Our Programs

Adoption

Heartworm disease is an infection of a worm that lives in the heart of the dog. Ultimately, this causes heart failure and death without treatment. Mosquitos are responsible for passing heartworm larvae from one dog to the next. Your puppy/dog must be started on heartworm prevention as a young puppy to prevent infection. It is important for owners to have a good relationship with a veterinarian to oversee the health and heartworm management of your pet. 

Heartworm disease is in every home in every state. Your dog/puppy is still at risk of getting heartworm infection from a mosquito bite even if he/she lives inside. Your dog can look healthy and have heartworm disease even if he/she doesn’t show symptoms. A simple quick blood test through your vet can check to see if your dog has adult heartworms living inside its heart. Heartworm prevention is relatively inexpensive but treating the disease is costly!

Heartworm disease requires extra care and veterinary visits. A heartworm positive dog undergoing treatment can be scary for a family as the treatment itself is harsh. It’s important to keep a dog going through the treatment quiet for about four months. Once recovered, most dogs can go back to a normal activity level. But the fight doesn’t stop there. Even after treatment, every dog must stay on prevention the rest of its life to prevent further infection. 

All of our dogs are tested at point of intake (if they are 6 months or older) and all puppies/dogs are started on heartworm prevention. Thanks to generous contributions from our community, our Mead, Music, Mutts partners  (Queen’s Reward Meadery and the Hound Dawgs), and the Petco Foundation, we are able to treat all of our homeless heartworm positive dogs for heartworm disease. That means our dogs can be placed in loving homes and their new family can financially prepare to set their home up for a new pet instead of being burdened with costly heartworm disease treatment.

To learn more about heartworm disease, click here.

We believe that breed specific legislation is not the answer for enforcing responsible pet ownership. We are committed to educating pet owners about responsible pet ownership and humane care. With no scientific evidence to support that any one breed is more “aggressive” than the next (American Veterinary Medical Association), we see dogs as just that: dogs.

Any animal with teeth has the potential to bite regardless of the temperament. Animals respond with “fight” or “flight” behavior to stimulus which means if an animal cannot escape it may attack in defense. There are other factors to take into consideration too. Lack of socialization, territorial guarding (often these pets are intact and not spayed/neutered), and pack development from having too many dogs running together with little or no training are all scary scenarios that could lead to a bite or attack.

If an owner has their pet spayed/neutered and provides an enriching home with exercise and training, especially socialization and manners, the chances of a bite or attack are slim. Most bites are in homes with their family and familiar dogs and are due to human error. Dogs can feel pain and can feel threatened. It is highly recommended never to leave small children with any pet without supervision.

A new statement from the National Animal Care and Control Association supports that each dog is an individual and each bite incident should be treated the same. Breed specific legislation does not enhance public safety and violates the property rights of responsible dog owners.

At TLHS, we believe that open, progressive adoption policies as well as conversation based matchmaking is best for our pets. We do not have any breed specific policies and matchmake pets with an adopter that has a lifestyle best suited for the pet. Breed specific discrimination and adoption practices are outdated and have been disproven as a valid means of denying an adoption. Our goal is to place every dog, regardless of assumed breed, in a loving home that is ideal for the pets personality.

If you have a dog that you are concerned may be considered a “dangerous dog” due to its breed, please visit our Pet Owner Resources page for more information on local ordinances.

Feline leukemia (Felv) is a viral infection that cats can get. This viral infection will be with the cat for the entirety of the lifespan as there is no cure. Felv positive cats may need extra veterinary care and can have a shortened lifespan due to the virus. People can’t get the virus but other cats can through prolonged exposure to body fluids or a bite from an infected cat. That’s why it is important that our Felv positive cats are adopted to inside only homes with no other cats unless resident cats are Felv positive too. 

All of our cats have been tested for Felv/FIV. Felv positive cats used to be euthanized upon positive test results. New research shows that these cats have the possibility of living a pretty normal life but do require attentiveness and extra veterinary care. That’s why it is important for our adopter’s to understand that adopting one of these cats can require additional financial obligations and a lifetime responsibility: both to the cat and the community. By providing these cats a live outcome, they can live the remainder of  their lives in a loving home.

