Vicky’s Pet Connection (VPC), a local group that focuses on rescuing high-risk animals from shelters and finding them forever homes, received funding for three different life-saving programs through a BISSELL Blocktail Grant. One of these programs, Buddy’s Big Fix Fund, came into play for a sweet kitty in need earlier this year.

Vicky’s Pet Connection

Vicky’s Pet Connection

“Sophia,” an orange tabby cat less than a year old, arrived at a local animal shelter unable to put weight on her left, rear leg. Knowing she had medical needs beyond what the shelter could offer, their staff reached out to VPC. After a trip to the vet and multiple x-rays later, it was discovered this poor kitten had been living with a broken femur. The most astounding aspect was that little Sophia never complained about her situation. She maintained her sweet disposition and love for humans throughout the ordeal. Her injury required surgery, including the placement of a pin, to assist with healing. This type of procedure needed to be done by an orthopedic specialist and would prove to be very expensive. Luckily, cost was not a concern as BPF grant money came into play to save this little kitty and offer her a second chance to find a loving home.

After weeks of recovery and a lot of tender loving care from the folks at VPC, Sophia is doing well and using her back leg regularly. While she will forever have a “hitch in her giddyup,” she is available for adoption after six weeks of specialized rehabilitation. Her sweet personality is going to make some lucky family very happy. BPF is grateful for VPC and their programs, as well as other similar organizations, that save the lives of animals who would otherwise face a very different outcome. We are also appreciative for the support of our community, whose generosity allowed us to grant VPC with the funds to change Sophia’s life!

Vicky’s Pet Connection

Planning for the 2013 BISSELL Blocktail Party has been underway for months now. If you are interested in getting involved, please visit www.bissellblocktailparty.com to buy tickets or make a donation. This year marks our 8th annual Blocktail event and should be the Best DOG-GONE Party yet. BPF can’t wait to help even more pets like Sophia!

Vicky’s Pet Connection

Vicky’s Pet Connection (VPC), a local rescue group and BISSELL Pet Foundation grant recipient, has a foster home program for at-risk dogs who find themselves at the shelter. Through a group of committed volunteers and foster families, they are able to save pets like “Sadie,” a senior Visla. Sadie not only had a difficult time adjusting being in a kennel environment, she also had severe medical issues. Sadly, most shelters don’t have the resources to tend to the needs of senior and ill pets, which is why they turn to groups like VPC for help. BPF funds allowed VPC to provide Sadie with the appropriate medical treatment she needed. We are happy to report that after receiving some TLC from her foster family, Sadie is now living out her golden years with her adoptive family.

Foster care doesn’t just benefit senior pets like Sadie, but also the countless numbers of puppies and kittens that are abandoned before they are weaned and need special care. BPF also awarded grant funding to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) in Colorado to support their foster care efforts. Their program acts as a safety net for animals that cannot be cared for within the shelter because of medical or behavior rehabilitation needs and especially, age. In 2011 alone, 400 underage kittens, who would have otherwise been euthanized due to lack of space and resources, were saved because of their foster program.

BPF will continue to support foster based groups in an effort to change the outlook for homeless pets across our country. If you would like to join this effort, please consider fostering for your local shelter or rescue. There are literally millions of animals out there who are waiting for their second chance.

JB’s Horse Rescue

The rescue was started by JB, who has always had a deep love for horses. Many of the horses she takes in end up at her door step because the economy has made it difficult for their owners to continue to care for them. The same high hay prices affecting her organization actually led to the need for the rescue in the first place, and why JB and her husband opened the 31-acre horse farm in October of last year. They recognized the need for help and that they could make a difference for those horses.

JB’s Horse Rescue

After receiving support from BPF and knowing they could provide the care needed, JB’s was able to open their doors to two additional horses who were near starvation at the time of rescue. We are proud to report that Tessa, Ginger, Adriana, Arabella, Speranza, Gemma, Zita and Gratziano will have full bellies after receiving 30 round bales of hay that BPF’s funding helped to purchase.

Kent County Animal Shelter

Recently, BPF heard about the plight of a dog at our local animal shelter. He had spent the majority of his life chained outdoors, lacking the love of a family until Animal Control rescued him and nine other dogs from their neglectful environment. “Kory,” was not a dog who would typically do well in a shelter environment due to his lack socialization. On top of being fearful, it was soon learned he had Heartworm Disease, and because of this, it became difficult for them to find a rescue group to take him. Why? Not due of a lack of love, but a lack of resources. Kory needed special attention to prepare him for a life in a home and the treatment for Heartworm Disease is expensive. For many dogs across the country, the road would end there, but luckily Kory has a different story.

