House Bill 177 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ben RobbinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

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

Summary

HB177 would prohibit abandoning a dog or cat and create a Class C misdemeanor for abandonment, while updating cruelty definitions and enforcement language in Alabama law.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates a new crime of abandoning a dog or cat, punishable as a Class C misdemeanor when done with criminal negligence. It updates the cruelty definitions to explicitly include abandonment and defines terms like 'abandon' and 'dog or cat'. It also allows law enforcement or local officials to remove the animal or require the owner to provide care at the owner's expense, with immunity for officials acting in good faith. The act becomes effective on October 1, 2026 and includes nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the code language.

Who It Affects

• Pet owners or guardians who abandon a dog or cat may face a Class C misdemeanor.
• Law enforcement officers, animal control, and county/municipal authorities gain enforcement authority to remove animals or compel owners to provide care, with immunity for good-faith actions.

Key Provisions

• Adds new Section 13A-11-241.1 creating the crime of abandonment of a dog or cat, defined as abandoning with criminal negligence, and making it a Class C misdemeanor.
• Amends Section 13A-11-240 to define 'ABANDON' as forsaking a dog or cat at a location without minimum reasonable care and to include abandonment within the definition of 'CRUEL' treatment; clarifies definitions for 'DOG' and 'CAT'.
• Amends Section 13A-11-243 to authorize removal of the dog or cat or an order directing the owner to provide care at the owner's expense, with immunity for county/municipality employees acting in good faith.
• Adds nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the code language to current style.
• Establishes an effective date of October 1, 2026 for the act's provisions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Animals