OCHS Spay and Neuter Clinic

OCHS Spay and Neuter Clinic Provides affordable spay/neuter surgeries and essential wellness services

08/20/2026

💦 REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

You and your pups are invited to join us at the 16th Annual Dog Paddle! 😎

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
11AM - 2PM
📍 Moncrief Park Pool, Starkville, MS
🔗 Register here: www.ochsms.org

Early-bird registration through Sept 7: $25 one pup and two humans 🐾

Come celebrate the end of summer and raise money for the OCHS Second Chance Fund! 🔥

Special thanks to Starkville Parks & Recreation Department for hosting us!

08/11/2026

☀️Speaking of the sizzlin’ Mississippi summer…..

Y’all, we are in for some of the hottest temps this year over the next few days! 🌡️

Be sure your outside pets have access to fresh, cool water and a place out of the sun. 💦🌳

And remember, if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them! 🔥🔥

🐾 🐾 This is what teamwork looks like! Thanks to funding from the Banfield Foundation, Operation Colony Cats, and private...
08/05/2026

🐾 🐾 This is what teamwork looks like!

Thanks to funding from the Banfield Foundation, Operation Colony Cats, and private donations, these cats and kittens were spayed and neutered, preventing dozens of unwanted litters and needless suffering. 🐈‍⬛🐕🐈🐩

Help us keep the momentum going! Please consider making a donation to help support our efforts. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go toward spaying or neutering a vulnerable animal in our community.

Ways to Give:
❤️ Venmo:
❤️ Paypal: Oktibbeha County Humane Society, Inc.
❤️ Credit card or E-check online: visit ochsms.org and choose Donate
❤️ Mail: P.O. Box 297, Starkville, MS 39760
❤️ In person: Stop by the OCHS Spay and Neuter Clinic, 506 Industrial Park Rd, Starkville, MS on Monday-Thursday between 1:00-4:00 pm.

Thanks, y’all!

Thanks to our friends at Mississippi Spay and Neuter Initiative for this helpful information!🐾 Spay Myths: Let’s Separa...
07/29/2026

Thanks to our friends at Mississippi Spay and Neuter Initiative for this helpful information!

🐾 Spay Myths: Let’s Separate Fact from Fiction
If you’ve spent any time around pets, you’ve probably heard advice like, “She should have one litter first,” or “Spaying will change her personality.”
The truth? Many of the things we’ve all heard over the years simply aren’t supported by science.
Here are a few of the most common myths:
🐶 Myth: A female should have one litter before she’s spayed.
✅ Fact: There is no medical or behavioral benefit to allowing a dog or cat to have a litter first. In fact, spaying before the first heat dramatically reduces the risk of mammary cancer in dogs and cats and completely eliminates the risk of life-threatening uterine infections (pyometra).
⸻
🐱 Myth: She deserves to experience motherhood.
✅ Fact: Animals don’t dream about becoming parents the way people do. Their drive to reproduce is controlled by hormones, not a lifelong desire to raise babies. Once they’re spayed, that hormonal drive disappears.
⸻
❤️ Myth: Spaying is cruel.
✅ Fact: A spay is performed under anesthesia with pain medication before, during, and after surgery. Most pets are back to their normal selves within a few days. Preventing future suffering from disease, repeated pregnancies, and homelessness is one of the kindest things we can do.
⸻
🐱

Myth: Spaying always makes pets fat.
✅ Fact: Weight gain comes from eating more calories than are burned, not from the surgery itself. With appropriate food portions and regular exercise, spayed pets can stay happy, healthy, and fit.
⸻
🐾 Myth: One litter won’t make much of a difference.
✅ Fact: Every litter matters. In Mississippi, shelters and rescues are already overwhelmed. Even one unexpected litter means more puppies or kittens competing for the limited homes that already aren’t keeping up with the animals who need them.
Every puppy or kitten born because of an “accidental” or “just one litter” breeding is one more animal entering an already overcrowded system.
⸻
The good news is that every spay is something we can celebrate.
It’s one fewer litter that may end up homeless.
It’s lower cancer risk.
It’s protection from serious illness.
It’s fewer animals struggling to survive on the streets or waiting in overcrowded shelters.
Changing what we’ve always believed isn’t always easy. But learning new information is how we make things better, one pet and one family at a time.

