Southern Pines Animal Shelter
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Surrendering a Pet

Are you considering surrendering your pet or a stray animal? The decision to give up your pet can be a difficult one, but Southern Pines is here to help. If you are in need of medical or financial assistance to keep your animal in the home or need information about how to rehome your animal without bringing them to the shelter, please view the community resources available on our website. If you believe surrendering your animal to the shelter is the best option, our Community Resource Coordinator can help walk you through our surrender process. Southern Pines practices care-based intake, which helps us ensure that we have the appropriate resources to properly care for all of the animals that we take in. To do this, we require a surrender appointment and fee to help off-set the cost of care for each animal. 

For more information or to set up an appointment, please either fill out the form on this page, or call 601.544.6632 and press 7599 to speak with our Community Resource Coordinators. If they are unavailable, leave a voicemail with your name, phone number, county of residence, and a brief description of the animals you need to surrender, and they will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.

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Interested in trying to rehome
​your pet yourself?

check out our rehoming resources

Surrendering to Southern Pines:
​A Step-by-Step Guide

Southern Pines takes special care to make the surrender process as easy and judgement free as possible. We employ a Community Resources Coordinator who will be responsible for setting up your appointment, counseling you through the process, and being your point-of-contact for any follow up after your drop off. If you've decided to surrender your animal to Southern Pines Animal Shelter please follow these steps to make this process go smoothly: 
1. Talk your decision over with our Community Resources Coordinator
​Please call the Surrender Department at (601)544-6632 (menu option #2) in order to discuss your decision. If you're unable to speak directly with our Community Resources Coordinator please leave a detailed message and they will return your call as soon as possible. Our Community Resources Coordinator is out of the office on Wednesday and Sunday. 
2. Make An Appointment 
​Southern Pines Animal Shelter practices care-based intake, which helps us ensure that we have the appropriate resources to properly care for all of the animals that we take in. This appointment system allows us to manage our intakes which has been instrumental in us becoming a no-kill shelter. We always strive to provide the animals at our shelter with the best care possible and often our capacity for care is directly affected by our intake. Our Community Resources Coordinator is happy to discuss your availability to surrender and find a time that works for both you and our organization. Please keep in mind our surrender wait times vary from a couple of days to up to six weeks during our busy season. We accept animals from the entire state of Mississippi and we intake around 7,000 animals annually, consisting almost entirely of just cats and dogs. Beginning January 1, 2019, we are no longer taking in community cats from outside of our contract areas. Please visit our community cats page to determine if this may apply to you. 

At the time you make an appointment the Community Resources Coordinator will give you the next steps in the process, but we will outline them briefly here so you know what to expect.  
3. Arrive at Your Scheduled Appointment Time and Date
You will receive a phone call 1-2 days before your appointment to confirm. At this time please let us know about any cancellations or if you need to reschedule. If there is no need for alterations, please arrive at the shelter as close to your scheduled time as possible. Often we have appointments coming in at various times throughout the day and a late arrival can shift all of our appointments and cause frustration for our other customers. 

When you arrive on the property please make sure your animals are comfortable and secure in your vehicle and make your way up the ramp to the front office to notify office staff of your arrival. 
5. Request Additional Donation
The average cost of care for one animal from initial intake to adoption is around $350. This cost can fluctuate depending on the animal's age, behavior, and medical needs while in our care. For example, an adult dog that tests positive for heartworms that receives treatment during their stay carries an additional cost of $200-$400. Southern Pines is dedicated to providing the best quality of care to all of the animals during their stay at the shelter, but that is only possible with help from our community. Please consider bringing an additional donation with you at the time of your appointment in order to help us save more lives than ever before. 
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6. Your Pet Goes Up for Adoption
After the counseling session we will take the animal to go through the intake process. Your obligations end here and we will take the animal to get up to date on all treatments, go through a brief behavior assessment, and place the animal in appropriate housing. Often, many animals surrendered will go up for adoption immediately but in some cases senior pets, animals with medical issues, or animals with behavior concerns may take some time to become available for adoption. In some circumstances an animal may not be a candidate for adoption. Many of our animals will be posted to our website very soon after you drop off and you can follow their progress online or you can follow up with the Community Resources Coordinator after you drop off. 
SURRENDER FEES & INFORMATION:

Residents from Forrest County
(excluding City of Petal) and the City of Hattiesburg live in areas that contract with Southern Pines Animal Shelter to help offset the costs that residents from those areas pay.  All contract residents must be able to provide proof of residence using their driver's license or a piece of mail with their name on it. 


  • Surrender fees may vary based on the county of residence, number of animals, age of animals, animal health, and behavior. For more information about specific fees, please contact our Community Resource Coordinator at 601.544.6632 or resources@sopines.org. 
  • Stray/community cats 4 months and older or kittens/cats unable to pass behavior assessment are not eligible for surrender. Outside kittens 4 months and older are considered community cats. Strays/community cats who are 4 months and older in the City of Hattiesburg are eligible to participate in Hattiesburg Animal Control’s Trap-Neuter-Return program. 
  • Thanks to grant funding, we are able to assist pet owners by having the mother of the litter fixed, micro-chipped, vaccinated and returned to her family once the puppies or kittens are weaned. This program makes it easier for mother cats and dogs to remain with their families and also prevents future unwanted litters.
  • Independent rescuers, animal organizations, and individuals who have received assistance from an animal organization must make an appointment and will be responsible for all surrender fees at the time of that appointment. Additionally, there will be costs associated with any medical issues that animal may have at the time of the appointment, including but not limited to, heartworms, skin conditions, and injuries. 
  • Individual rescuers or animal organizations who are interested in partnering with Southern Pines to help more animals through our Embark Transport Program, can contact aparis@sopines.org for more information about eligibility.

QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT US AT 601.544.6632

Where we're located:

1901 N. 31st Avenue Hattiesburg, MS  39401

Hours of operation:

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Monday - Tuesday:  12pm - 5pm

Wednesday:  CLOSED

Thursday - Sunday:  12pm - 5pm

Connect with us:

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 601.544.6632   •  info@southernpinesanimalshelter.org

© 2022 Southern Pines Animal Shelter. All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • Adopt
    • Adopting a Pet >
      • Adoptable Dogs
      • Adoptable Cats >
        • Ringworm Kitties
    • Barn Buddies
    • SPAS Alumni >
      • Alumni Updates
      • Alumni Album
  • Donate
    • Capital Campaign
    • Give Today!
    • Monthly Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Sponsor a Kennel
    • Merchandise
    • Sponsorships
    • Wishlist
  • Community Resources
    • Rehoming Your Pet
    • Healthy Pet Clinic
    • Pet Training Resources
    • Lost and Found Pets >
      • Lost Pet Resources
      • Found Pet Resources
      • Online Lost and Found Resources
      • Other Area Shelters
    • Boarding Facilities
    • Veterinary Clinics
    • Pet-Friendly Housing
    • Pet Food Resources
    • Human Help Resources
    • Found Baby Kittens
    • Community Cats
    • Surrendering a Pet
    • Wildlife Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Events
    • Volunteer
    • Foster >
      • Foster Eligible Animals
      • Adoption Ambassador
      • Foster First Responder
      • Underage Kitten Care
      • Underage Puppy Care
      • Foster FAQ
      • Foster Resources
      • Foster Referral Program
    • Dog's Day Out
    • Employment Opportunities
  • About
    • Contact
    • Saving More Lives
    • EmBark Transport Program
    • Meet Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Partners
    • Blog