FOLEY, Ala. — Foley police are asking for the public’s help finding a 33-year-old man who faces a felony charge under Alabama’s Emily’s Law after a woman was badly hurt in a dog attack at a home on McGaster Trail.
Officers were called to the 13000 block of McGaster Trail on Sunday, Sept. 20, after a report of a dog bite, according to the Foley Police Department. When they arrived, they found an adult woman with multiple bite wounds. Emergency medical crews took her to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
Police identified the owner of the dogs as Nikeyl Jones, 33, of Foley. Investigators said Jones and the woman who was attacked live at the same address.
Jones is charged under the violations section of Emily’s Law, a Class C felony, and with one count of reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor, police said. Investigators said Jones has not cooperated with the investigation, and his whereabouts are not known.
Jones has not been convicted of any crime in connection with the attack and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Foley dog attack at a glance
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026
- Location: 13000 block of McGaster Trail, Foley
- Victim: An adult woman, taken to a local hospital with serious injuries
- Dogs: Five pit bull-type dogs; two euthanized at the scene, three seized
- Owner named by police: Nikeyl Jones, 33, of Foley
- Charges: Violation of Emily’s Law (Class C felony) and reckless endangerment (Class A misdemeanor)
- Status: Police are searching for Jones
Two dogs euthanized at the scene
Officers accounted for five pit bull-type dogs at the home, according to police. Because the dogs continued to act aggressively and posed an immediate safety risk, two of them were euthanized on the scene, the department said. The other three were seized.
Police have not said which of the dogs were involved in the attack on the woman, or what will happen to the three dogs that were taken into custody. Under Alabama’s dangerous dog law, dogs involved in an investigation are generally impounded while the case moves through court.
A history of complaints at the address
According to Foley police, the attack was not the first time the home had drawn attention from authorities. The department said there had been multiple earlier animal-related complaints involving the address.
Police also said Jones had recently appeared in court over issues involving the same dogs. The department has not released details about those earlier complaints or the outcome of that court matter.
That history could matter in the case. As explained below, the felony charge under Emily’s Law generally requires prosecutors to show that an owner knew about a dog’s dangerous tendencies before an attack.
What is Emily’s Law?
Emily’s Law is the common name for Alabama’s dangerous dog statute, found in Chapter 6A of Title 3 of the Code of Alabama. The law’s first section states that the chapter may be cited as “Emily’s Law.”
Foley police described it as a state statute that sets a formal legal process for investigating unprovoked dog attacks and holding owners criminally accountable.
The law is named for Emily Mae Colvin, a 24-year-old woman who was killed on Dec. 7, 2017, when she was attacked by a pack of dogs near her home in Jackson County in northeast Alabama. A friend who tried to help her was also injured. Her death drew statewide attention to the fact that Alabama law at the time offered limited ways to hold dog owners criminally responsible for deadly attacks.
Lawmakers responded during the 2018 legislative session. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill in March 2018, and it took effect later that year.
How the law works
Emily’s Law creates a step-by-step process for dealing with dogs accused of being dangerous.
- A complaint: Any person who believes a dog is dangerous can file a sworn statement with a city magistrate or the sheriff, identifying the owner and explaining why.
- An investigation: An animal control officer typically investigates. When an attack causes serious physical injury or death to a person, the law calls for a law enforcement officer to handle the investigation.
- Impoundment: If the investigation supports the complaint, the dog is impounded at a pound, animal shelter or veterinarian while the case is pending. An owner may instead agree to have the dog humanely euthanized.
- A court hearing: A county attorney, municipal attorney or municipal prosecutor files a petition in district or municipal court, and a hearing is held as soon as practicable to decide whether the dog is dangerous.
The law defines a dangerous dog, in general terms, as one that has bitten, attacked or caused physical injury, serious physical injury or death to a person without justification. There are exceptions. A dog is generally not considered dangerous, for example, if the person bitten was trespassing on the owner’s property.
