Breeders in Alabama
148 USDA-licensed facilities
Alabama is home to 148 USDA-licensed animal facilities, including commercial breeders, dealers, exhibitors, and research institutions operating under federal Animal Welfare Act oversight. Each facility listed below has been inspected by USDA APHIS veterinary medical officers, and their complete inspection histories are available for public review.
The compliance grades shown range from A+ (excellent — few or no violations) to F (failing — extensive or critical violations). These grades are calculated by BreederCheck based on the number, severity, and recency of documented violations. A high violation count does not always indicate current problems — some facilities have improved significantly after being cited — but it does tell you where to look more carefully and what questions to ask before purchasing an animal.
| Grade | Facility | City | Inspections | Violations | Last Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | GREATER TENNESSEE VALLEY ZOO INC | ATHENS | 4 | 3 | May 12, 2016 |
| C+ | GREATER TENNESSEE VALLEY ZOO INC | ATHENS | 4 | 7 | Nov 28, 2017 |
| A+ | GRIFFIN FARMS PUMPKIN PATCH LLC | WEST BLOCTON | 3 | 0 | Oct 24, 2018 |
| A+ | Grizzly Ranch Rescue | Hartford | 2 | 0 | Dec 31, 2024 |
| A+ | GULF COAST GREAT DANES LLC | ROBERTSDALE | 1 | 0 | Oct 6, 2020 |
| D | Harmony Kennels and Transport LLC | MARION | 2 | 8 | Sep 15, 2025 |
| A+ | HARVEY RAWLS | GADSDEN | 5 | 1 | Jun 29, 2017 |
| A+ | HEART OF ALABAMA: SAVE, RESCUE, ADOPT (HASRA) - 2020 New | KILLEN | 7 | 2 | Sep 12, 2025 |
| A+ | HENRY KOEHLER JR | ELBERTA | 2 | 2 | Apr 29, 2014 |
| A+ | HENRY KOEHLER JR | ELBERTA | 1 | 0 | Nov 6, 2014 |
| F | Hoof or Paw | Guin | 5 | 10 | Dec 9, 2022 |
| A+ | HUGO ENGLISH | BREWTON | 2 | 3 | Aug 11, 2015 |
| A+ | Hunter Smith | Samson | 5 | 1 | Jan 15, 2026 |
| F | INGE VERSTUYFT | MOBILE | 2 | 6 | Aug 19, 2014 |
| A+ | INGE VERSTUYFT | MOBILE | 1 | 0 | May 3, 2016 |
| A+ | INGE VERSTUYFT | CHUNCHULA | 1 | 0 | Aug 22, 2019 |
| B | Isbell's Pumpkin Farm | LEIGHTON | 2 | 2 | Oct 4, 2024 |
| A+ | Jennifer Koehler | New Brockton | 2 | 0 | Aug 4, 2023 |
| A+ | Jennifer Koehler | New Brockton | 1 | 0 | Dec 20, 2023 |
| A+ | JM’s Cute Critters | Horton | 1 | 0 | May 12, 2025 |
| A | John A Spence | WING | 9 | 2 | Nov 22, 2024 |
| A+ | Jon and Tiffany Taylor | WETUMPKA | 5 | 0 | Nov 25, 2024 |
| A+ | KAREN HATHAWAY | FAIRHOPE | 3 | 0 | Sep 28, 2016 |
| A+ | SWEET CREEK FARM MARKET | PIKE ROAD | 1 | 2 | Oct 25, 2016 |
| F | BRANTLEY FARMS | DAPHNE | 9 | 22 | Mar 7, 2017 |
| A | KRISTY MARSON | TUSCALOOSA | 7 | 4 | Sep 7, 2018 |
| A+ | KRISTY WILLIAMS | BANKS | 4 | 0 | Apr 24, 2019 |
| A+ | L E A R INC | ELKMONT | 3 | 0 | Aug 27, 2019 |
| A+ | LACEY HERRING & BEN POWELL | MADISON | 4 | 3 | Sep 24, 2021 |
| A+ | LUTHER HENDRIX | FORT PAYNE | 1 | 0 | Apr 25, 2019 |
Understanding Breeder Licensing in Alabama
Federal licensing through the USDA is required for any breeder who sells animals wholesale, maintains more than a threshold number of breeding females, or sells animals sight-unseen over the internet or by mail. Breeders who sell directly to buyers from their own premises, and who maintain four or fewer breeding females, are generally exempt from federal licensing under the retail pet store exemption — although this exemption was narrowed significantly in 2013.
In addition to federal requirements, Alabama may impose its own state-level breeder regulations. These can include state licensing requirements, limits on the number of intact breeding animals, mandatory spay/neuter provisions for sold animals, lemon laws that guarantee buyer recourse for undisclosed health problems, and required veterinary health certificates at the time of sale. State laws vary enormously — some states have comprehensive breeder protection statutes while others have virtually no state-level oversight beyond what the USDA provides.
The facilities shown on this page are those with active or recently expired federal USDA licenses in Alabama. Breeders operating below the federal threshold or selling only within the state may not appear in this database. If you are buying a pet from any breeder in Alabama, we recommend checking both federal records here and any applicable state licensing databases.
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