To learn more about Felv, click here.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is another virus that cats can get. Unlike feline leukemia, FIV is not as easy to transmit to other cats as it usually is passed on from a mother to her babies during birth or through a bite from an infected cat. Only cats can get this so people are safe to own an FIV positive cat. 

FIV positive cats may require more veterinary care as they are unable to fight off common viruses and bacterial infections like a normal cat. FIV positive cats can live a normal life and can have the same lifespan of a cat without the virus. Adopter’s still must understand that these cats may require more veterinary care and may cost more to care for than an FIV negative cat. We only adopt our FIV cats to inside homes. 

Can FIV positive cats cohabitate with cats that don’t have FIV? Cohabitation amongst FIV positive and negative cats is a controversial topic. There have been groups of FIV negative cats in the same home that never contract FIV from the FIV positive cat that lives with them. With all animals being fixed, there is no transmission during reproductive contact. However, the risk of the cats having a disagreement and a bite wound resulting from the FIV positive cat to an FIV negative cat is possible. We recommend our adopters to only adopt an FIV positive cat if you are ready for the commitment and have no other cats or have another FIV positive cat at home. 

To learn more about FIV, click here.

At TLHS, we receive inquiries daily about specific breed availability. The most common breeds that we are asked if we have available are Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, Boxers, and many toy breeds including Chihuahuas, Shih-tzus, and Yorkshire Terriers. Many people who are interested in one of these pets have owned one as a child or may have recently lost a pet of the same breed. The conversation usually begins with “I would love to have another (insert dog breed).” 

To be honest, each dog is an individual. It is remarkably impossible to look at a dog and the breed description and assume that this German Shepherd is just like the one that you owned as a child. Or that the Siberian Husky you saw on TV will be a perfect family pet. Breeds with longer hair often need to see a groomer at least once a month if not twice a month. Are you prepared for the responsibility to train and care for a pet that is a breed that is pleasing to look at or hold? 

Many families are looking for a great family pet that is “easy.” Pets are like children and sometimes require extra care and training. Time is important to have available for a pet as behavior is not determined by a “breed standard.” What is your lifestyle like? Do you live in an apartment and work 14 hours a day? Are you looking for an outside pet? Or a guard dog? Do you have a fenced yard? Do you have young children? Do you have other pets? 

These are questions that our staff will take into consideration when they are trying to matchmake you to one of our available pets. We will not send a dog or cat into a home that is not a good fit for the pet or your home. TLHS adoption counselors make our best effort to ensure a positive experience for you and our pets. Give your new pet time to adjust to your home while making sure that you are doing your best to provide exercise, nutrition, and positive reinforcement to help support good behavior the rest of its life.

The adoption fee is waived. You will be responsible for ongoing veterinary care (as necessary), food, water, and shelter.

When you bring the new cats home, they will need to be confined to an escape-proof room or enclosure like a tack room, garage, coop, or XXL dog crate for 2-4 weeks while they acclimate to their new surroundings. You will feed/water and clean the litter pan daily during the confinement period. After this period of confinement, the cats will usually accept their new home and may be released. You will continue to provide daily food and water and allow them access to shelter such as your barn or garage.

All barn cats come spayed or neutered, rabies vaccinated, treated for worms/fleas/ear mites (dose of Revolution), and ear tipped.

Any cat you adopt from TLHS will be current on rabies vaccination. Following adoption, you will be responsible for keeping the animals’ vaccinations up to date. The best way to have feral cats vaccinated is with the use of a live humane trap such as those used to trap raccoons, possums, etc.

The cats in the barn cat program are not social, friendly cats or suited to be pets. They have no desire to be “lap cats” and cannot be touched, or may take a very long time to trust enough to pet. We strongly encourage adopters to offer cats in this program an independent outdoor life complemented by appropriate care and shelter like a barn or garage.

The youngest cats in the Barn Cat Program are approximately six months old. TLHS will not adopt younger kittens as barn cats, as they don’t yet have the knowledge, size, or skills to remain safe outdoors. Most cats in the barn program are young adults between one and five years of age, though we do have younger and older cats available occasionally. If you have an age preference, just let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you!

