Mississippi Critterz to Host Inaugural “Deck the Pawz” Event

Cheerful woofs and meows are coming to town as Mississippi Critterz launches its first holiday event of the season.

MS Critterz, Lafayette County’s animal shelter, will be hosting “Deck the Pawz” on the Square Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. For $25, attendees can participate in the dog walk at 2 p.m and receive a T-shirt and hot chocolate. Prizes will be given to the winner of the Best Pet Attire contest. A photo with Santa can be purchased for only $10 or, for a combo deal of $30, attendees can participate in the walk and snap a photo with Santa.

MS Critterz Board Member Gail Brown said she has been working on this event for nearly three weeks and is hoping that all of their hard work will result in a great turnout.

“We want to give the public the ability to get to know us and be more involved,” Brown said. “If this turns out to be a good fundraiser, we want to make it an annual event.”

Brown said that this event is intended to allow the public to be a part of the MS Critterz community and to also raise money for the shelter so that they can keep providing for their animals. However, this event may also be used to find some of the shelter’s current residents new homes.

“A lot of people come into the shelter looking to adopt, but there are so many animals that it can be overwhelming,” MS Critterz Director Jenn Peterman said. “Sometimes it helps to only bring out a few as a kind of boutique.”

The shelter is heavily populated as it receives 100-200 animals per month. Volunteers often transport dogs by the dozens to northern states to prevent overcrowding and give the animals a better chance at adoption.

MS Critterz is a no-kill shelter, with the exception of sick and dangerous animals. According to Mississippi Spay and Neuter, over 70,000 animals are euthanized in Mississippi every year.

Oxford resident Margo Escarco adopted her current pet from MS Critterz last year and said that she will most likely attend the event or volunteer.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for the animals and a good way to get them out there,” Escarco said.

The shelter successfully finds 60-80 animals new homes every month, but the facility is still almost always full. If you are interested in volunteering or adopting, visit the MS Critterz website for guidelines and applications.