Puppies for Sale in Mississippi, MS

Mississippi has a ton of pet owners and dog lovers in the state! But a few factors consistently put Mississippi in the bottom or middle of the pack compared to the most pet-friendly states. The main issue is Mississippi’s somewhat lax approach to animal welfare laws. 

Animal advocacy and shelter group Pawsafe ranks Mississippi 48th overall for pet-friendliness. Definitely some room for improvement! 

They arrived at their state ranking through a study evaluating each of the 50 states by important factors like animal cruelty restrictions, pet services, pet-friendly accommodations, and more. As we mentioned, the main issue for Mississippi is its animal welfare laws related to abuse, neglect, fighting, or pet care standards.

A separate study by review site Safewise ranks Mississippi as 32nd. A little bit better! However, if we combine the two studies, Mississippi still ranks towards the bottom of the pack.

A few more facts for dog-lovers in Mississippi

Here’s a positive note: BringFido lists Mississippi as a pet-friendly travel destination with over 700 verified pet-friendly hotels and motels. The site also lists Ocean Springs Beach and the Biloxi Shrimping Trip as popular dog-friendly attractions.

Another strength in the state is a ton of pet owners! Fifty-one percent of Mississippi residents own a dog. This is above the national dog ownership rate of 40%. 

What kinds of dogs do Mississippians love? According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the most popular dogs in Mississippi are Labradors, Beagles, and German Shepherds. Other popular breeds include Huskies, Basset Hounds, and Retrievers. 

Animal welfare & dog shelters in Mississippi

Mississippi saved 41,290 dogs and cats during 2020. Approximately 5,417 animals were killed over this same period. 

Nineteen out of 64 of the animal shelters within Mississippi are no-kill shelters. The percentage of no-kill shelters is low, but the state has an above-average save rate of 80%. This is well short of the 90% mark needed to be considered a no-kill state. We hope to see some improvement in these numbers in the coming years!