More than five and a half decades after opening its doors, the Mississippi Animal Rescue League continues its ever-growing mission to be a hub of hope for furry friends and a community of tender-hearted humans.
Founded in 1969, MARL operates out of Jackson but serves the larger central Mississippi community and even into southern and northern parts of the state. It has grown into one of only a few fully open-intake shelters in the state, meaning it never turns away an animal due to a lack of space.
“We’re one of maybe three totally open-intake shelters in the entire state,” MARL communications coordinator Debra Boswell said. “Open-intake shelters like ours, we never turn any animal away.”
MARL took in more than 9,400 animals in 2024 and over 10,000 in 2025. With the help of employees, volunteers, and social media, the shelter is consistently helping over 100 animals get adopted each month.
“This time of year, we’re taking in about 40 to 45 a day,” Boswell explained. “Between May and probably the first part of October, we’re averaging anywhere from 65 to 85 a day, and some days, over 100 animals come in here.”
Headline-grabbing rescue
MARL garnered headlines last month when 17 neglected Yorkshire Schnauzers arrived in January. Some had matted fur and others had infections after being discovered during a death investigation of a missing Jackson woman.
“They’d been kind of fed, but they hadn’t been groomed,” Boswell said. “Some of them were a little on the thin side, had matted hair, and some eye infections. But they were very sweet, very handleable dogs.”
After receiving medical care and grooming, all 17 were quickly adopted.
“Those little guys, we knew, would go really fast. And they did,” Boswell said.
While the Yorkshire Schnauzers may have been adopted even quicker due to the headlines, Boswell reiterated that the dogs were treated like every other animal they accept – with love and a goal of rehabilitation and rehoming.
Social media, partnerships expanding MARL’s impact
Boswell said social media has become one of MARL’s most important tools in connecting animals with their new homes and mobilizing community support, allowing the shelter’s reach to extend as far as possible.
“We have been on social media for a long time,” she said. “But with that, we’re able to get more animals posted.”
Oftentimes, people adopting animals from MARL first found out about their soon-to-be pets on social media, Boswell explained.
Partnerships that have helped MARL thrive include with individual volunteers, rescue groups, and public programs such as with the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
More help on the way
MARL will soon celebrate its 57th anniversary, and according to Boswell, the shelter and its people are working to provide more and more care each and every day.
“We’ve just grown and developed programs over the years,” she said. “Every time we have a chance to do something for the animals in our community that’s going to make it better, we do.”
The Mississippi Animal Rescue League relies heavily on the public, whether that be through service time or donations, to operate. For those interested in getting involved, click here.
