Page 194 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2023

FINAL SAY LORIWEST
CEO, Humane Society of South Mississippi
As we embark upon this season of giving, I am deeply grateful to all the donors and supporters that continue to contribute to life saving programs provided by the Humane Society of South Mis- sissippi (HSSM). Here at HSSM, we have been an animal welfare industry leader in the Deep South and are known for adoption, foster, spay, and neuter programs.
I am pleased to convey that our newest prevention program is growing and with remarkable success. Commencing in 2018, we initiated limited public veterinary wellness visits on Wednes- days aiming to address the pressing need for affordable access to veterinary care in South Mississippi. However, as a testament to the overwhelming demand for our services, it became apparent that a significant expansion was imperative, and we now operate Monday through Friday.
Affordable veterinary access plays a pivotal role in animal welfare. This access gap not only affects the individual animals themselves, but also poses significant challenges to their families and the broader community. Without regular vet care, minor issues in pets can quickly escalate into major problems placing
a financial burden on families. One of the most heart-wrench- ing consequences of limited veterinary access is the potential separation of families with their beloved pets. When faced with overwhelming medical costs, many families are forced to make the desperate decision to surrender their pet to the shelter or re- home them unaltered, contributing further to South Mississippi’s pet overpopulation crisis.
The remarkable success of our expanded wellness program can be attributed to the dedicated efforts of our passionate team, and the unwavering support and encouragement from our valued stakeholders has been instrumental in insuring the longevity and efficacy of this program. Our resource-driven development team secured one of 17 ‘Access to Care’ grants awarded by PetSmart Charities through an invitation-only application process out of their 4,000 shelter partners across the United States and Canada.
HSSM is honored to bring such needed services to South Mis- sissippi. As a result of the many efforts to expand our services to below market rate, HSSM went from serving 7,000 pets in 2018 through our Community Clinic to over 13,000 pets this year! Many that we fear would unnecessarily have been surrendered to the shelter without these resources.
With such a demand for services comes the demand for animal welfare and veterinary professionals. HSSM is proud to be a teaching wellness clinic, hiring entry-level professionals with a
passion for animal care and giving them a high skill foundation with on-the-job, hands-on training that can afford them employ- ment opportunities with private practices or assist when continu- ing their education, especially when there is such a shortage in this field. We also partner with local high schools, community col- leges, and universities through their medical, behavioral science, and pharmacology programs. We provide tuition reimbursement in areas of veterinary medicine and believe human development is the foundation that provides individuals with the tools, resourc- es, and fundamentals necessary to contribute to a community that takes care of the most vulnerable family members, which are often our pets.
Even while living in a state of overcrowd- ing and housing 400+ animals daily due to economic challenges, post-pandemic struggles, and a lack of proactive
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animal ordinances, HSSM continues to defy adversity with passion and purpose. HSSM’s goal is to remain
a champion of hope for the dis- placed pets in South Mississippi while creating a more sustainable and compassionate community.
Where compassion meets action.