The cats require shelter in a permanent building or structure like a barn, shed, stable, or garage in a suitable rural area where they will be safe. The property should be at least .5 miles away from busy roads. Daily food and water must be provided, as well as any future medical care needed. The cats must also be kept confined for the initial 2-4 week relocation period to ensure a successful transition to their new home.

The TLHS barn cats are not accessible to visitors for safety reasons. When you are scheduled to adopt, TLHS will select barn cats for you based on which cats are the most eager to enter a cat carrier for us. If you have a color, age, or gender preference, we will do our best to accommodate you, though we’re not able to make any promises! All barn cat adoptions are scheduled by appointment since it can take some time and extra staff to round the kitties up.

Foster

Orphaned kittens and nursing moms are common almost year round in our area. The hardest times of the year are spring, summer, and late fall. Babies kittens need around the clock care and close monitoring to stay healthy and thriving. We decided to develop a Neonatal Kitten Program to provide education about the importance of spaying and neutering, caring for nursing moms, and what to do if you find an orphaned kitten. 

Kittens require additional warmth, nutrition, and clinical care as they are very fragile. This is why it’s important for fosters and volunteers to help our staff bridge the gap between cleaning and care. Ideally, nursing moms do better in a quiet home and orphaned kittens can be fostered in sets of two. 

Kittens that enter our care are often healthy but can get sick by being exposed to airborne contaminants (think of it like a daycare here) or have intestinal parasites that can cause issues later. Our intake protocol is best developed to prevent a lot of illness and intestinal parasite issues. However, a lot of kittens struggle to overcome illness and infection as stress can complicate treatment. It is best that these kittens get as much care as possible. 

Found a baby kitten and need to know how to care for it? Watch these videos by the Maddie’s Foundation on neonatal kitten care.

To learn more about what to do if you find a kitten or a litter, contact us at 662-205-4221.

To learn more about stopping the cycle, please call us at 662-205-4221 or email clinic@tupeloleehumane.org to schedule an appointment for spay/neuter or email intake@tupeloleehumane.org for homeless cat/kitten needs. 

Our neonatal unit is open to volunteers to help clean and care for babies during the day. If you want to learn more about volunteering to help, click here.

It is important to keep our unit stocked with kitten formula, clean towels/blankets, nursing bottles, syringes, nutri-cal, and heating pads. If you would like to donate to this program, please click here.

Looking for a new furry family member but not sure which pet is the best fit? Speak with our adoption and foster team and allow us to matchmake you with a pet. Click here to learn more about matchmaking and how it works. Our foster to adopt program is designed to allow a potential adoptive family to take a pet home to see how the pet will fit in a home environment. 

The length a pet may be in a “foster to adopt” home depends on the medical needs of the pet and if the pet has been spayed or neutered. Many of our dogs that require heart-worm treatment prior to adoption may be in a foster to adopt home for the duration of the heart-worm treatment (~3 months!). For pets that are under 8 weeks in age, the foster family may need to foster for a few weeks until the pet is old enough and weighs enough to be safely spayed or neutered. For many of our healthy and already spayed and neutered pets, we usually allow a 2 week foster to adopt “trial period” with an adoption decision due at the end of the 2 weeks. 

Allowing all of our pets to be available for foster and adoption allows pets to go into homes faster and to start the match making process sooner so that we can keep space in our facility open for incoming pets and create the best plan of action for every pet in our care. 

Looking to help save a life but you are unable to commit to a pet long term? We could sure use YOUR help! We have a rescue/transport program in which some of our receiving rescues prefer a 2 week foster prior to getting their freedom ride to their new families in the north. This program is awesome for pet enthusiasts that want to support our mission and help us expand our life saving efforts. Fosters are given a specific date of transport and are scheduled for all required veterinary visits at the time of pick up. Many of our fosters even get to connect on social media with the receiving rescue and can get fun updates of the pet getting to enjoy a warm home and a loving family. 