Requirements for owners of dangerous dogs
When a court declares a dog dangerous but the dog has not caused serious injury or death, the owner may keep it only by meeting a list of conditions within 30 days. Those include:
- Registering the dog and paying a $100 annual registration fee
- Obtaining a surety bond of at least $100,000 to cover injuries the dog might cause
- Having the dog microchipped and spayed or neutered
- Keeping its rabies vaccination current
- Building a proper enclosure that meets detailed standards in the law, including locked construction, fencing sunk at least 2 feet into the ground and posted “Dangerous Dog” warning signs
- Paying the costs of the investigation, impoundment and court proceedings
If an owner does not comply, the dog can be euthanized.
The criminal penalties
The violations section of Emily’s Law, the part of the statute Foley police cited, sets out criminal penalties for owners. The level of the charge depends on how badly someone was hurt and on whether the dog had already been declared dangerous by a court.
- Class B felony: When a dog that a court has already declared dangerous attacks without justification and causes serious physical injury or death to a person.
- Class C felony: When a dog that has not been declared dangerous attacks without justification and causes serious physical injury or death, and the owner knew of the dog’s dangerous propensities and showed reckless disregard for them.
- Misdemeanors: Lesser charges apply to attacks that cause physical injury that is not serious, to violations of the restraint requirements for dangerous dogs, to refusing to surrender a dog to animal control, and to knowingly making a false report that a dog is dangerous.
Under Alabama’s general sentencing laws, a Class C felony carries a possible prison term of one year and a day up to 10 years, along with a fine of up to $15,000. The law also makes owners responsible for costs such as sheltering and caring for an impounded dog and, in some cases, the victim’s medical expenses.
Emily’s Law does not replace civil lawsuits. The statute states that it is not designed to do away with any civil remedies, so people injured by dogs may still pursue claims in civil court.
The reckless endangerment charge
Jones also faces a separate misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment. Under Alabama law, a person commits reckless endangerment by recklessly engaging in conduct that creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another person.
It is a Class A misdemeanor, the most serious level of misdemeanor in Alabama, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $6,000.
Police ask for help finding Jones
Foley police said Jones has been uncooperative during the investigation, and they are asking anyone who knows where he is to contact law enforcement.
Anyone with information can:
- Call the Foley Police Department: 251-943-4431
- Contact their local law enforcement agency, as Foley police requested
- Call 911 if they see Jones or believe someone is in immediate danger
Police did not say whether Jones is considered dangerous. As with any wanted person, residents should not try to approach or detain him themselves.
Staying safe around aggressive dogs
Millions of Americans are bitten by dogs every year, and many of those bites involve a dog the person knows, including dogs in their own home. Animal welfare and public health groups offer several basic safety tips:
- Don’t run from an aggressive dog. Running can trigger a chase. Stay calm, avoid direct eye contact and back away slowly.
- Put something between you and the dog. A bag, jacket, bicycle or trash can lid can act as a barrier.
- Protect your head and neck if you are knocked down. Curl into a ball and cover your ears and neck with your hands and arms.
- Get medical care for any serious bite. Dog bites can cause deep wounds and infections, and a doctor can advise on rabies concerns.
- Report bites and dangerous dogs. Local police or animal control can investigate, and Emily’s Law allows residents to file a sworn complaint about a dog they believe is dangerous.
What happens next
Once Jones is taken into custody, he would be booked and would go before a judge, who would address bond. The felony case would then move through the Baldwin County court system, where prosecutors would have to prove the charges.
The fate of the three seized dogs is expected to be decided through the process set out in Emily’s Law. Police have not released an update on the woman’s condition.
Update: Family describes the attack
Destinee Bullard, the victim’s niece, said her aunt was attacked as she tried to open the front door of the home in the 13000 block of McGaster Trail in the Mills Community. “She was literally covered from head to toe in blood, and all we could do was pray, just pray she made it through it,” Bullard said.
According to the family, the woman has so far required three surgeries. “She is just thankful to be here because she thought she was dead,” Bullard said. The family said she remains in good spirits but faces a long recovery.
Bullard said the dogs had attacked people before and described her aunt as the fifth person they had attacked, a claim police have not publicly confirmed. She urged Jones to turn himself in.
Accounts of the dogs’ status have varied. According to a report Friday, two of the dogs were killed at the home and two others are in the custody of Foley police, with a judge to determine their fate. Foley Police Lt. Bob Fennell said the severity of the injuries allows police to charge the owner criminally. Anyone with information on Jones’ whereabouts is asked to contact the Foley Police Department.