For the past seven years, the BISSELL Blocktail Party® has been working hard to raise funds to help homeless animals in West Michigan. A “yappy” hour for people and their dogs, the event is touted as the Best DOG-GONE Party in Town! In 2012, Blocktail became the premier fundraiser for the BISSELL Pet Foundation (BPF), with all proceeds being invested back into the community through BISSELL Blocktail Grants. Last year alone, over $173,000 was awarded to 13 organizations from the Greater Grand Rapids area as a result of this highly successful event.

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!

Millions of pets end up in shelters each year, and unfortunately, many do not adjust well to their new environment. A shelter can be a scary and stressful place for animals who previously lived in a home, and living in a kennel can cause them to deteriorate quickly. Some animals also need specialized care because of age or illness which cannot be provided in a shelter. In these situations, foster care can play a major role in creating second chances for these at-risk pets. Not only does a foster home offer these animals a respite from a shelter environment, it also creates additional space in overcrowded shelters which allows them to help even more pets in need.

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’s mission is so simple yet not so easy: to provide rescue, rehabilitation, adoption and retirement for aged, abused, unwanted/abandoned and neglected horses. On January 8th, a local news story indicated just how much help was needed for these amazing animals. Last summer’s drought forced an increase in hay prices from $2.25 per bale to between $10 and$15, putting a large financial strain on the rescue. The BISSELL Pet Foundation recognizes the important role JB’s plays in offering horses a second chance in our community. That’s why we came forward with funds to help the horses in their care.

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.

Nearly every day at the BISSELL Pet Foundation (BPF) we hear about the work of groups and individuals across the country who need help to provide necessary care and treatment for homeless pets in their community. It’s not a question of whether or not these compassionate people love the animals in their care, they most certainly do. It is simply a matter of resources. With an estimated six to eight million animals entering shelters and rescues each year ¹, there is sadly not enough time, space, people and funds to save them all. This is where we step in.

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

With funding assistance from the BISSEL Pet Foundation (BPF), Monmouth County SPCA (MCSPCA) in New Jersey was able to rescue 60 dogs from shelters in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia to proved them with a second chance to find a forever home.

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!