The Humane Society of South Mississippi is the biggest animal welfare organization in Mississippi. As an open-admissions shelter, they never turn away an animal and handle over 7,000 homeless pets every year. Since their beginnings in 1952, the society has been working hard to improve the human-pet bond while promoting humane care throughout the state. They're committed to ending the animal overpopulation problem and the subsequent need to euthanize large numbers of perfectly healthy, adoptable animals every year.
In 2012 they began their “Countdown to Zero” initiative, which tracks their progress toward eliminating the need for euthanasia altogether. It’s a brave and bold goal, and if they achieve their dream, they'll be the first open-admission, no-kill shelter in the Deep South. Help these amazing people realize their goal by choosing to save a life today! On any given day the shelter is home to over 300 pets ranging from cats and dogs to rabbits and mice. Your new best friend could be waiting for you today!
No appointment is necessary to visit the shelter and meet the adoptable animals. All adoptions operate on a first-come, first-served basis. If you see an animal on their website that could be the one, jot down their ID number and bring it to the shelter. The Humane Society of South Mississippi's amazing staff will be only too happy to introduce you to your potential new pal and let you get acquainted.
You'll need to complete a pre-adoption questionnaire, which can help indicate who might be the best match for you. If you're a renter, you'll also need to provide landlord approval, and the shelter may ask for their contact details to confirm.
If the cutie you'd like to adopt has already been spayed or neutered, you can take them home with you on the same day! If they still need to be fixed, you'll have to wait to take them home after their surgery, adding a few days to the process.
You must be 18+ to adopt and have a valid photo ID.
Adoption fees at the Humane Society of South Mississippi are as follows:
Your adoption fee covers spaying/neutering, up-to-date vaccinations, microchipping, an engraved ID tag, a complimentary post-adoption veterinary visit, one month of free pet insurance, and a starter bag of Hill's Science Diet food.
Our writing team is hard at work researching this shelter's adoption process and fees, so this page will be updated soon!
In the meantime, here's some nice-to-know info that applies to nearly every animal shelter, humane society, and rescue.
Because shelter dogs are full of love!
Is it because they know you saved them and love you harder for it?
I can't say for certain, but yes.
Jokes aside, there are three things all shelter dogs need to thrive in their new home:
Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:
These issues are correctable! Your dog isn't broken, they're just damaged. You can fix them with enough love, patience, and a good training plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, finding good dog trainers can be hard. Like everything else, dog training is moving only. but there are great online dog trainers that are proven to work and can help get your new pup on the right path.
You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.
Adoption processes vary drastically from organization to organization, but here are some general tips that apply in most instances. Note that we'll use the term "shelters" here for simplicity but it includes all types of rescue organizations.
If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!
If you're looking to adopt a new dog, our Dog Adoption Guide is a must-read. It has everything you need to know about bringing a shelter dog home:
And we're adding new guides all the time.
