Humane Society Of South Mississippi


Gulfport, Mississippi

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About The Humane Society of South Mississippi

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!

Contact Info

Address:
2615 25th Ave
,
Gulfport
,
MS
39501
Phone:
(228) 863-3354
Email:
info@hssm.org
Website: hssm.org

Hours of Operation

Tue - Fri: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sat: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sun - Mon: Closed

Adoption Process

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

Adoption fees at the Humane Society of South Mississippi are as follows:

Dogs

  • Puppies (up to 9 months): $90-$300
  • Adults (10+ months): $20-$300
  • Young at heart (5+ years): $20-$125

Cats

  • Kittens (up to 9 months): $60-$75
  • Adults (10+ months): $30-$75
  • Lap lovers: $20

Discounts

  • Discounts apply when you adopt more than one pet at a time. Speak with a staff member for more details.
  • Throughout the year some pets may have lowered or waived fees as part of an adoption special.
  • Senior citizens (65+) enjoy 20% off the regular adoption fee.

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.

Adoption Process & Fees

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.

Why Rescue A Shelter Dog?

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:

  1. Love
  2. Patient
  3. Training

Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:

  1. Anxiety
  2. Aggression toward people & pets
  3. Resource guarding
  4. Destructive behavior
  5. Housetraining regression
  6. Poor social skills
  7. Leash reactivity & barrier-related aggression
  8. Constant whining

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.

Animal Shelter vs Humane Society vs Rescue: What's the Difference?

You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.

Animal Shelters

  • Most Animal Shelters are city or county-run organizations, often operated by the local Animal Control department, that manage strays and handle owner surrenders.
  • They usually have kennel facilities you can visit to adopt animals, and they usually have less stringent adoption requirements, lower adoption fees, and same-day adoptions (because their goal is to get animals out of the shelter).
  • Unfortunately, they usually know very little about each animal, including their true personalities and any behavioral problems.

Humane Societies

  • Most Humane Societies are non-profit organizations, many of which are no-kill shelters.
  • Some (but not all) are affiliated with The Humane Society of the United States.
  • They exist to improve animal welfare in the local community and often partner with city or county-run Animal Shelters that often euthanize animals due to capacity restraints.
  • They usually have kennel facilities, sometimes at multiple locations, and usually offer other services to the community such as low-cost spay/neuter clinics, community education programs, and more.
  • They may also have some animals in foster care.
  • There's a lot of variation in process and fees among Humane Societies, but they usually have really good websites that detail everything for you.

Rescues

  • Most Rescues are foster-based organizations that don't have physical facilities.
  • They usually have websites and contact emails, but not all of them have phone numbers.
  • Because they don't have a physical facility, you need to view animals in their foster network online, usually on their website but sometimes on their member pages on either PetFinder or Adopt-a-Pet.
  • If you see an animal you'd like to meet, contact the rescue using the process listed on their website or via email. They'll help you through the application process and set up a time for you to meet the animal at the foster's home.
  • Adopting from a rescue generally is the most expensive option here and takes the longest, but you get an animal that's been cared for in a loving home environment and their foster can tell you a lot about their personality.

6 Tips to Improve Your Adoption Experience

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.

  1. See an animal online that you'd like to meet? Call the shelter before your visit to make sure the animal is still available. This especially applies for puppies, which are adopted out quickly.
  2. Usually, you'll need to get some paperwork in order: a photo ID, vaccination/medical records for any pets you currently have, possibly your vet's contact info and a couple of personal references, and (for renters) proof you're allowed to have a pet (copy of your lease or your landlord's contact info).
  3. If you need to provide contact info for your vet, let your vet know ahead of time. Otherwise, they may not release your information.
  4. Many shelters require your current dogs to meet adoptive dogs. Your current dogs need to be up-to-date on vaccinations.
  5. Some shelters require you to schedule a home visit to ensure a suitable living environment for the new animal.
  6. Adoption fees may seem excessive, but they're actually amazing values. Truthfully, caring for a pet is expensive. Most adoption fees include required medical care to get the animal ready for their new home including (but not limited to) spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, general vet exams, flea/tick treatment, deworming, heartworm testing/treatment for dogs, and feline leukemia and feline AIDS testing/treatment for cats. In general, your adoption fee is less than the cost of this care, so you're saving money in addition to your new animal's life!

If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!

For more information about what's included in your adoption fee, or any other questions about the adoption process, reach out to
Humane Society Of South Mississippi
in
Gulfport
,
Mississippi
directly using the contact info above.

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Other Shelters in

Mississippi

Curious about other shelters? Here's 6 more. You can also browse all
animal shelters in
Mississippi
.


You can also go back to our listing of all 50 states to find shelters elsewhere in the US.
All information on this page is accurate and up-to-date to the best of our knowledge. If you spot an error, please contact us using our contact form.
Note: Hours of operation and other information on this page are subject to change during the COVID-19 pandemic.