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Adopted 2018

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BISSELL Pet Foundation touches the lives of pets every day. Get the latest news and read more about our lifesaving work, events and happy tails.

Two fluffy brown and white puppies are inside a metal crate, looking out through the bars. One puppy is resting its nose against the bars. There is a colorful plus sign in the bottom right corner.
November 12, 2024

2024 Impact Report

2024 has been a year defined by more – more access, more urgency and more happy tails than ever before.

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A black and white dog wearing a pink collar sits inside a metal crate, looking out with a sad expression.
August 15, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

Standing Together for Shelter Pets: Understanding the Difference Between Municipal and Private Shelters

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A small brown dog with a pink collar sits on grass near a wooden and gravel border next to a shed, panting with its tongue out.
August 13, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

Curly’s Second Chance – The Power of Saying “Yes”

When it comes to helping animals, most people think of rescue stories...

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A gray and white kitten with a pink nose looks out from behind the metal bars of a cage. A red banner with the word RESIST in white letters is placed diagonally across the top left corner.
August 5, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

Spay & Neuter: The Investment Too Few Are Making

When it comes to helping animals, most people think of rescue stories...

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A sad black and white dog looks out from behind the bars of a cage. A red banner with the word RESIST appears in the top left corner of the image.
July 16, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

This Is a Resistance

BISSELL Pet Foundation is launching a RESISTANCE.

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A smiling person in sunglasses holds a brown dog on a leash in front of an animal care services vehicle with a kennel compartment. The weather is sunny with a blue sky and some clouds.
July 11, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

Texas Pets Fly to a Second Chance From a Disaster and a Crisis

Today, nearly one hundred pets boarded a lifesaving flight from Texas to our incredible shelter partners...

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A small, reddish-brown dog with pointy ears and a fluffy tail looks at the camera while standing indoors on a tiled floor, wearing a black harness.
June 30, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

Ali’s Story

BPF transports Ali to her second chance.

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A smiling woman wearing a cap and a dark hoodie kneels beside a tan dog with a red collar. The dog is panting happily, and they are outside near a metal fence on a sunny day.
June 13, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

The Crisis in Our Nation’s Animal Shelters: Too Many Animals, Too Little Support

Cathy Bissell speaks out on the nationwide shelter crisis.

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A smiling woman in a cap and hoodie holds a black and white dog on a blue leash, standing in front of a vehicle with dog rescue signage.
May 20, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

The Lifesaving Benefits of Responsible Pet Transport

Cathy Bissell talks about the lifesaving benefits of responsible pet transport

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A smiling woman in a black cap and sweatshirt holds a black puppy in one arm and a yellow puppy in the other, standing in front of a light-colored, indoor background.
April 8, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

Barriers to Adoption

Cathy Bissell shares honest insight on the barriers to adoption.

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A woman in a red cap smiles while kneeling and hugging a large black and brown dog. She holds a black umbrella over them as they stand on a grassy path in a rainy, wooded area.
March 11, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

BISSELL Pet Foundation Ramps Up Crisis Response Amid Rising Large-Scale Neglect Cases

Cathy Bissell shares insights on the increasing trend in large-scale cruelty cases

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A smiling woman in a red hat and black shirt crouches next to a happy tan dog outdoors, with a light brown building and greenery in the background.
February 7, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

What’s in a Name? Decoding Puppy Mills & Commercial Breeders

Cathy Bissell unveils the truth behind high-volume pet breeding facilities

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A smiling woman with blonde hair crouches next to a brown and white dog on a leash, gently holding its face, outside near a metal fence on a sunny day.
January 15, 2025 Cathy’s Blog

The “Kill” Label is Killing Our Nation’s Pets

Cathy Bissell urges animal welfare professionals and pet lovers to stop labeling shelters as "kill shelters."

