Photo captions (starting from the top left)
From left: Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; Wendy Wagner, manager of Batman’s LBMS Animal Rescue Foundation in Long Beach; and Dr. Christen H. Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF.
From left: Dr. Christen Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF; Jessica Rasmussen, lead animal care attendant at For Pet’s Sake Rescue in Long Beach; and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Naomi Strawhorn, Victim Services coordinator at CASA of South Mississippi; Cynthia Chauvin, executive director of CASA of South Mississippi; Remi, CASA courthouse facility dog; and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Greg Long, director of the Hancock Animal Shelter; Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; and Penne Rappold, a member of Friends of the Animal Shelter in Hancock County’s Board of Directors.
From left: Anne Cieutat Williford; Renee Wieting; Misty Strickland; Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; Mary Bourdin; Meisha (a pup under the care of Animal AID of Mississippi); and Nanette Griffin.
From left: Dr. Katie Stonnington, Stone County SPCA president, and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF, and Charlotte Batson of the Stone County Community Cat Society.
From left: Dr. Christen H. Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF; Tammy Harris, president of FJCASP; are and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; Cindy Arceneaux, president of Fixin the Coast; and Dr. Christen Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF.
GCCF awards $100,500 in grants to aid South Mississippi animal-welfare organizations
The Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) has announced the 2025 recipients of grants from the Jack A. and Gertrude W. Wilson Animal Welfare Fund, with $100,500 awarded to local animal-welfare organizations this year. Established in 2001, this fund has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to organizations dedicated to animal welfare and related causes in South Mississippi.
GCCF presented checks during March to the following organizations:
Batman’s LBMS Animal Rescue Foundation in Long Beach received $7,500 to provide emergency vet care for pets whose families are facing financial hardship.
For Pet’s Sake Rescue in Long Beach received $10,000 to transport dogs and cats from the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the Northeast, where they have a greater chance of finding homes. These transports also free up space in local shelters, saving more lives.
CASA of South Mississippi, which advocates for abused and neglected children in Hancock, Harrison and Stone Counties, received $15,000 to help support CASA’s Courthouse Facility Dog Project, a one-of-a-kind program in Mississippi. Remi, a specially trained courthouse facility dog, provides comfort to children involved in abuse and neglect proceedings, supports families and serves as an ambassador for CASA.
Friends of the Animal Shelter in Hancock County received $7,500 to provide veterinary care for sick and injured animals at the Hancock County Animal Shelter. Over the next year, this funding will help treat approximately 89 shelter dogs and cats.
Animal AID (Angels in Disguise) of Mississippi in Pass Christian received $8,000 for its Dogs 4 Life project, which will provide preventative and emergency veterinary care for animals in their care and help expand its support for pet owners in need.
Stone County SPCA (Society for the Prevention to Cruelty of Animals) received $15,000 to renovate the shelter’s dog yards, ensuring a safer, more comfortable environment for the dogs in their care. These improvements will also create a more welcoming space for visitors, increasing the chances of adoption and giving more animals a second chance at a loving home.
Stone County Community Cat Society received $15,000 to support its spay/neuter initiative for feral and community cats. Over the next six months, these funds will help spay/neuter approximately 190 cats, focusing on large colonies in rural areas to prevent overpopulation and improve the well-being of Stone County’s community cats.
Friends of Jackson County Animal Shelter Pets (FJCASP) received $15,000 in support of its Paws Up Mississippi program, which will cover no-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchips for 280 pets (cats and dogs) living in limited-income households in Jackson County. As part of the grant, FJCASP will also schedule veterinary appointments for the covered procedures and provide transportation to and from the appointments when needed.
FIXIN THE COAST received $7,500 for its Fix & Chips program, which will provide $25 vouchers for spay/neuter, rabies vaccinations and microchipping for Harrison County pet owners. This grant will also help support the organization’s Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program.
“The Jack A. & Gertrude W. Wilson Animal Welfare Fund has been a lifeline for local animal welfare organizations for more than two decades. We’re proud to support their efforts in creating a safer and more humane community for animals and their families,” said Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
Dr. Christen Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF, agreed, adding, “These grants reflect the Wilsons’ generosity and legacy, which continue to make a tangible difference on the Mississippi Gulf Coast by ensuring animals in need receive the care and compassion they deserve. That impact also extends to pet owners and to the people who dedicate their time and hearts to rescuing, protecting and providing for the animals.”
To learn more about how you can contribute to a fund at GCCF or establish a fund to support a cause close to your heart, visit mgccf.org, call 228-897-4841, or email info@mgccf.org. Donors who give from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $500,000 may qualify for a 25 percent tax credit through the Endow Mississippi Tax Credit Program.
