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Jefferson County opens new Animal Care and Control facility in Birmingham

Illustrative photo: A volunteer feeds dogs at an animal shelter. This image does not show Jefferson County’s Birmingham Animal Care and Control facility.
Photo by Mia X · Pexels source · Pexels License · Representative stock photo; does not depict the reported event.

The Sydney Drive building brings animal housing, intake, public services, veterinary support and staff operations together, with capacity for dogs, cats and kittens.

Editor's Note: Sources and receipts for this article can be found below!

Jefferson County held a ribbon-cutting for its new Animal Care and Control facility on September 29. Bham Now identifies the site as 1052 Sydney Drive in Birmingham; the county announcement describes a purpose-built facility on Sydney Drive. The building brings county animal-control services and animal-care spaces together at one address. Jefferson County says public services, animal housing, intake, veterinary support and staff operations are housed under one roof. The county describes the project as a purpose-built facility planned to support care for stray animals and the people who work with them.

The building’s listed capacity includes 568 dog kennels and 172 cages for cats and kittens. It also includes eight rooms for stray dogs, six temporary hold rooms and four secure outdoor courtyards. These spaces add several kinds of housing and holding areas to the facility. The county’s announcement lists the capacities and room counts; Bham Now’s reporting describes dedicated spaces for cats, kittens and puppies, plus dog kennels and courtyards. Neither report says how many animals are currently at the facility, so the figures describe space in the building rather than an occupancy count.

The courtyards are described by Bham Now as providing controlled outdoor access between animal-care wings. The report also identifies grooming areas, animal-supply rooms, a food-preparation area, dishwashing, laundry and clean-linen space, and staff areas such as lockers and a breakroom. Those details give a sense of the practical work the building is set up to support: housing animals, preparing their supplies and food, and supporting the staff who provide care. The reports do not publish operating hours or a full list of public services, so families should confirm those details with the county or the Greater Birmingham Humane Society before visiting.

Bham Now reports that treatment rooms are planned for the facility’s future. That distinction matters for anyone trying to understand what is available now: the reporting identifies them as future treatment rooms, while the county announcement describes veterinary support as part of the building’s functions. The two accounts can be read together without assuming a treatment schedule or claiming that every veterinary service is already operating. The stated purpose is to bring support functions into one building; the published descriptions do not give details about the types of medical care, appointment access or hours.

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) manages animal-control services for Jefferson County, according to both the county and Bham Now. Bham Now says representatives of the county commission and GBHS participated in the ribbon-cutting. The article also reports that Allison Black Cornelius, GBHS’s longtime executive director, said the facility gives families a welcoming place to look for lost pets. That information makes the location relevant to people searching for a missing companion animal, though readers should check directly with GBHS for current procedures before heading over.

At the ceremony, Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens reflected on the time and collaboration behind the project. In remarks reported by Bham Now, he described the shelter as a long-awaited result of people working together and said the county could now direct resources toward community needs. His comments place the opening in the context of a county project years in planning and months in construction, as the county announcement describes. No construction cost or timeline beyond those broad descriptions appears in the two sources used here.

The county thanked Birchfield Penuel & Associates, Stone Building Company and BL Harbert International for helping bring the project to completion. Bham Now identifies Birchfield Penuel & Associates as the architects, Stone Building Company as the builder, and BL Harbert International as project manager. Together, those credited roles outline the project team behind the new facility.

For Birmingham-area residents, the key details are concrete: Bham Now identifies the new facility at 1052 Sydney Drive, and county records show it formally opened with a ribbon-cutting on September 29. GBHS manages county animal-control services. The facility’s listed spaces include dog kennels, cat and kitten cages, stray-dog rooms, temporary hold rooms and secure courtyards, along with support areas for intake, staff operations and care. Families who have lost a pet can contact GBHS to learn how to use the location and what steps to take. The opening establishes a new facility for county animal-control work; the two sources do not say when animals moved in or provide current intake, adoption or visitation details.

Sources and receipts

These records support the reported claims and show when each source was published.

Animal Care and Control Facility Ribbon Cutting · 2026-09-29 ↗

Jefferson County, Alabama · supports: The county marked the facility opening with a September 29 ribbon-cutting on Sydney Drive in Birmingham.; The purpose-built facility brings public services, animal housing, intake, veterinary support and staff operations together.; The facility includes 568 dog kennels, 172 cat and kitten cages, eight stray-dog rooms, six temporary hold rooms and four secure outdoor courtyards.; Greater Birmingham Humane Society manages animal-control services for Jefferson County.; Birchfield Penuel & Associates, Stone Building Company and BL Harbert International are acknowledged project partners.

Jefferson County unveils new Birmingham animal shelter · 2026-09-29 ↗

Bham Now · supports: Independent post-event reporting confirms the September 29 opening, 1052 Sydney Drive address and participation by county and GBHS representatives.; The article describes animal-care spaces, future treatment rooms, support rooms, courtyards, project-team roles and remarks by Jimmie Stephens.; GBHS longtime executive director Allison Black Cornelius described a welcoming place for families seeking lost pets.

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