Our Fix the Future program is officially up and running at Detroit Animal Care and Control (DACC), and I couldn’t be prouder of the lifesaving work happening there. Through this program, BISSELL Pet Foundation is funding a high-quality, high-volume veterinarian to perform spay and neuter surgeries for owned pets in the community—a critical step toward reducing shelter intake and keeping pets with the families who love them.

DACC has been an incredible partner in this effort. Their team provides the veterinary technicians and covers the consumables—everything from anesthesia to medical supplies—needed to perform surgery. Everything was running smoothly until just three weeks ago, when my team received an email from DACC staff. The City had notified them to stop surgery—they were out of money.

This heartbreaking pause highlights a much bigger problem that shelters across the country are facing. Municipalities and private shelters that contract with City or County governments are stretching every dollar to keep pets out of shelters through programs like food pantries, spay and neuter, and wellness clinics. These efforts are proven to reduce intake and save lives, but they come with real costs. And as budgets shrink and federal support for disaster relief and social service programs is pulled back, animal services are often the first to be cut.

It’s a devastating reality: when budgets tighten, animals become an afterthought. But they shouldn’t be. Nearly 70% of American households have at least one pet. Our pets are part of our families—they offer comfort, joy, and unconditional love. When local governments deprioritize animal welfare, it’s our communities that must step up.

That’s why I immediately sent a grant to DACC to cover the cost of consumables so surgeries could continue. Detroit is where I grew up, and the success of this shelter means so much to me personally. I know how hard their staff works to save every life that walks through their doors, and they shouldn’t have to stop lifesaving surgery because funding ran dry.

We all have a role to play.

Donate to your local animal shelter—every dollar helps.

Get to know your city and county commissioners—and remind them that pets matter to your community.

Volunteer your time and talents to help stretch the current budget.

Adopt from your local shelter when you’re ready to bring a new pet home, decreasing the length of stay for pets.

Let’s stand behind the shelters that take in every pet that comes through their doors. Their job is hard enough without the constant fear of losing funding. Together, we can make sure that every community—and every shelter—has the support they need to keep saving lives.

Until every pet has a home,