07/24/2026

Have you ever heard of Pyometra?
It’s a severe, fast-acting bacterial infection of the uterus that can affect unspayed female dogs and cats—usually occurring 2 to 8 weeks after their heat cycle. Hormonal changes cause the uterus to fill with pus, turning it into a medical emergency.
There are two types of Pyometra:
Open Pyometra: The cervix remains open. You will see a visible open cervix and there will be a foul-smelling discharge.
Closed Pyometra: The cervix is closed, trapping pus inside the cervix. The abdomen becomes distended and painful as bacteria rapidly releases infection into the bloodstream.
Because the pus is trapped, closed pyometra can cause the uterus to rupture—leading to severe blood poisoning (sepsis), peritonitis, multi-organ failure, and death.
Warning signs to watch for include:
- Extreme lethargy or weakness
- Loss of appetite & vomiting
- Drastically increased thirst & frequent urination
- Fever
- A swollen or tender belly
Emergency spay surgery is required immediately.
Antibiotics alone are not enough, as they cannot properly permeate the infected uterus—especially in closed cases. Removing the infected uterus is the ONLY way to save their life.
The best prevention? Spaying your female pets!
Spaying saves lives.
Visit our website for low-cost spay neuter clinics, and voucher programs in our state.
www.mssni.org

⏰ Time is Running Out! Book your appointment today before our Spay/Neuter Special ends! Income qualifications apply. $5...
07/23/2026

⏰ Time is Running Out! Book your appointment today before our Spay/Neuter Special ends! Income qualifications apply.

$50 DOG Spay/Neuter
$30 CAT Spay/Neuter

Book an appointment online at ochsms.org/spay-neuter/ . 🐈‍⬛🐈

Happy Friday, Y’all! We love our cute patients. ❤️🐩🐕🐈‍⬛Don’t forget about our low-cost spay and neuter surgery options, ...
07/18/2026

Happy Friday, Y’all! We love our cute patients. ❤️🐩🐕🐈‍⬛

Don’t forget about our low-cost spay and neuter surgery options, made possible by our friends at the Banfield Foundation.

Visit www.ochsms.org/spay-neuter/ to book your appointment today. Spots are limited, so don’t delay!

07/16/2026

❓Did You Know - What to do if you find a stray animal or need to surrender a pet❓

Good Evening, we wanted to follow up on a few recent posts and clarify what options are available when someone finds a stray animal or needs to surrender a pet.

OCHS operates the Starkville Animal Shelter through contracts with the City of Starkville and Oktibbeha County. Because of those agreements, we accept dogs and cats from Oktibbeha County at no charge.

We ask that owner surrenders be scheduled in advance, usually a few days to a week out, so we can prepare space and staff. Strays from Oktibbeha County can be brought in during regular business hours.

Even with careful planning, we never know what each day will bring. Last week, 7 stray animals arrived in one day, along with a scheduled litter of kittens. That meant 10 new animals needing exams, vaccines, housing, and care, while our staff was already caring for more than 100 animals in the shelter.

OCHS also helps animals from surrounding communities when space and resources allow. Through our Home to Transport program, we work with you to prepare an animal for transport while you continue to care for them. There is an intake fee to help cover vaccines, preventatives, medical care, and staff time. We know the animal may be a stray you stepped up to help, but we can’t carry the full cost alone for animals outside our county.

If you find an animal outside Oktibbeha County, please contact the shelter or rescue serving that area first, if there is one, and post on local lost-and-found pages. Their family may be looking for them and may not know to search in Starkville.

Our goal is always the best outcome for the animal, whether that means going home, being adopted, or moving to a rescue partner. If we can’t help right away, please check back. Our space changes daily, and an option may open up.

We hear you and we know - there are simply not enough animal welfare resources in our State. We will keep doing everything we can, but we need your help.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The shelter is located at 510 Industrial Park Road, Starkville, MS. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday hours alternate between 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., depending on our transport schedule.

Check us out at www.ochsms.org for more information.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A pic of our cute kitty Yankee for attention 🐾🐾.

07/14/2026

⚠ JOIN OUR TEAM! ⚠

OCHS is hiring part-time and full-time positions. Check out our full job descriptions in the comments below!

07/09/2026

Please help us welcome to the OCHS team!

Maddie is an incoming junior at MSU studying Human Development & Family Science. After graduation, she plans to continue her education at MUW to pursue a degree in Nursing.

From Maddie: "To every young woman watching: Say yes to opportunities that allow you to make a difference. You never know where they'll lead! Spending my summer serving at OCHS has been an incredible experience, and I'm so grateful for the chance to be part of this mission."

Maddie has spent the summer serving as OCHS's Social Media Intern and we're thrilled she has agreed to continue her work with us. She is passionate about connecting with the community and helping shelter pets find the loving homes they deserve through photography, videos, and social media. Nothing brings her more joy than hearing that a dog or cat she photographed has found a forever home. She believes every animal deserves a second chance and is proud to help tell their stories—one post at a time.

Welcome to the team, Maddie! 🥹🐾🐾

Address

506 Industrial Park Road
Starkville, MS
39759

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 4pm
Thursday 7:30am - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when OCHS Spay and Neuter Clinic posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category