Alabama Dangerous Dog Law

What happens right after the bite?

Anyone who knows that a dog bit a person must tell the county rabies officer or health officer; not reporting is a Class C misdemeanor^22,23. The health officer then places the dog in a 10-day rabies quarantine under a licensed veterinarian^21,22. Home quarantine is the exception, not the rule. The statute allows it only for vaccinated dogs and only with the health officer's approval²². ADPH guidance adds that the bite must have been provoked, the dog kept in one confined area with a single caretaker, and a vet exam done on day 10²⁵. The owner pays the costs and cannot sell, give away or move the dog until it is released²². If the dog has no owner, the owner agrees in writing, or the health officer orders it, the dog can be euthanized at once and its head tested for rabies²².

How is a dog declared dangerous?

Emily's Law, Act 2018-182, set one statewide procedure¹⁷. A dangerous dog is one that, regardless of breed, has bitten, attacked, or caused physical injury, serious physical injury or death to a person without justification; police dogs on duty are excluded¹⁷.

The process runs in five steps¹⁸:

1. Sworn statement. The person claiming the dog is dangerous swears a statement before a city magistrate or the sheriff, naming the owner and where the dog is kept.
2. Investigation. An animal control officer investigates. If the statement claims serious physical injury or death, a law enforcement officer takes over.
3. Summons and impound. If the claim looks founded, the officer files a summons in municipal or district court and the dog is impounded. The owner may choose a veterinarian to hold the dog instead of the pound, but pays for it either way. The owner can instead consent to euthanasia.
4. Petition. The county attorney, municipal attorney or municipal prosecutor may petition the court to declare the dog dangerous. While the case is pending the dog cannot be moved or transferred.
5. Hearing. The court hears the case as soon as practicable and declares the dog dangerous if it is reasonably satisfied that the dog bit, attacked or injured a person without justification.

The owner has two built-in presumptions. A dog is presumed not dangerous if the incident happened on the owner's property or if the victim was trespassing¹⁸. An appeal goes to circuit court under the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, and the circuit court's order is final¹⁸. If no animal control officer is employed locally, a law enforcement officer does the work²⁰.

When must a dog be euthanized?

If the court finds the dog dangerous and that it caused serious physical injury or death, euthanasia is mandatory¹⁸. If the injury was less serious, the court decides whether the dog has a propensity to cause future serious injury or death. If it does, the court may order euthanasia or return the dog under conditions¹⁸. The dog stays impounded until the owner complies, and it is euthanized if the owner has not met every condition within 30 days of the order¹⁸.

What must the owner of a declared dog do?

The court's conditions are listed in § 3-6A-4: microchip, current rabies certificate, spay or neuter, payment of all investigation, pickup, impound and court costs, a $100 annual registration fee, a surety bond of at least $100,000 covering bites, injuries or death, and proof of a proper enclosure¹⁸. The enclosure must lock, have a secure top, sides sunk two feet into the ground or a concrete floor, shelter, room for the dog to stand normally, and a "Dangerous Dog--No Trespassing" sign¹⁷. Outside it, the owner must be present and hold the dog on a secure collar and leash¹⁹.

What are the criminal penalties?

Criminal liability under § 3-6A-5 depends on whether the dog was already declared dangerous and how badly the victim was hurt¹⁹:

• Declared dog, serious physical injury or death: Class B felony.
• Undeclared dog, serious physical injury or death, owner knew of its dangerous propensities and showed reckless disregard: Class C felony.
• Declared dog, physical injury: Class A misdemeanor.
• Undeclared dog, physical injury, owner knew and was reckless: Class B misdemeanor.

On top of any fine, a convicted owner pays impound and veterinary costs, the victim's medical expenses and the cost of destroying the dog¹⁹. Walking a declared dog without the required leash is a Class C misdemeanor, and a Class B misdemeanor on a second offense¹⁹. Refusing to surrender a dog under investigation, or knowingly making a false dangerous-dog report, is a Class C misdemeanor¹⁹. Where another law carries a heavier penalty for the same conduct, the heavier one applies²⁰.

Can cities add their own rules?

Yes. Cities and counties may adopt ordinances that meet at least the state minimums, and Emily's Law does not displace the rabies law or civil claims²⁰. No state statute bars breed-specific local rules²⁰. A dog declared dangerous that bites again exposes the owner to the felony and misdemeanor tiers for declared dogs above, and the civil claim discussed on the Alabama dog bite law page¹⁹. For a national comparison, see dangerous dog laws and dog bite euthanasia laws.

Rules for a declared dog in Alabama

Alabama rules in brief

Reporting. Any person who knows that a person was bitten by a dog, cat or ferret must notify the county rabies officer or health officer²². Failing to report a bite is a Class C misdemeanor²³. The Alabama Department of Public Health asks that bites be reported to the county health department on its Rabies Exposure Report²⁴.

Euthanasia. If a district or municipal court finds a dog dangerous and that it caused serious physical injury or death, it must order the dog euthanized¹⁸. If the injury was less serious, the court may order euthanasia when it finds a propensity to cause future serious injury, or return the dog under strict conditions; the owner can appeal to circuit court, whose order is final¹⁸.

Criminal penalties. An owner whose previously declared dangerous dog causes serious physical injury or death commits a Class B felony; if the dog was not declared but the owner knew of its dangerous propensities and acted with reckless disregard, it is a Class C felony¹⁹. Lesser physical injury is a Class A or Class B misdemeanor on the same split¹⁹.

Breed rules. No Alabama statute bars breed-specific local laws; Emily's Law defines a dangerous dog "regardless of its breed" and lets cities and counties adopt ordinances that meet at least its minimum standards^17,20.

Compare states: dangerous dog laws by state, bite quarantine rules, euthanasia after a bite. If your dog bit someone, start with what happens next.

Sources

1. Code of Alabama § 3-6-1, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
2. Code of Alabama § 3-6-2, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
3. Code of Alabama § 3-6-3, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
4. Code of Alabama § 3-6-4, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
5. Humphries v. Rice, 600 So. 2d 975 (Ala. 1992), Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
6. Code of Alabama § 3-1-3, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
7. Code of Alabama § 6-2-38, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
8. Code of Alabama § 6-2-8, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
9. Williams v. Delta International Machinery Corp., 619 So. 2d 1330 (Ala. 1993), Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
10. Gentle ex rel. Gentle v. Pine Valley Apartments, 631 So. 2d 928 (Ala. 1994), Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
11. Berg v. Nguyen, 201 So. 3d 1185 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016), Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University College of Law. Checked 17 October 2026.
12. Code of Alabama § 11-47-192, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
13. Code of Alabama § 11-12-8, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
14. Code of Alabama § 11-93-2, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
15. Code of Alabama § 6-11-20, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
16. Code of Alabama § 6-11-21, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
17. Code of Alabama § 3-6A-3 (Emily's Law definitions), Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
18. Code of Alabama § 3-6A-4 (dangerous dog investigation and hearing), Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
19. Code of Alabama § 3-6A-5 (violations), Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
20. Code of Alabama §§ 3-6A-6 to 3-6A-8, Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
21. Code of Alabama § 3-7A-1 (rabies definitions), Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
22. Code of Alabama § 3-7A-9 (quarantine of biting animals), Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
23. Code of Alabama § 3-7A-12 (penalties), Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
24. Rabies, Alabama Department of Public Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
25. Rabies Quarantine Fact Sheet and Home Quarantine Guidelines, Alabama Department of Public Health. Checked 17 October 2026.