Alabama SB361 Establishes Dog Tethering and Confinement Requirements with Exemptions and Criminal Penalties
Summary
Alabama enacted SB361 on April 13, 2026, establishing tethering and confinement requirements for dogs. The bill specifies conditions under which dogs may be tethered or confined, exempts certain persons and activities, and establishes criminal penalties for violations. Animal control officers are authorized to enforce the requirements.
“Dogs; tethering and confinement requirements provided; persons and activities exempted; criminal penalties for, animal control officer enforcement of, violations established”
What changed
Alabama SB361 establishes new statutory requirements governing how dogs may be tethered or confined, including specifications on appropriate tether length, shelter requirements, and prohibited confinement methods. The bill carves out exemptions for certain activities such as veterinary care, grooming, lawful hunting, and temporary confinement during travel.
Dog owners, keepers, and persons responsible for dogs should review their current tethering and confinement practices to ensure compliance with the new requirements. Animal control officers now have enforcement authority and may issue citations or pursue criminal penalties for violations depending on severity.
Archived snapshot
Apr 22, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Alabama / SB361 Enrolled SB361 Senate Bill Enrolled 2026-04-13
Dogs; tethering and confinement requirements provided; persons and activities exempted; criminal penalties for, animal control officer enforcement of, violations established
Bill Details
State Alabama
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source alison.legislature.state.al.us/bill-search
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Garlan Gudger (Sen - R)
Action History
2026-04-13 S Enacted 2026-04-13 S Enacted 2026-04-09 H Signature Requested 2026-04-09 S Delivered to Governor 2026-04-09 S Enrolled 2026-04-09 S Ready to Enroll 2026-04-08 S Gudger motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1267 2026-04-08 H Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1280 2026-04-08 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1279 QNUHL51-1 2026-04-08 H Faulkner 1st Amendment Offered QNUHL51-1 2026-04-08 H Ellis motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 1278 W1U3J55-1 2026-04-08 H Ensler motion to Table - Lost Roll Call 1277 2026-04-08 H Fidler 1st Amendment Offered W1U3J55-1 2026-04-08 H Ensler motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 1276 ARF2VSS-1 2026-04-08 H Smith 1st Amendment Offered ARF2VSS-1 2026-04-08 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1275 G3TYAC2-1 2026-04-08 H Colvin 1st Amendment Offered G3TYAC2-1 2026-04-08 H Ensler motion to Table - Lost Roll Call 1274 2026-04-08 H Rehm 1st Amendment Offered W1U33E5-1 2026-04-08 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1273 EJ6PPC2-1 2026-04-08 H Lovvorn 2nd Amendment Offered EJ6PPC2-1 2026-04-08 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1272 W1U3P99-1 2026-04-08 H Rigsby 2nd Amendment Offered W1U3P99-1 2026-04-08 H Ensler motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 1271 CXNPGQJ-1 2026-04-08 H Hammett 1st Amendment Offered CXNPGQJ-1 2026-04-08 H Rigsby 1st Amendment Offered CXNPBQJ-1 2026-04-08 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1270 BY7H2J4-1 2026-04-08 H Ensler motion to Table - Lost Roll Call 1269 2026-04-08 H Brinyark 1st Amendment Offered BY7H2J4-1 2026-04-08 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1268 MSBT21W-1 2026-04-08 H Lovvorn 1st Amendment Offered MSBT21W-1 2026-04-08 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1267 U9NVSDD-1 2026-04-08 H Agriculture and Forestry Engrossed Substitute Offered U9NVSDD-1 2026-04-08 H Third Reading in Second House 2026-03-19 H Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar 2026-03-18 H Reported Out of Committee Second House from House Agriculture and Forestry U9NVSDD-1 2026-03-12 H Pending House Agriculture and Forestry 2026-03-12 H Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry 2026-03-12 S Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 857 2026-03-12 S Third Reading in House of Origin 2026-03-11 S Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar 2026-03-11 S Reported Out of Committee House of Origin 2026-03-10 S Pending Senate State Governmental Affairs 2026-03-10 S Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on State Governmental Affairs
Votes
2026-03-12 SBIR: Passed by House of Origin Yea: 30 Nay: 0 2026-03-12 Third Reading in House of Origin Yea: 30 Nay: 0 2026-03-12 Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Roll Call 857 Yea: 28 Nay: 1 2026-04-08 HBIR: Passed by Second House Yea: 75 Nay: 19 2026-04-08 Third Reading in Second House Yea: 75 Nay: 19 2026-04-08 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1267 U9NVSDD-1 Yea: 81 Nay: 8 2026-04-08 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1268 MSBT21W-1 Yea: 98 Nay: 1 2026-04-08 Ensler motion to Table - Roll Call 1269 Yea: 5 Nay: 93 2026-04-08 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1270 BY7H2J4-1 Yea: 101 Nay: 1 2026-04-08 Ensler motion to Table - Roll Call 1271 CXNPGQJ-1 Yea: 56 Nay: 42 2026-04-08 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1272 W1U3P99-1 Yea: 101 Nay: 1 2026-04-08 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1273 EJ6PPC2-1 Yea: 103 Nay: 0 2026-04-08 Ensler motion to Table - Roll Call 1274 Yea: 48 Nay: 50 2026-04-08 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1275 G3TYAC2-1 Yea: 100 Nay: 0 2026-04-08 Ensler motion to Table - Roll Call 1276 ARF2VSS-1 Yea: 49 Nay: 36 2026-04-08 Ensler motion to Table - Roll Call 1277 Yea: 46 Nay: 53 2026-04-08 Ellis motion to Table - Roll Call 1278 W1U3J55-1 Yea: 50 Nay: 43 2026-04-08 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1279 QNUHL51-1 Yea: 92 Nay: 3 2026-04-08 Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Roll Call 1280 Yea: 69 Nay: 23
Committee Referrals
2026-03-10 S State Governmental Affairs 2026-03-12 H Agriculture and Forestry
Amendments
2026-03-18 House Agriculture and Forestry Reported Out of Committee Second House 2026-04-08 House Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1279 2026-04-08 House Ellis motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 1278 2026-04-08 House Ensler motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 1276 2026-04-08 House Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1275 2026-04-08 House Rehm 1st Amendment Offered 2026-04-08 House Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1273 2026-04-08 House Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1272 2026-04-08 House Ensler motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 1271 2026-04-08 House Rigsby 1st Amendment Offered 2026-04-08 House Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1270 2026-04-08 House Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1268
Bill Text Versions
2026-03-10 Introduced 2026-04-09 Enrolled
Subjects
Animals Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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