We often need help with general fostering needs with bottle babies during the spring and summer months. Orphaned kittens and puppies are overwhelming during these times and require around the clock care. Caring for infants is exhausting to our staff when most of us already have personal pets and fosters that we care for. Any help to care for these babies either through fostering or volunteering to help staff provide extra TLC to the babies in our care is greatly appreciated. 

Our Finder Fosters foster pending intakes into our facility. We prioritize sick, injured, and animal control pick ups due to contracts with local municipalities. Any healthy stray or owner surrender is given an appointment within two weeks of establishing contact with our intake coordinator. We provide counseling on other methods of rehoming, encourage checking strays for a microchip and listing on local social media pages and Finding Rover, and plea for rescue and foster for pending intakes. Our goal is for our community to be no-kill (not just our facility). These Finder Fosters are providing life saving efforts to help support our mission until we can find placement for the pet(s). 

Can’t take a dog to your home because of other pets? Can’t commit to overnight fostering due to work schedules but have a day off and want some doggy love? Doggy Adventures is perfect for you! 

These foster field trips are a great way to bust our dogs out of the kennel for a few hours for a shopping trip to Petco or Petsmart or just to go for a walk in the park! Of course, if you want to just go home and binge some TV shows for a few hours with a furry friend that’s okay too! 

We provide a little baggie and collar and leash for the doggo you check out. Feel free to share pictures of your temporary buddy on social media and list some of the information provided about him or her. We encourage pictures and video and can use these to update their adoption profiles on our website. 

Our goal is to provide a pet service to those in our community that just want a doggie friend for a very short period of time while giving our dogs a break from the daily structure and stresses a kennel environment has. We anticipate with your participation as an advocate for our dogs on these little trips that our adoption rates will increase meaning that more large dogs will find their bestest homes! 

Schedule your field trip by clicking here.

Intake

The idea to create a Community Cat Program has been a project in the making for most of 2020. Our team is proud to officially launch a program tailored for all cats in the city of Tupelo and Lee county. The Community Cat Program includes our TNR/RTF program, Barn Cat Program, and PASS Program.

TNR/RTF
(Trap, Neuter, Release/Return to Field)
Our goal is to humanely trap feral (or wild) cats, spay or neuter, and administer a rabies vaccination to each one. The cats that qualify for this program are cats that are in the community and are not domesticated. These cats often form feral “cat colonies” and can reproduce quickly without human intervention. Kittens can get pregnant as early as 4 months. In addition to your family pets, it is important that these cats are also fixed. The TNR program is life saving to the cats in the City of Tupelo and Lee county, MS. 
 
Feral cat colonies are important to maintain and to keep together as these cats often serve a purpose to our neighborhood by controlling the population of small vermin. Feral cat colonies are easy to care for. We recommend making friends in your neighborhood that are cat enthusiasts to help look out for cats in need. 
 
Feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed/neutered at TLHS, ear tipped (as a way for people to know the cat has been fixed), given a rabies vaccination. These cats are then released to the area they were trapped from (Return to Field) or enter our Barn Cat Program. The Barn Cat Program is for cats that are not social enough to be adopted to inside homes to find a home that is a perfect fit. To learn more about the Barn Cat Program, click here
 
We welcome volunteers to help trap cats in feral cat colonies. We do keep data from our cat colonies as it is important for grants and tracking program success. If you are a cat lover and are interested in becoming part of our Community Cat Program team, please email us at volunteer@tupeloleehumane.org! 
 
Have a feral cat colony that you need help with TNR? Email us at intake@tupeloleehumane.org to learn more about how we can help. 
PASS Program 
The PASS Program was developed as part of our Intake Diversion Program to help people who are willing to provide an adult female cat a home and need TLHS to home the kittens. Adult cats are often overlooked at TLHS and have a longer length of stay vs the cute fluffy baby kittens. As a result, TLHS developed the PASS Program to provide free spay/neuter for mother cats with owners willing to provide mom with food, water, shelter, and love. TLHS then rehomes the whole litter and stops the reproduction cycle by spaying/neutering all kittens prior to adoption. 
 
