Krissy is a three-year-old American pit bull terrier who was helped by the BISSELL Pet Foundation grant. She was living in a home with an unaltered male pit bull and her owner decided to move and only take one with him to his new home. He chose the male dog over sweet Krissy and told all of this neighbors he was going to “dump” her at the pound because she was difficult around strangers and other dogs. Michaellyn, one of the neighbors, stepped up when she heard and offered to take Krissy into her own home because she knew the dog would most likely not have a shot at life at the pound. About a month later, to her owner’s surprise, Krissy gave birth to eight puppies. Michaellyn was very excited, but she knew she was unable to provide veterinary care and vaccinations and food for nine dogs. She contacted Wish Bone for assistance.

Wish Bone Canine Rescue’s mission is to help families suffering from financial hardship keep pets in their homes, educate the public on animal welfare and promote life-saving community initiatives. They are located in Mclean County, Illinois where spay/neuter efforts are almost non-existent, but with the help of a grant from BISSELL Pet Foundation, they created a low cost spay/neuter program to reduce pet overpopulation. By sterilizing companion pets, they reduced the number of unwanted litters and thereby reduced the number of animals that ended up at the animal control facility. Simultaneously, altering these pets has lead to reduced aggression and less behavioral problems compared to intact dogs.

With the funds from the BISSELL Pet Foundation, she was able to continue to provide a home for the puppies and Wish Bone provided all the veterinary care to help these puppies grow up healthy. All eight puppies found their forever homes, and Krissy was spayed and happy at home with Michaellyn. An entire safe and sound thanks to the BISSELL Pet Foundation!