelter are sterilized before release, and breeders must hold a separate hobby-breeder permit. After certain repeat offenses, such as roaming or biting, judges can order sterilization as a condition of returning the animal. Low-cost clinics partnered with Birmingham Animal Services and Alabama Spay/Neuter help offset cost, and the program ties into the city's broader animal-overpopulation response.
Owners with unaltered pets pay higher licensing fees and may be ordered to sterilize after a roaming or bite case; failure to comply can lead to impoundment until surgery is performed.
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham does not have breed-specific legislation. No dog breeds are banned. Alabama state law does not preempt local BSL, but Birmingham has not enacted any.
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham requires dogs to be on a leash or under restraint when off the owner's property. Dogs running at large may be impounded by animal control.
See how Birmingham's mandatory spay/neuter rules stack up against other locations.
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