GCCF awards $100,500 in grants to aid South Mississippi animal-welfare organizations
The Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) has announced the 2025 recipients of grants from the Jack A. and Gertrude W. Wilson Animal Welfare Fund, with $100,500 awarded to local animal-welfare organizations this year. Established in 2001, this fund has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to organizations dedicated to animal welfare and related causes in South Mississippi.
GCCF presented checks during March to the following organizations:
Batman’s LBMS Animal Rescue Foundation in Long Beach received $7,500 to provide emergency vet care for pets whose families are facing financial hardship.
For Pet’s Sake Rescue in Long Beach received $10,000 to transport dogs and cats from the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the Northeast, where they have a greater chance of finding homes. These transports also free up space in local shelters, saving more lives.
CASA of South Mississippi, which advocates for abused and neglected children in Hancock, Harrison and Stone Counties, received $15,000 to help support CASA’s Courthouse Facility Dog Project, a one-of-a-kind program in Mississippi. Remi, a specially trained courthouse facility dog, provides comfort to children involved in abuse and neglect proceedings, supports families and serves as an ambassador for CASA.
Friends of the Animal Shelter in Hancock County received $7,500 to provide veterinary care for sick and injured animals at the Hancock County Animal Shelter. Over the next year, this funding will help treat approximately 89 shelter dogs and cats.
Animal AID (Angels in Disguise) of Mississippi in Pass Christian received $8,000 for its Dogs 4 Life project, which will provide preventative and emergency veterinary care for animals in their care and help expand its support for pet owners in need.
Stone County SPCA (Society for the Prevention to Cruelty of Animals) received $15,000 to renovate the shelter’s dog yards, ensuring a safer, more comfortable environment for the dogs in their care. These improvements will also create a more welcoming space for visitors, increasing the chances of adoption and giving more animals a second chance at a loving home.
Stone County Community Cat Society received $15,000 to support its spay/neuter initiative for feral and community cats. Over the next six months, these funds will help spay/neuter approximately 190 cats, focusing on large colonies in rural areas to prevent overpopulation and improve the well-being of Stone County’s community cats.
Friends of Jackson County Animal Shelter Pets (FJCASP) received $15,000 in support of its Paws Up Mississippi program, which will cover no-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchips for 280 pets (cats and dogs) living in limited-income households in Jackson County. As part of the grant, FJCASP will also schedule veterinary appointments for the covered procedures and provide transportation to and from the appointments when needed.
FIXIN THE COAST received $7,500 for its Fix & Chips program, which will provide $25 vouchers for spay/neuter, rabies vaccinations and microchipping for Harrison County pet owners. This grant will also help support the organization’s Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program.
“The Jack A. & Gertrude W. Wilson Animal Welfare Fund has been a lifeline for local animal welfare organizations for more than two decades. We’re proud to support their efforts in creating a safer and more humane community for animals and their families,” said Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
Dr. Christen Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF, agreed, adding, “These grants reflect the Wilsons’ generosity and legacy, which continue to make a tangible difference on the Mississippi Gulf Coast by ensuring animals in need receive the care and compassion they deserve. That impact also extends to pet owners and to the people who dedicate their time and hearts to rescuing, protecting and providing for the animals.”
To learn more about how you can contribute to a fund at GCCF or establish a fund to support a cause close to your heart, visit mgccf.org, call 228-897-4841, or email info@mgccf.org. Donors who give from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $500,000 may qualify for a 25 percent tax credit through the Endow Mississippi Tax Credit Program.
Photo captions (starting from the top left)
From left: Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; Wendy Wagner, manager of Batman’s LBMS Animal Rescue Foundation in Long Beach; and Dr. Christen H. Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF.
From left: Dr. Christen Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF; Jessica Rasmussen, lead animal care attendant at For Pet’s Sake Rescue in Long Beach; and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Naomi Strawhorn, Victim Services coordinator at CASA of South Mississippi; Cynthia Chauvin, executive director of CASA of South Mississippi; Remi, CASA courthouse facility dog; and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Greg Long, director of the Hancock Animal Shelter; Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; and Penne Rappold, a member of Friends of the Animal Shelter in Hancock County’s Board of Directors.
From left: Anne Cieutat Williford; Renee Wieting; Misty Strickland; Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; Mary Bourdin; Meisha (a pup under the care of Animal AID of Mississippi); and Nanette Griffin.
From left: Dr. Katie Stonnington, Stone County SPCA president, and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF, and Charlotte Batson of the Stone County Community Cat Society.
From left: Dr. Christen H. Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF; Tammy Harris, president of FJCASP; are and Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF.
From left: Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF; Cindy Arceneaux, president of Fixin the Coast; and Dr. Christen Duhé, president and executive director of GCCF.