If you visit our shelter and do not locate your pet, please complete a lost pet report while you are here so we can post it in our kennels and keep an eye out for your pet. Please also provide a picture of your pet if possible. You will need to visit the shelter several times weekly on staggered days to ensure your pet isn’t inadvertently sent to rescue, foster, etc.

Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter is the only stray/found animal receiving facility for Tuscaloosa County, Tuscaloosa City, and the City of Northport. As such, all animals picked up by County, Tuscaloosa City, and Northport Animal Control agencies are brought to the shelter.

We do not pick up stray/found animals. If you have a stray/found animal you need picked up, you must contact the appropriate animal control agency. Numbers are listed below:

Tuscaloosa County: 205-752-0616
Tuscaloosa City: 205-349-5311
Northport: 205-339-6600

Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter holds stray animals for a period of 7 full days to fulfill the requirements of state law. After the 7 full days (if an animal is unclaimed during the 7 day  period),  the animal’s ownership switches to the shelter. If an animal is put up for adoption after the 7 day period and an owner identifies the animal, the previous owner will be required to go through the adoption process which includes having the animal altered (spayed/neutered).

If your animal is brought into the shelter, you will be required to go through the redemption process.

Before you can redeem your animal you must provide proof that you are the animal’s legal owner. Any of the documents listed below are what we accept as proof. Also, we do not accept 
Facebook pictures that do not meet one of the criteria below due to previous attempts to fraudulently redeem animals.
 

• Pictures with owner
• Pictures showing progression (example: puppy to adult)
• Vet Records
• Bill of Sale
• Adoption Paperwork
   

If an animal is brought into the shelter by animal control, the owner will be required to pay a redemption fee and any boarding fees accrued during the animal’s stay at the shelter. If the animal is dropped off by a member of the public, there is no redemption fee, but the owner will be charged for the vaccinations given on intake and any boarding fees accrued during the animal’s stay at the shelter. We will also require the owner to pay for the cost of the rabies vaccination if the animal cannot be verified as up to date. In Alabama, the rabies vaccination must be given by a licensed veterinarian per state law. All dogs and cats are required to be vaccinated against rabies.
 

• First Offense: $40
• Second Offense: $55
• Third Offense: $75
• Fourth Offense: $125
• Boarding Fee: $10 per night.
• Rabies Fee: $15 for a certificate which you can redeem at a local vet for a rabies vaccination.
   

Metro Animal Shelter vaccinates all healthy animals upon intake. This is done to aid in preventing the spread of disease in the shelter. We base our vaccination protocols on 
recommendations from local veterinarians and the American Animal Hospital Association’s (AAHA) vaccination guidelines.

If you have any questions about stray animals or our intake process, you can contact the Intake Coordinator by clicking here.