We bring you sad news with the passing of Elaine Adair on October 14, 2019. Elaine was the founder and President of Mississippi Spay and Neuter (MS SPAN) and Vice President of Operations for MS SPAN's delivery systems. Elaine’s work has significantly impacted the community in which she served in a deeply positive way, and her astounding legacy will continue to help thousands of Mississippi’s animal companions.

Elaine had the tenacity and skills to get to the heart of the issues behind Mississippi’s overpopulation of animal companions. She worked to establish the Big Fix Clinic to provide high-quality, low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs in Pearl, Mississippi. Elaine worked to create a voucher program for spay and neuter assistance. She aided in setting up a statewide referral to share voucher program information and to connect guardians and rescuers with veterinarians who honor these vouchers.

For a time, the Big Fix Clinic sent a 90’ and a 22’ mobile surgery clinic into Mississippi communities that paired with MS SPAN to curb the overpopulation of animal companions in the region. The Mississippi Animal Rescue League (MARL), a non-profit, open admission shelter in Jackson, Mississippi, saw a 40% reduction in its kill rate due to these efforts.

Today, the Big Fix Clinic has doubled its capacity for surgeries after opening a new and much larger clinic that includes an adoption center for MARL, a thrift shop, and education room, and more.

Elaine had in-depth knowledge of the intricacies of running high-volume spay/neuter clinics, as well as first-hand experience in coalition-building with Mississippi SPAN. She was also a consultant for establishing non-profit animal organizations and for administrative processes and services.

In 2016, Elaine, with two other animal welfare advocates, founded a 501(C)(6) non-profit group called Animal Advocacy Initiative of Mississippi, with our Justice for Animals Campaign Director, Doll Stanley, on the Board of Directors and as Vice President. The coalition is involved in promoting animal-related initiatives that engage in educational activities, advancing state laws, ordinances, and policies, in support of political subdivisions and non-profit organizations involved in animal welfare and protection to help improve the lives of all of Mississippi’s animals.

We are forever grateful for Elaine’s dedication and work to reduce the overpopulation of animal companions. Her important contributions will live on to help the communities she served for many, many years to come. Please consider making a donation to help animals of the Deep South in her memory.