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A smiling woman with long blonde hair holds a light brown kitten close to her chest. She is wearing a navy vest and standing indoors, with blurred people and shelves in the background.
December 23, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Spay & Neuter Soars As Fix the Future™ Ramps Up Across the County

Cathy Bissell shares an update on the incredible lifesaving BPF's Fix the Future™ free spay/neuter program.

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A smiling woman with blonde hair gently holds and looks at a black and white dog, making eye contact in an indoor setting with orange shelves in the background.
November 27, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Why Animal Welfare Deserves Your Support This Giving Season

Cathy Bissell shares why animal welfare organizations need your support this giving season.

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A smiling woman with blonde hair crouches and hugs a large, curly-haired dog on a leash in a parking lot, with several cars and trees in the background.
August 29, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Where Does Your Money Go?

Cathy Bissell shares tips to avoid supporting disingenuous causes and people who are profiting from the plight of our nation’s homeless pets. 

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A woman in a red cap, black top, and white pants kneels on the grass, smiling and hugging a golden retriever puppy wearing a harness. They are outdoors with trees and sunlight in the background.
August 15, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Addressing the Disaster Within the Disaster

Cathy Bissell shares her insights on the increase in extreme weather and how animal shelters must adapt their preparation and response.

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A smiling woman with long blonde hair wearing a red cap and black shirt kneels outdoors beside a large, black and white spotted dog. They are on a gravel path with green grass behind them.
August 4, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Euthanasia Lists Are Not the Answer 

Cathy Bissell shares insight about the reality of posting euthanasia lists.

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A smiling woman with blond hair poses indoors with a white dog, holding its shoulders. They appear to be in a large warehouse or industrial building with a metal wall and exposed beams in the background.
June 25, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Thinking of Starting a Pet Rescue? Read This First!

Cathy Bissell shares insights on the complicated environment rescues face by asking rescue leaders how they are adapting

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A woman in a red cap kneels next to a brown and white dog on a leash, smiling outdoors near a red wall.
April 24, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Innovating to Save Lives

Animal welfare organizations must innovate to increase access to spay/neuter.

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A woman with blonde hair, wearing a black jacket, kneels and smiles while holding the face of a brown and white dog on a blue tarp. Another person stands nearby, partially visible, holding the dog’s leash.
March 8, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Co-housing or Overcapacity?

Co-housing can save lives, but overcrowding your shelter without adequate staffing resources is simply overcapacity.

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A woman in a blue shirt, jeans, and a yellow cap kneels on a path, smiling and hugging a brown dog with its tongue out. They are outdoors on a sunny day with a blue sky and clouds in the background.
January 22, 2024 Cathy’s Blog

Choose Animal Shelters in 2024

Cathy Bissell encourages animal shelters and the community to make critical choices in 2024 to save the lives of pets.

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A smiling woman in a cap and sunglasses kneels beside a large, curly-haired dog with short fur. She hugs its neck with one arm. Bags of dog food are stacked in the background.
October 13, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

Animal Incident Management is Collaborating to Save Lives

Cathy Bissell shares insights on the lifesaving impact of BISSELL Pet Foundation's Animal Incident Management initiative.

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A smiling woman wearing a dark baseball cap and sunglasses holds a large, fluffy tricolor dog outside on a sunny day near a grassy area and a pathway.
June 27, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

Giving Second Chances to 240+ Dogs Through BPF’s Animal Incident Management Program

Cathy shares details of BPF's Animal Incident Management team's recent mission in Missouri.

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A woman in a black cap and jacket kneels on grass, smiling and hugging a white and brown dog on a red leash. Trees and a path are visible in the background.
May 17, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

The Compassion Fatigue Crisis in Our Nation’s Animal Shelters

Cathy passionately shares her concerns about certain animal welfare practices.

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A smiling woman wearing a red cap and black shirt hugs a brown and white dog, who is nuzzling her chin affectionately outdoors near a shed.
March 16, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

3 Practices in Animal Welfare We Need to Change

Cathy passionately shares her concerns about certain animal welfare practices.

