BISSELL Pet Foundation is constantly evolving to help homeless pets and animal welfare organizations that lack lifesaving resources. Our work has grown along with the most urgent needs of animal shelters, including increasing our support of municipal shelters in crisis.

Recently, BPF facilitated and sponsored workshops on animal welfare in the field for shelters, animal control and law enforcement in Arkansas. Through our work in the state—Empty the Shelters events, spay/neuter clinics, transports, and animal cruelty case support—we heard there was a desire for this type of training. The issue was that the majority could not travel to out-of-state conferences and workshops due to staffing shortages and lack of funding. So, we brought the training to them.

BPF gathered nationwide experts, including Humane Rescue Alliance, Cabot Animal Support Services and Animal Rescue Corps, to offer insight on animal cruelty and animal fighting investigations to help stop the suffering and empower law enforcement and animal control to take action safely. The training was a huge success, with 28 agencies in attendance, and the long-term impact promises to be inspiring.

The shelters were able to consult one-on-one and as a group with the experts to gain support and strategies for issues they face in their own communities. Over time, thousands of animals will be positively impacted by this group of shelters armed with more knowledge and better tools to save lives.

BPF will be returning to Arkansas to sponsor another training for shelters and animal control. The requests for additional topics were overwhelming! This is a new and exciting program for BISSELL Pet Foundation that impacts pets, both in the shelter and the community, and the people caring for them. The program fits perfectly into our lifesaving mission and lifts those working each day to save lives. When organizations work together to support each other, we can make a bigger difference.