Earlier this year, a troubling reality came to light: Mississippi remains one of the few states without an explicit law criminalizing animal abandonment. This legal void leaves countless pets vulnerable, with little recourse for those seeking justice on their behalf. This blog post explores Mississippi’s current legal landscape, compares it to other states, and outlines what reforms are urgently needed.
What Laws Mississippi Has (And What It Doesn’t)
Mississippi’s laws governing animal cruelty are found in Title 97, Chapter 41 of the state code. While they prohibit certain acts of cruelty, they do not explicitly criminalize abandonment:
- Section 97-41-1 covers general cruelty to animals but is vague regarding abandonment.
- Section 97-41-2 allows courts to seize animals believed to be abandoned or neglected, but does not provide penalties for abandonment itself.
- Section 73-39-89 allows veterinarians to dispose of abandoned animals after notice but again, there is no legal accountability for the person who abandoned the animal.
In short, abandonment is only addressed as a side-effect of neglect or cruelty, not as its own offense.
How Mississippi Ranks Nationally
According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s 2024 rankings, Mississippi sits at 46th out of 50 states for animal protection laws. This low ranking reflects numerous shortcomings:
- Limited species coverage (mostly dogs and cats)
- No possession bans for offenders who abuse or abandon animals
- No mandatory psychological evaluations for abusers
- No minimum standards of care spelled out in law
- No explicit offense for animal abandonment
Mississippi is one of only a few states lacking these key protections.
What Other States Do Right?
Top-ranking states like Oregon, Illinois, and Maine explicitly criminalize abandonment and include broader protections:
- Abandonment as a stand-alone crime
- Coverage for all vertebrate species
- Mandatory forfeiture and psychological evaluation for convicted offenders
- Civil enforcement options for private citizens and nonprofits
- Statutory definitions for adequate food, shelter, water, and veterinary care
What Mississippi Needs
To protect animals effectively, Mississippi should:
- Create a specific offense for animal abandonment
- Expand legal protections to cover all domestic animals
- Implement mandatory forfeiture and evaluations for offenders
- Define minimum standards for shelter, care, and treatment
- Empower civil remedies for enforcement by advocates
- Establish a mandatory reporting system for abandonment and cruelty
Why It Matters
Without legal reform, animals in Mississippi remain dangerously vulnerable to being left behind without food, shelter, or medical care. Animal shelters and rescue organizations are calling on lawmakers to act—because no pet should be disposable, and no person should walk away without accountability.
Conclusion
Mississippi must take bold steps to join the majority of states that treat animal abandonment as the serious issue it is. Until then, countless pets will continue to suffer in silence abandoned, unprotected, and overlooked by the law.