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A smiling woman in outdoor clothing and a hat kneels beside a large dog on a blue leash. They are outside on fallen leaves near a chain-link fence and some trees.
February 28, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

Payment Options: Low-Hanging Fruit for Access to Veterinary Care

Why payment options should be available everywhere and what you can do.

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A smiling woman in a red hat and blue gloves pets a large white dog inside an animal shelter with teal walls and a padded gray dog bed nearby.
February 3, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

Saving Lives in St. Landry Parish

Cathy Bissell shares updates on lifesaving efforts in St. Landry Parish.

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A smiling woman in a gray shirt and hat kneels indoors next to a brown and white dog, gently holding its side. The setting appears to be an animal shelter or kennel.
January 10, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

Improving Access to Care

Cathy Bissell talks about how the animal welfare industry can improve access to care for pet owners.

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A woman wearing a blue vest and cap smiles while kneeling next to a black dog with a pink leash on an airport tarmac, with a small jet in the background at sunset.
January 4, 2023 Cathy’s Blog

Supporting Source Shelters

Cathy Bissell shares how BISSELL Pet Foundation supports source shelters and how destination shelters are giving back.

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A smiling woman in a blue shirt and gray cap holds a small brown and white puppy outdoors. People and another puppy are visible in the background, including a woman in a red dress and a blue face mask.
December 7, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Transforming Spay/Neuter in 2023

Cathy Bissell talks about BISSELL Pet Foundation's approach to spay/neuter in the year to come.

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A smiling woman in a cap and black vest holds a small tan dog with large ears and a purple collar in front of a van.
November 15, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

How to Impact Homeless Pets this Giving Tuesday and Beyond

Giving Tuesday is one of the most important days for nonprofits, and it is just around the corner.

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A smiling woman in a gray cap and blue jacket holds a small, scruffy light-brown dog outdoors on a sunny day, with a clear sky and buildings visible in the background.
November 2, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Drawing Families into Shelters to Adopt

Cathy Bissell talks about the impact of drawing potential adopters into shelters.

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Three horses stand in knee-deep floodwater inside a barn, with sunlight illuminating the scene and water reflecting their legs.
October 3, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

A Disaster Response Update: Supporting Florida Shelters

BISSELL Pet Foundation is working tirelessly to support the people and animals impacted by Hurricane Ian in Florida.

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A close-up of a curly-haired dog with a black and white coat, wearing an orange collar. The dog is looking at the camera, and a person in a red shirt is partially visible in the background.
September 6, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

What Happens When Puppy Mills Can’t Sell Their Dogs? 

BISSELL Pet Foundation recently helped place more than 50 puppy mill puppies.

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A smiling woman in a light jacket and baseball cap hugs a gray dog with a pink collar indoors. There are other dogs and tables in the background.
August 11, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Every Community Has Adopters

22,165 adoptions took place during BISSELL Pet Foundation's July 2022 Empty the Shelters event.

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A happy brown, black, and white dog with floppy ears stands on green grass, looking up at the camera with its mouth open, appearing to smile.
July 29, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Bullying Shelters is not Acceptable

Speaking up for shelters in the face of bullying as they work to support more than 4,000 beagles saved from Virginia facility.

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A smiling woman in a red shirt and cap kneels beside a large dog lying on the floor, gently petting its head. The dog looks relaxed and content inside what appears to be an animal shelter.
July 27, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Rethinking the Narrative When Marketing Shelter Pets for Adoption

Cathy Bissell shares her insights on how to rethink the narrative of the marketing of pets in the animal welfare industry.

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A woman in a black cap gently holds the paw of a black and white dog through the bars of an animal shelter kennel, making eye contact with the dog.
July 6, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Our Nation’s Animal Shelters are in Crisis

With rising inflation, housing changes, the increased cost of veterinary care and many people struggling to make ends meet...

