Animal clinics urge spaying, neutering to curb pet overpopulation

Morgan Gill, Nischit Sharma, Alexa Hatten and Kiran Silwal • June 2, 2025

HATTIESBURG — Animal advocates across Mississippi are launching a statewide awareness campaign to promote spaying and neutering, hoping to reduce shelter overcrowding, animal abandonment and one of the highest euthanasia rates in the country.

A shelter worker crouches with a dog inside an outdoor pen with a shaded tarp. — A volunteer crouches inside an outdoor kennel at a Mississippi shelter, caring for a dog. Many shelters rely on volunteers to keep animals safe and healthy despite limited resources. (RHCJC News)

Mississippi’s pet euthanasia rate stands at 18% — more than three times the national average — according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Shelters across the state say they are overwhelmed and under-resourced.

“The entire state of Mississippi is currently in an overpopulation crisis with animals,” said Tamara Huff, director of Hub City Humane Society. “For every one animal we get adopted out, we get about 30 calls to surrender animals.”

The new campaign will focus on expanding access to low-cost spay and neuter services, especially in rural areas. It will also promote education about how sterilization helps reduce shelter intake, prevent suffering and protect public health.

Crisis hits rural counties hardest

Each year, more than 65,000 animals enter Mississippi shelters. Most of those shelters are not no-kill and turn to euthanasia when there’s no space left.

Rural counties often face the steepest challenges. According to TotalVet reports, euthanasia rates are higher in areas with fewer clinics and limited access to veterinary care.

Two kittens inside a kennel at an animal shelter, with an intake form visible above them. — Two kittens sit in a small kennel at Hub City Humane Society, their intake form pinned above them. Mississippi shelters say they’re overwhelmed by surrendered and abandoned animals. (RHCJC News)

“There’s just not enough space,” said Megan Marlowe, a board member for Mississippi Spay and Neuter. “Once one more animal needs in, they’re going to have to euthanize something to make space.”

Some pet owners who feel they are left with no options turn to abandonment. Earlier reporting by RHCJC News showed that Jackson County officials routinely find animals left outside shelters or dumped along roadsides. Prosecution is difficult, they said, because the person responsible is usually long gone.

That same pattern appears in counties like Perry and Greene, where the closest shelter is nearly an hour away.

“When people get litters that they aren’t expecting, they dump them in the woods or on the side of the road and just wish them the best of luck, and it’s heartbreaking,” she said.

“We’re never going to adopt our way out of this,” Marlowe said. “We have to start on the front end.”

Spaying, neutering offer long-term solution

Advocates say the single most effective way to reduce overpopulation is spaying and neutering. The Mississippi Spay and Neuter Initiative, which is separate from Mississippi Spay and Neuter, reports 90% of animals entering shelters are unaltered — not spayed or neutered.

A brindle puppy drinks water while another dog walks toward the camera in a gravel kennel. — A brindle puppy drinks from a water bowl while another approaches the camera at Hub City Humane Society. Mississippi’s euthanasia rate is more than three times the national average. (RHCJC News)

According to Alley Cat Allies, the best time to spay and neuter cats is during winter months — before the seasonal surge of spring kittens and puppies overwhelms shelters.

Marlowe said timing is critical since cats can have up to three litters a year and dogs up to two.

“Spay and neuter is so needed in this state,” Marlowe said. “The overpopulation would go way down if it were more of a focus — and spayed and neutered pets live longer, healthier lives.”

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, spaying helps prevent uterine infections and reduces the risk of mammary tumors. Neutering helps prevent testicular cancer and curbs behaviors like roaming and aggression, which often lead to bites, complaints or surrenders.

“The longevity of pets that are spayed and neutered is so much… the quality is so much better than leaving them intact,” Huff said.

Sammy Touchstone, a Hattiesburg pet owner, said she noticed neutering cats also helps prevent predatory behavior.

“Cats are really known for hunting small birds and mice,” she said. “They’ll kill to eat, but they’ll also kill to mess around — and that can disrupt the ecosystem.”

Touchstone said wandering pets can also be dangerous.

Exterior of the Hub City Humane Society shelter, with a sign warning against illegally dumping animals. — The office building at Hub City Humane Society sits just off the road in Hattiesburg. A sign warns that illegally dumping animals is a crime — and a growing problem. (RHCJC News)

“A stray pet could simply run out into the road and get killed, or some other animal could get to it. It’s heartbreaking,” she said.

Groups call for stronger laws, wider access

Laws for Paws MS, a nonprofit working to reduce pet overpopulation, has launched a petition asking Mississippi lawmakers to adopt stronger sterilization requirements. The petition has received more than 320 signatures so far.

They are asking legislators to support:

— Mandatory spaying and neutering for all cats and dogs, unless medically exempt.

— Exemptions for animals that are too young, too old or have conditions verified by a licensed veterinarian.

— An optional license for unaltered pets, with proceeds supporting animal welfare programs.

— Mandatory sterilization for pets impounded a second time before release.

— Expanded access to affordable services, especially in low-income communities.

Some help is already available. Stone County SPCA offers spay and neuter vouchers to residents who can show proof of government assistance, such as Medicaid, WIC, Section 8 housing or SNAP. Applicants must upload documents with their name included.

Mississippi currently has no statewide laws requiring spaying or neutering. While low-cost options exist, Marlowe said many residents are unaware of the problem — or how to prevent it.

Three young kittens sit inside a kennel at an animal shelter, surrounded by toys and food dishes. — A litter of kittens huddles together in a kennel at Hub City Humane Society. Shelters across Mississippi say that for every one animal adopted, they get dozens of calls to take in more. (RHCJC News)

“I don’t think people care that much,” she said. “And the other part could just be blatant ignorance — not knowing anything about the importance of getting an animal spayed or neutered or chipped.”

Organizations like Mississippi Spay and Neuter offer mobile clinics and low-cost procedures, but access still depends on geography, transportation, time and awareness.

To address those gaps, the upcoming campaign will promote education, highlight mobile services and share statewide resources. Pet owners can search for clinics, book appointments and learn about the benefits of sterilization.

“This is a solvable issue,” Marlowe said. “We just need more people to be aware and to act.”

She urged pet owners not to wait.

“Go to mssni.org, look at what’s available and get your animals fixed,” she said. “This is a problem we can fix together — and it starts with each of us.”