Mississippi Canine Coalition, Inc.

What We Are 

Mississippi Canine Coalition, Inc.. is a statewide Mississippi non-profit organization whose objectives are the following:

**to actively assist or participate in local, state and national legislation concerning dogs and dog owners;

**to bring such legislation to the attention of the members and to the general public;

**to promote responsible dog ownership;

**to use all legal means to promote the general welfare of dogs and dog owners; and

**to disseminate information and knowledge regarding dogs.

Our Current Projects

Animal Cruelty & Seizure: Mississippi currently has no general animal cruelty statute other than those provisions related to providing food and water and prohibition against carrying in a cruel manner.  We do have an obviously unconsitutional animal seizure statute that has not yet been challenged in court.  There is no doubt that it will be when the appropriate opportunity arises.  The legal battle that will follow will not only be costly to an animal owner, but it will cost all of us as taxpayers.  That can and should be avoided.  As Mississippi continues to be the poorest state in the country, our tax dollars should be better spent in ways other than paying legal fees and lawsuit settlements. Our coalition members have drafted legislation to correct both of these deficiencies.  We have had an animal cruelty bill introduced during each of the past six legislative sessions but it has not yet passed out of committee.  We are making revisions now to our previous bills and plan to again have it introduced in the 2011 session of the legislature.

Breed Specific Legislation:  The Mississippi Canine Coalition, Inc. opposes BSL in all forms.  We recognize that a number of cities and counties do have "dog" problems, but we know from history and statistics that BSL, which has been held as unconstitutional in some courts, does not solve those problems.  Our members are actively voicing their opinions in cities and counties proposing BSL and are also working with several local jurisdictions to draft a real solution to the problems.

Who We Are

Our members are:

Pet Owners, Responsible Breeders, Dog Show Fanciers, Dog Handlers, Dog Trainers, Veterinarians, Responsible Dog Rescuers, Farmers, Hunters, All Breed Kennel Clubs, Breed Specialty Clubs, Obedience Clubs, Agility Clubs, Other Dog Organizations