Birmingham licenses dogs and cats annually and strongly recommends microchipping to speed shelter returns; the city shelter chips animals at intake before adoption or release to owners.
Title 4 requires annual licensing of dogs and cats living in Birmingham, with proof of current rabies vaccination from a licensed Alabama veterinarian. Microchipping is not separately mandated for owned pets, but every animal entering the city shelter is chipped before adoption or owner reclaim. Reclaim fees are reduced when an owner can show the pet has a registered chip, providing a financial incentive. JCDH administers rabies-tag verification, and owners who let licenses lapse can be cited if the unlicensed pet later runs at large or bites someone.
Unlicensed pets cited at large can be impounded; owners must pay catch fees, reclaim fees, and back licensing before release, with higher charges for unaltered or unvaccinated animals.
Birmingham, AL
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 rest...
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 microchipping rules stack up against other locations.
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