BPF reached out to the Kent County Animal Shelter offering to pay for all of his medical needs. Now, on Valentine’s Day, he has learned what love is. He has made it through treatment with flying colors. His tests show he is a healthy dog, and only time will tell if his heartworm treatment was successful. He is now enjoying the love of the staff who have seen him through his transition from an outdoor dog into a pet. This weekend he will be meeting a potential new family in hopes of beginning the next and final chapter of his life.

Kent County Animal Shelter

We wish Kory’s story was unique. We wish we rarely heard stories of animals suffering. We wish all of the rescues and shelters around the country had the needed resources to change the outlook for the lost, abandoned, abused and neglected animals which end up on their doorstep. The sad reality is that most dogs like Kory don’t get a second chance and never experience the security of a loving family, but that is why we exist. The BISSELL Pet Foundation is here to provide hope and resources for these animals when love is just not enough.

¹ Reprinted by permission of The Humane Society of the United States

Monmouth County SPCA

It all started days before Christmas when rescue and advocacy group, Dolly’s Foundation, visited an animal shelter in Orange County, FL to transfer a dog into their care. While at the shelter, they saw 10 year old Hannah and 11 year old Chloe. These two senior dogs had been relinquished together, left to an uncertain future, right before the Holidays.

Dolly’s Foundation

Due to a lack of spay/neuter and adoptions in this area, shelters are inundated with homeless pets, meaning animals entering shelters there have a much higher likelihood of being euthanized than finding a home. Senior pets are at an even higher risk for euthanasia in the shelter environment, which is why so many animal lovers up and down the East Coast pulled together to rescue these dogs. Hannah and Chloe, along with 58 other dogs found salvation in a long trip north.

The rescue van reached New Jersey on January 4th where 43 dogs were taken in by Monmouth County SPCA and 17 other dogs were transferred to another local rescue, Wag on In. The funding supplied by BPF to MCSPCA covered all vet bills for the 43 dogs in their care, including vaccines, microchipping, spay/neuter and treatment of a variety of diseases and injuries. The majority of these animals, now healthy and happy, have already found forever homes.

Kudos to Monmouth County SPCA for giving these dogs a second chance at a happy life!

BPF recognizes that one of the challenges of caring for animals who have found a temporary home in animal shelters and rescues is ensuring that they have appropriate socialization, mental stimulation and exercise, beyond their other basic needs. That is why for the past two winters, BPF has used funds raised from the Girl’s Night Out benefit to donate a multitude of interactive toys and training aids to benefit our local shelter and humane society’s enrichment programs.

Humane Society of West Michigan

BPF provided the Humane Society of West Michigan with Stretch & Scratch disposable cat scratchers that are hung on the inside of cat cages. Not only do these provide shelter cats with an outlet for excess energy while in their cage, these scratchers are then sent home with the cat at adoption, given them something familiar to take with them as they adjust to their new home.

The Kent County Animal Shelter received small quart sized pails to be hung on the doors of their dog kennels. Each pail holds bite-sized, training treats that can be given to the dogs by volunteers, staff and the public. This reinforces a positive interaction between potential adopters and the dogs, leading to better behavior behind the kennel door and making their dogs more adoptable.

Humane Society of West Michigan

Reducing the number of homeless pets across the nation is a multi-faceted problem. A good enrichment program not only provides positive stimulation for animals living in kennels, it also works to teach pets appropriate outlets for their energy. That is why we are proud to have supplied these important tools to our local animal welfare organizations and provided some comfort and joy to the homeless animals in their care.

Bark Prize 2013 is a one of a kind charity event that will feature artistic doghouses on display at this year’s West Michigan Home & Garden Show. During the show the doghouses will be auctioned off, and 100% of the proceeds will go to the BISSELL Pet Foundation (to help homeless pets in West Michigan). The doghouses will also be judged by the public for the coveted title of ‘Best in Show’ (2nd and 3rd place will also be awarded). In addition, the winner will receive a line of BISSELL Commercial products valued at $750.00!

If you are a builder, architect, artist, or designer, we encourage you to enter Bark Prize 2013 and create one of these special furry habitats! Click here for details and rules of participation for building one of these spectacular houses (entry forms must be submitted on or before January 20, 2013).

Out On a Limb Playhouses

If you aren’t handy with a hammer, don’t fret. You can still join in by bidding for one of these cool doghouses for your own pooch! All of these creations will be up for auction during the home show, and don’t forget ALL proceeds go to the BISSELL Pet Foundation!

The West Michigan Home & Garden Show takes place at DeVos Place Thursday, February 28 – Sunday, March 3, 2013. We hope you will join us for this canine cause!

How Support is Generated
Much of our support and ability to help homeless pets is the direct result of BISSELL pet product sales. Anytime a pet product is purchased from bissell.com, a donation in the amount of $1, $5, or $10 ($10 for each purchase of a BISSELL product that costs $100 or more, $5 for a product that costs between $40 and $99.99, and one dollar for a product that costs less than $40) is automatically triggered. Additionally, products purchased at retail result in a donation when activated online. Simply visit www.bissell.com/savepets, enter product information, your email and the donation is made. That’s it. You can feel good about bringing home a product that will help you clean up after your furry friends and for helping other pets find a forever home!

