MOBILE, Ala. — A proposed overhaul of Mobile’s animal laws is going to committee instead of to a vote, after city council members heard enough objections from residents and business owners to conclude the language needs more work.
During a pre-council meeting last Tuesday, council members declined to move the measure forward and instead referred it to the Public Safety Committee.
What the Ordinance Would Do
The proposal would rewrite substantial portions of the city’s animal code. It would increase fines, regulate breeders, cap the number of animals allowed on some properties and create a new set of requirements for animals classified as high-risk.
Supporters have framed the rewrite as a way to give Animal Control real tools for chronic neglect and repeat offenders, replacing a code that critics say has been too weak to deter much of anything.
The ‘High-Risk’ Definition Problem
Several residents and business owners told council members the definitions in the draft are too broad to enforce fairly.
Bill Trufant, co-owner of B&B Pet Stop, said he supports updating the city’s animal laws but objected to how the ordinance defines high-risk animals.
“The term exotic species is undefined, and the phrase other non-domesticated cat or animal means virtually every species on the planet, other than a dog or a cat,” Trufant said.
Trufant, who has owned B&B Pet Stop for 45 years, also questioned language requiring high-risk animals to remain physically restrained, arguing it could sweep in ordinary retail pet interactions.
“Someone could violate the ordinance just by letting their parrot out of the cage,” he said. “Frankly, a lot of harmless pets can’t be leashed or tethered. How would you tether a snake?”
Mayor: Pets Inside the Home Are Not the Target
Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis said the ordinance is aimed at public safety and stronger protections for animals, not at penalizing responsible owners. He said animals inside a home would not fall under the restraint provisions.
“If you’re inside your home, which is humanely confined within a wall, a fence, a vehicle, or other enclosure, you’re never going to get in trouble for letting your parrot out of the cage,” Cheriogotis said.
Breed-Specific Language Draws the Sharpest Objections
The most pointed criticism landed on the ordinance’s breed-specific provisions, which would automatically classify several breeds — including pit bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans — as high-risk animals regardless of an individual animal’s history.
District 2 resident Anna Bush urged council members to strike that section entirely.
“The breed language is simply irredeemable, and this is absurdly arbitrary and doesn’t really address dogs that are actually dangerous. This language just needs to be stricken,” Bush said.
Bush argued the city would get further by expanding access to spay and neuter services and increasing microchip use. She said she offers low-cost spay and neuter services and still cannot fill the appointment slots she has available — a gap that points less to demand than to awareness and access.
“How do we make the resources more available, but also when we’re addressing these problems, these are the animals we must prioritize,” Bush said.
Council Signals a Rewrite Is Coming
Council members acknowledged the substance of the objections and agreed more discussion is needed before any vote.
“We definitely understand that we need to go back and look at the restraint requirements along with how we’re classifying the, you know, using breeding as a classification,” said Councilwoman Samantha Ingram.
What Happens Next
The proposed animal ordinance goes before the Mobile City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Committee review gives the administration and council members room to redraft the contested sections — particularly the definitions of exotic and non-domesticated animals, the restraint requirements and the breed classifications — before the measure returns to the full council.