It all began when a group of animal advocates attending SPAY USA'S 2004 Southern Leadership Conference in New Orleans developed a strategic plan to establish a statewide coalition. Their initial goal was to identify and encourage animal welfare advocacy groups throughout Mississippi to participate in a statewide conference to be held in Jackson during May 2005. The conference's focus was on utilizing spay/neuter programs to combat Mississippi's pet overpopulation problem.

     Seventy people from various animal organizations throughout the state attended the conference and joined our coalition.  Groups separated into three geographic regions - Northern, Central and Southern. Our first year was dedicated to ensuring all Mississippi animal welfare organizations had an opportunity to become part of SPAN, conducting educational workshops, gathering information on existing spay and neuter programs, and brainstorming future initiatives.