Page 42 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2024

HAPPY TAILS FROM HSSM ADOPT, DON’T SHOP. THE BEST OF FRIENDS
When Rob Stinson saw a tiny Yorkie on a silent auction at a Humane Society of South Mississippi fundraising event, he knew she was the perfect pup for his son, Samuel.
“My son had moved to Metairie and when I saw her, I just knew,” Stinson said. “It was his birthday, and I was determined to get the dog.”
She was affectionately named Willow by the Humane Society staff and the auction was part of the 2023 Rock N Roll Over event, the largest annual fundraiser for the non-profit organization.
Stinson kept returning to the bidding table only to find he was steadily being outbid
by someone else just as determined, his longtime friend Todd Trenchard.
“We kind of had one of those – you – you – moments when we realized we were bidding against each other,” Stinson said.
Trenchard gracefully bowed out after learning Willow was meant to be a birthday gift for Stinson’s son.
“The main thing is she went to a great home, and we raised some money for the Humane Society,” Trenchard said.
FOR PITTIES SAKE Lauren Damond hit the jackpot with her two American Pit Bull Terriers and
wishes more people would give the breed a winning chance.
“They’re really just big babies and not aggressive like people sometimes think,”
Damond said, adding she adopted Diablo, a black American Pit Bull Terrier, from the Humane Society of South Mississippi (HSSM) in 2020.
She named him Diablo because of the way his ears were chopped. “They look like devil horns,” she said with a laugh.
In 2022, Damond wanted a friend for Diablo, so she revisited the Humane Society. “I wanted another Pit Bull, so we did a meet and greet with four other dogs, but the energy wasn’t that good, everything just seemed a little bit off,” she said.
She was about to give up and come back another day when a volunteer brought out Mishka and there was a shy but instant connection. Also a black Pit Bull, Mishka was one of the longest shelter residents at the time and had been at HSSM for more than a year.
“Something about her just pulled at my heartstrings,” she said. “I knew if I adopted her and gave her a good life, it would be the most fulfilling thing for me
and for her, so we brought her home.”
Now Diablo and Mishka spend their days playing and
enjoying life together. Damond often advocates for Pit Bulls and other animals on social media and
photo by
Arielle Victoria
Willow was barely two pounds at the auction and Stinson said she’s gained a pound in the last year and doing well.
“They’re best friends,” Stinson added.
Rob Stinson and Willow.
Lauren Damond, Diablo, and Mishka.
encourages people to foster, adopt, or donate to HSSM or an animal shelter in their area.
“It’s the best decision you’ll ever make,” she said.
2615 25TH AVE., GULFPORT 228.863.3354 INFO@HSSM.ORG
TUESDAY-FRIDAY: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. SATURDAY 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
42 | July 2024
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