If you are unable to afford spay/neuter for your nursing female cat and need to rehome unwanted kittens, please email us at intake@tupeloleehumane.org to learn more about how we can help you and the felines in your care. “

Information Coming Soon

Clinic

Our spay and neuter clinic was started as a means of offering surgical alter for your pet at a lower cost. Part of our mission is to help end the homeless pet population in our community and part of that solution is having your pet spayed or neutered by the age of six months. There are many veterinarians in Tupelo in addition to our facility that offer spay and neuter services. Please check out Pet Owner Resources at the top of this page to see a list of veterinarians.   

Unwanted puppies and kittens are often easy to give away but what happens when that cute puppy or kitten grows up and can breed? Did mom get fixed to end the cycle? Can you afford the unexpected cost of a C-section if mom has complications (often in excess of $600)? Is the person you give an unwanted puppy or kitten to going to take good care of it? What will you do if your pet gets pregnant? What about the possibility your roaming, intact family pet is out looking for a mate and gets injured; how will you afford the increased risks of medical bills? These are all scary questions for a family that is suddenly tasked with the additional responsibility of caring for a litter of puppies or kittens or a pet that is of reproductive age. 

Puppies and kittens can come into heat as early as 4 months old and can get pregnant. A female dog’s average litter size is 7 puppies and a female cat’s litter size is 5 kittens. Dogs and cats can have about 3 litters a year and can be rebred within a couple weeks of birthing a litter! 

Spaying or neutering your pet can help with the following complications including physical and behavioral challenges: 

  • Roaming 
  • Digging/climbing out of fence
  • Fighting 
  • Marking 
  • Uterine infection 
  • Mammary tumors 
  • Testicular cancer 
  • Enlarged prostate
  • Aggression 

So what will your pet be like after it recovers from this simple surgical procedure? Your pet will be the SAME! Spaying or neutering your pet will not decrease or affect the pet’s ability to learn or play. If your pet is a hunting or working breed, spay or neuter won’t affect your pet’s drive. If anything, your pet will be a better companion to you and your family. 

DOGS | Female $125 | Male $100

CATS | Female $80 | Male $60 

OTHER SERVICES (provided with spay/neuter procedures) 

  • Microchipping – $6 with a spay or neuter surgery. ($25 if done by itself)
  • Rabies Vaccine- included with a spay or neuter surgery. 
  • Heartworm Test (dogs) $25 
  • FELV/FIV/Heartworm (cats) $25 
  • Rabies Vaccination $15 (required if pet is over 3 months of age and not otherwise current on rabies vaccination at the time of spay/neuter)

Contact us at 662-205-4221 to request a call back to set up an appointment with our clinic or email clinic@tupeloleehumane.org.

It is $25 to have your pet microchipped.

Volunteer

Orphaned kittens and nursing moms are common almost year round in our area. The hardest times of the year are spring, summer, and late fall. Babies kittens need around the clock care and close monitoring to stay healthy and thriving. We decided to develop a Neonatal Kitten Program to provide education about the importance of spaying and neutering, caring for nursing moms, and what to do if you find an orphaned kitten. 

Kittens require additional warmth, nutrition, and clinical care as they are very fragile. This is why it’s important for fosters and volunteers to help our staff bridge the gap between cleaning and care. Ideally, nursing moms do better in a quiet home and orphaned kittens can be fostered in sets of two. 

Kittens that enter our care are often healthy but can get sick by being exposed to airborne contaminants (think of it like a daycare here) or have intestinal parasites that can cause issues later. Our intake protocol is best developed to prevent a lot of illness and intestinal parasite issues. However, a lot of kittens struggle to overcome illness and infection as stress can complicate treatment. It is best that these kittens get as much care as possible. 

Found a baby kitten and need to know how to care for it? Watch these videos by the Maddie’s Foundation on neonatal kitten care.

To learn more about what to do if you find a kitten or a litter, contact us at 662-205-4221.

To learn more about stopping the cycle, please call us at 662-205-4221 or email clinic@tupeloleehumane.org to schedule an appointment for spay/neuter or email intake@tupeloleehumane.org for homeless cat/kitten needs. 

Our neonatal unit is open to volunteers to help clean and care for babies during the day. If you want to learn more about volunteering to help, click here.