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A woman wearing a black mask and hat kneels beside a large, fluffy white dog, gently holding its chin, while another person holds the dogs blue leash outdoors on gravel.
June 2, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

BISSELL Pet Foundation Assists with 19 Cruelty Cases and Counting

We need to talk about large-scale animal cruelty cases, like hoarding situations and puppy mills...

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A smiling woman in a Bissell Pet Foundation hat and red shirt hugs a large, fluffy white dog in a Bissell Pet Foundation bandana, inside a room with a kennel and white door—highlighting hope amid the ongoing Shelter Crisis.
April 15, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Beyond Data: A Look at our Nation’s Shelter Crisis

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A smiling woman with long blonde hair, wearing a white top and blue vest, hugs a small, fluffy dog in front of a chain-link fence and white brick wall indoors, highlighting the importance of vaccines for pets’ health and happiness.
March 2, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Ending the Stigma to Appreciate Shelter Employees

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A person wearing a teal shirt and purple watch is holding a white and orange cat. The calm cat, up-to-date on vaccines, rests in their arms and looks directly at the camera. The background is softly blurred.
January 27, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Building Healthy Communities Together

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A smiling woman in a beige cap and dark jacket crouches outdoors, hugging a large, brown and black dog with a blue leash—enjoying the joy of an Empty the Shelters event. Trees and a yellow sign are visible in the background.
January 5, 2022 Cathy’s Blog

Empty the Shelters 2022

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A smiling couple sits on a couch surrounded by seven dogs in front of a snowy holiday backdrop, celebrating the lifesaving joy pets bring. The red border reads Merry Christmas and Cathy’s Blog.
December 20, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Reflecting on Saving Lives in 2021

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A brown and gray dog with soulful eyes looks through a metal chain-link fence at a shelter, its face close to the wire, conveying a sense of longing or hope.
October 5, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Reducing the Trauma of Pets in Shelters

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A large, fluffy dog with light brown fur lies sheltering on a smooth gray floor near a pale green cinder block wall, looking back at the camera with its mouth slightly open.
September 22, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Fighting the Sheltering Crisis of 2021

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A scruffy, frightened dog with shaggy fur sits curled up in the corner of a dirty, rusty cage, looking directly at the camera with a sad expression.
September 9, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Together We Can Fight Puppy Mills

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Four adults stand smiling outdoors in casual clothing at dusk, with a utility vehicle and building in the background. Two people are holding an object together while others stand beside them.
August 11, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Understanding the Impact of Shelter Veterinarians

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A brown dog with expressive amber eyes looks up at the camera, standing next to a wire fence on a sunny day.
July 20, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Be Fair. Until EVERY pet has a home.

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Three small, scruffy dogs with matted fur sit closely together indoors, looking alert and somewhat anxious. The background is blurred, showing another similar dog behind them.
June 16, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Addressing the Biggest Needs

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Two photos: On the left, a woman holds a black-and-white cat and an adoption sign. On the right, three people wearing masks sit with a tan dog, holding an adoption certificate, in front of an empty the shelters banner.
May 27, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

Barriers

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A woman wearing a cap, face mask, and ANIMAL PET EVACUATION jacket kneels and gently holds a large, fluffy white dog by the collar outdoors on a gravel surface.
May 6, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

BPF’s National Shelter Alliance

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A smiling woman wearing a gray cap and black shirt holds a large black and tan puppy outdoors. The woman appears happy, and the puppy looks calm.
April 23, 2021 Cathy’s Blog

The Challenge

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December 29, 2020

A Letter from Cathy Bissell – Making an Impact in 2020!

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A smiling person with glasses and a gray and magenta jacket holds a black and white kitten indoors, with shelves and people blurred in the background.
May 2, 2017

This is what success looks like: A message from Cathy Bissell, founder of BPF.

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A woman sits on an outdoor couch smiling, surrounded by four black Labrador dogs, with greenery and a modern house in the background.
August 18, 2014

UIX: A Real Treat for Local Companion Animals: Cathy Bissell

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