Page 38 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2024

HAPPY TAILS FROM HSSM ADOPT, DON’T SHOP.
photo by Arielle Victoria
As the longest-serving board member for the Humane Society of South Mississippi, Robyn Smith has seen a lot when it comes to animals. From her more than a decade-long adopted fur baby, Tony, a three-legged Shih Tzu, to her recent adoption of Bob, a Maine Coon cat, she’s heard some tragic tales.
“But none more heartbreaking than my special baby,” she said. “Everyone just falls in love with him. He’s the sweetest most gentle-tempered dog.”
Tony was adopted as a puppy from the Humane Society 15 years ago, only to be returned two years later because the owners said, “He’s Broken! We don’t want him anymore!”
It turned out Tony suffered a leg injury shortly after he was adopted, and his tiny puppy bones grew and fused in a clump, resulting in a leg amputation.
Following the surgery, Tony was up for a second adoption at the annual Rock N Roll Over event. After Smith held and cuddled Tony during the entire event, there was no way he wasn't going to be part of her family. She adopted him that night 12 years ago.
So, when her children were begging for a cat, Smith searched the humane society for the perfect feline and now Bob is a
proud member of the family.
“And he's acclimated perfectly,”
she said with a laugh. “He’s happy and he's very vocal. We all know where Bob is
all of the time.”
photo by
Arielle Victoria
Sometimes an animal just looks in your eyes, and suddenly you know that cat or dog belongs to your family. That’s exactly what happened to the Brannan family of Ocean Springs.
“He’s just the best cat,” said Jonathan Brannan of Cricki, a Siamese cat he and his wife Alyssa adopted in 2018 at a Humane Society event. “I’m more of a dog person and he definitely has dog energy,” he added.
Brannan was Master of Ceremonies at the 2018 Rock N Roll Over event hosted by the Humane Society of South Mississippi (HSSM). As Brannan was on stage, he looked out in the crowd and saw his wife making a beeline for one of the Siamese cats being carried around the room by a HSSM volunteer.
“They were carrying two cats around and they were just the chillest cats,” he reminisced. “I told everyone not to let my wife bid on any animals, but of course, that was all she needed to know to bid on a cat.”
He watched from the stage as the volunteer handed his wife a cat and knew at that moment that Cricki was about to become part of the family.
Their daughter, Eden, now 10, is a cat enthusiast like her mom and was super surprised when her parents returned home with the new addition. Cricki joined cat siblings Loki and Jackie. They also have since gained a 3-year-old human brother.
Look for Brannan on stage as Master of Ceremonies on August 16 at the Rock N Roll Over event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi.
2615 25TH AVE., GULFPORT 228.863.3354 INFO@HSSM.ORG
TUESDAY-FRIDAY: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. SATURDAY 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
38 | July 2024
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Robyn Smith.
Jonathan Brannan.