State guide
Mississippi
Mississippi’s local animal control setup is split between municipal animal control units in cities and county animal services in some unincorporated areas; DeSoto County’s page explicitly says county staff handle only unincorporated county issues, while cities handle their own calls. For wildlife, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks says it does not have capacity for general wildlife rehabilitation pickups and directs people to its Jackson office for rehabilitation contacts.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who handles animal control locally
- Usually city animal control within municipalities and county animal services in some unincorporated areas; rural after-hours or livestock issues may go to the sheriff, as DeSoto County’s official guidance shows.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks
- Reporting an animal bite
- Animal bites and exposures are not a reportable condition statewide, but MSDH says an Animal Bite/Exposure Questionnaire should be completed for every reported exposure and questions go to the Office of Epidemiology.
- State rabies contact
- Mississippi State Department of Health Office of Epidemiology
Official resources in Mississippi
State rabies page for public health guidance and exposure information.
State disease-reporting page with MSDH reporting numbers for reportable diseases.
Key facts for Mississippi
- MDWFP says it does not have capacity to conduct general wildlife rehabilitation or pick up injured wildlife, except some threatened or endangered species.
- MDWFP tells people who must reach a rehabilitator to contact its Jackson office at (601) 432-2199 during business hours.
- The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science acts as the state permitting authority for wildlife rehabilitation facilities.
- MSDH says animal bites and exposures are not a reportable condition statewide, but suspected or confirmed rabies in humans and animals is Class 1 reportable.
- MSDH’s rabies algorithm says an Animal Bite/Exposure Questionnaire should be completed for every reported exposure.
- MSDH lists the Office of Epidemiology at 601-576-7725, with 601-576-7400 after hours, for exposure-risk, testing, and PEP questions.
Local animal control offices in Mississippi
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County Animal Services DeSoto | Not published* | 662-469-8004 | Handles barking, leash-law, neglect, adoption, surrender, reclaim, and normal-hours bite or injured-animal calls in unincorporated DeSoto County. |
| City of Southaven Animal Control DeSoto | Southaven | 662-796-2491 | City animal control division for animals in distress, causing distress, or in violation of Southaven ordinances. |
| Biloxi Police Department Animal Control Harrison | Biloxi | Not published* | Enforces city animal-control ordinances within Biloxi city limits; contact page says to report stray or dead animals and leash-law violations here. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- If the incident is inside city limits, check the city’s animal control office first; DeSoto County says county departments respond only in unincorporated areas.
- For an injured or orphaned wild animal, call MDWFP’s Jackson Wildlife Bureau office before moving the animal.
- For rabies-exposure questions, contact MSDH Office of Epidemiology and complete the Animal Bite/Exposure Questionnaire.
Not seeing your office or county?
Not every office publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Mississippi's population center, for comparison only):
- Mobile County Animal Shelter, Alabama · about 157 miles
- City of Mobile Animal Shelter, Alabama · about 157 miles
- Animal Control & Rescue Center, Louisiana · about 173 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Mississippi State Department of Health - Reportable Diseases
Website →Phone: (800) 556-0003 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Mississippi page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.