HB249 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Brock ColvinRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Dogs and Cats; abandoning dogs or cats prohibited; criminal penalty for violating provided

Summary

HB249 would explicitly prohibit abandoning dogs or cats, create a Class A misdemeanor for abandonment, update related definitions, and give authorities new tools to protect animals starting October 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

The bill defines abandonment and expands cruelty definitions to include abandonment. It creates a new criminal offense of abandoning a dog or cat, classified as a Class A misdemeanor. It gives law enforcement and animal-control officials power to remove an animal or require the owner to provide care, with immunity for officials acting in good faith, and includes some non-substantive technical updates. It takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Dog and cat owners who abandon their pets and must provide care or face criminal penalties (Class A misdemeanor).
• Law enforcement officers and animal-control officials who may remove animals or order care and who have immunity when acting in good faith.

Key Provisions

• Adds a new offense: abandonment of a dog or cat, defined and made a Class A misdemeanor, and updates cruelty definitions to include abandonment.
• Authorizes law enforcement and animal-control officials to remove an animal or require the owner to provide care, with good-faith immunity for officials; sets an effective date of October 1, 2025 and includes technical, non-substantive revisions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Animals