It is important to keep our unit stocked with kitten formula, clean towels/blankets, nursing bottles, syringes, nutri-cal, and heating pads. If you would like to donate to this program, please click here.

The idea to create a Community Cat Program has been a project in the making for most of 2020. Our team is proud to officially launch a program tailored for all cats in the city of Tupelo and Lee county. The Community Cat Program includes our TNR/RTF program, Barn Cat Program, and PASS Program.

TNR/RTF
(Trap, Neuter, Release/Return to Field)
Our goal is to humanely trap feral (or wild) cats, spay or neuter, and administer a rabies vaccination to each one. The cats that qualify for this program are cats that are in the community and are not domesticated. These cats often form feral “cat colonies” and can reproduce quickly without human intervention. Kittens can get pregnant as early as 4 months. In addition to your family pets, it is important that these cats are also fixed. The TNR program is life saving to the cats in the City of Tupelo and Lee county, MS. 
 
Feral cat colonies are important to maintain and to keep together as these cats often serve a purpose to our neighborhood by controlling the population of small vermin. Feral cat colonies are easy to care for. We recommend making friends in your neighborhood that are cat enthusiasts to help look out for cats in need. 
 
Feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed/neutered at TLHS, ear tipped (as a way for people to know the cat has been fixed), given a rabies vaccination. These cats are then released to the area they were trapped from (Return to Field) or enter our Barn Cat Program. The Barn Cat Program is for cats that are not social enough to be adopted to inside homes to find a home that is a perfect fit. To learn more about the Barn Cat Program, click here
 
We welcome volunteers to help trap cats in feral cat colonies. We do keep data from our cat colonies as it is important for grants and tracking program success. If you are a cat lover and are interested in becoming part of our Community Cat Program team, please email us at volunteer@tupeloleehumane.org! 
 
Have a feral cat colony that you need help with TNR? Email us at intake@tupeloleehumane.org to learn more about how we can help. 

Information Coming Soon

Educational Information & Resources

Information Coming Soon

We believe that breed specific legislation is not the answer for enforcing responsible pet ownership. We are committed to educating pet owners about responsible pet ownership and humane care. With no scientific evidence to support that any one breed is more “aggressive” than the next (American Veterinary Medical Association), we see dogs as just that: dogs.

Any animal with teeth has the potential to bite regardless of the temperament. Animals respond with “fight” or “flight” behavior to stimulus which means if an animal cannot escape it may attack in defense. There are other factors to take into consideration too. Lack of socialization, territorial guarding (often these pets are intact and not spayed/neutered), and pack development from having too many dogs running together with little or no training are all scary scenarios that could lead to a bite or attack.

If an owner has their pet spayed/neutered and provides an enriching home with exercise and training, especially socialization and manners, the chances of a bite or attack are slim. Most bites are in homes with their family and familiar dogs and are due to human error. Dogs can feel pain and can feel threatened. It is highly recommended never to leave small children with any pet without supervision.

A new statement from the National Animal Care and Control Association supports that each dog is an individual and each bite incident should be treated the same. Breed specific legislation does not enhance public safety and violates the property rights of responsible dog owners.

At TLHS, we believe that open, progressive adoption policies as well as conversation based matchmaking is best for our pets. We do not have any breed specific policies and matchmake pets with an adopter that has a lifestyle best suited for the pet. Breed specific discrimination and adoption practices are outdated and have been disproven as a valid means of denying an adoption. Our goal is to place every dog, regardless of assumed breed, in a loving home that is ideal for the pets personality.

If you have a dog that you are concerned may be considered a “dangerous dog” due to its breed, please visit our Pet Owner Resources page for more information on local ordinances.

Information Coming Soon

Information Coming Soon

Information Coming Soon

Information Coming Soon

Ready to get started?

Email intake@tupeloleehumane.org or call 662-205-4221 to discuss adoption of our barn kitties. Please provide where you are planning on keeping them, the amount of time you will be able to keep them confined before release, approximate size of living structure (i.e. small, medium, large barn/garage/warehouse), and your contact information. We thank you in advance for helping us help our community and save lives!