Designate your Donation
Additionally, BISSELL offers a way for you to designate your donation to a shelter or rescue of your choosing through the Partners for Pets program. When you buy BISSELL pet products on bissell.com, and enter a special coupon code at checkout, you are able to choose one of 200 plus shelters and rescues across the country to receive the donation. In addition to donations activated by product purchases, participants in Partners for Pets also receive one BISSELL product, annually, to raffle or auction and can qualify to win a $5,000 quarterly giveaway. Visit www.bissell.com/partnersforpets to see if your local shelter or rescue is registered in the program. If you don’t see your local shelter or rescue, encourage them to sign-up to start reaping the benefits.

From designing products specifically engineered to help in pet cleanup to supporting the efforts of animal welfare organizations across the country through contributions to BPF, BISSELL is a company that truly cares for animals. In fact, they have a team of people dedicated to its corporate giving efforts to assist homeless pets. That’s why we are so thankful for their assistance and your continued support of a company with pets at the heart of it!

BPF’s mission is to assist animal welfare organizations. This includes helping to reduce the number of animals in shelters and rescues through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, microchipping and foster care. In addition to these four focus areas, BPF also grants funding for emergency relief efforts such as large scale animal rescues or in the wake of national disasters. Any time funding is granted, we ensure that our support will advance our mission, with a specific emphasis on these focus areas. We are thrilled to share some of the stories highlighting how we have followed our mission and helped to save lives in 2012.

Kent County Animal Shelter

ADOPT

BPF was thrilled to assist the efforts of our local animal shelter, responsible for the intake and care of the majority of the homeless pets in our community, as a participant in the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. Through a BISSELL Blocktail Grant, funded by BPF, the Kent County Animal Shelter (KCAS) was able to extend discounted adoption fees and waived spay/neuter costs for all cats and dogs adopted during the 91 day challenge. Additionally, BPF sponsored two community events promoting adoption from KCAS during the Challenge. Through our assistance and the hard work of the KCAS staff, they were able to increase their adoption rate from August 1 to October 31 by 137% over the same time period in 2011!

SPAY/NEUTER

In October, BPF responded positively to a grant request from First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP) in Jacksonville, FL to support their Feral Freedom program. This program, which uses the Trap/Neuter/Return method, has saved the lives of more than 17,000 community cats and prevented countless unwanted litters since its inception in 2008. Feral Freedom is a collaborative effort between the local shelter and FCNMHP to save the lives of feral or “wild” cats which would have otherwise been euthanized. Because of the assistance from BPF, these cats now have a chance at a much more positive outcome.

MICROCHIPPING

This year was plagued by many natural disasters, including wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes that displaced many pets from their owners. BPF understands that microchipping is the best method for ensuring a pet is returned to its loving family and doesn’t become a shelter statistic. It is because of this, that we purchased enough microchips and scanners for our friends at Texas Best Choices Animal Rescue following the tornadoes that wreaked havoc in the Dallas, TX area last spring. Until we intervened, they were not able to microchip the animals in their care. With our help, any pets that were reclaimed or adopted following the tornadoes would have a microchip and a permanent ticket home.

FOSTER CARE

We at BPF understand that small, foster based organizations can play an integral role in saving lives. These organizations take in the “less adoptable” or “high-risk” pets that do not fit well in the adoption programs of larger shelters. These groups may be small, but they fill a large niche for some very special homeless pets. Recently, BPF awarded grant funding to one such group, St. Francis Humane Association (SFHA) in Richmond, VA. SFHA transfers many pets from rural animal shelters that do not have the resources to care for all of the homeless pets they receive. The collaborative efforts of SFHA have changed the outlook for many homeless pets, and we are proud to support their life-saving programs.

In 2012 alone, BPF has gifted funds and supplies to 43 different organizations spanning 16 states. We can’t wait to do even more in 2013. Happy New Year!

I write to you this holiday season with great joy as I reflect on the contributions the BISSELL Pet Foundation has made to create second chances for our nation’s homeless pets. The Foundation is a culmination of my passion to help ensure these pets get adopted. This year we have accomplished so much, but there is still so much more to be done. My goal with the BISSELL Pet Foundation is to continue to grow and make a difference by getting as many animals adopted as possible. I am so grateful for your support of this goal, because we couldn’t do it without you.
 
From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the BISSELL Pet Foundation and the many animals who now have a brighter future because of you – THANK YOU
 
Sincerely,
Cathy Bissell

If you would like to help further our mission to find forever homes for these animals, please commit to adopting your next pet and consider a gift that will allow us to help even more pets in need.