Animal Control

Animal Control and Emergencies

Florence City Limits:

To report an animal control emergency or concern in the City of Florence, please call 256-760-6610.

Lauderdale County:

If you are calling to report and Animal Control emergency or concern in Lauderdale County, please call 256-760-5757 to reach the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department or dial 911 for after hour calls.

*The Florence Shelter acts as an impoundment facility for Lauderdale County. Calls from the county are dispatched through the Sherriff’s Department and 911; the county ACO will respond.

Animal Control Officers respond to a variety of calls such as:

• Animal bites
• Animal cruelty complaints
• Barking/noisy dogs
• Confined animal complaints
• Dangerous dog cases
• Impoundment of animals
• Loose/aggressive animal complaints
• Nuisance urban wildlife (caller must keep a visual of the animal until the ACO arrives)
• Enforcement of animal-related city codes

After hours calls:

Officers are available after regular hours for emergencies only. Emergencies consist of animal cruelty, Confined animal complaints, animal bites, vicious animals at large, and animals in traffic. For after-hour emergencies only, please dial 911.

Cruelty and Neglect

Report Animal Cruelty 

Animals can’t speak for themselves. They rely on humans like you who care about their well-being. If you know an animal that has been abandoned, neglected or mistreated, please let us know so we can investigate or direct you to the proper resource. Don’t wait! A day can be an eternity for an animal in distress.

To report cruelty in the City of Florence, please call police dispatch at (256) 760-6610. To report cruelty in Lauderdale County call 911. We need the street address and zip code where the animal is located. Leaving a return phone number allows our Dispatcher to have animal control contact you for further information.

We take all reports of animal cruelty very seriously. All calls are completely confidential.

How to recognize animal cruelty:

• Extremely thin, starving animals.
• Wounds on the body.
• Patches of missing hair.
• Limping.
• Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food, water or shelter, often chained or locked up in a yard.
• Animals that have been abandoned by their owner.
• An owner striking, or otherwise physically abusing an animal.
• Tick or flea infestations.
• Flystrike — open wounds on ears and/or nose caused by biting flies.
• Animals with an injury or illness who have not received medical care.
• Embedded collars/chains around the neck.
• Animals whose hair is severely matted.
• Intentionally fighting animals.