Since 1998, Vicky’s Pet Connection has been providing care to homeless and abandoned cats and dogs in the community. They are a volunteer-run rescue focusing on animals from overcrowded animal shelters with priority being given to cats, senior dogs and “special needs” animals. Providing spay/neuter surgeries, foster-care, adoption support and vaccinations is very expensive, especially for a volunteer-run organization, so the BISSELL Pet Foundation stepped in to help support the pets of Vicky’s Pet Connection. A BISSELL Blocktail Party grant helped fund a number of programs that helped to save 353 pet’s lives.

Affordable Feline Fund

Clara and Cassie

Providing healthy, spayed/neutered adoptable cats at affordable prices is critical to addressing the cat overpopulation crisis.  BISSELL Pet Foundation funds were used to defray the cost of care for the more than 300 cats Vicky’s Pet Connection cared for including routine medication, food, litter, vaccinations, and spay/neuter surgeries.  Clara and Cassie are two of the many lucky cats who were adopted together this year.  Having affordable feline adoption fees makes more of these ‘double adoptions’ possible for adoptive families!

Golden Paws

Funds were also awarded to support Vicky’s Pet Connection’s Golden Paws program providing life-saving assistance to senior shelter pets in need of extra assistance. The Golden Paws program provided 28 senior pets the opportunity to find a loving family with which to share their golden years. One of these seniors is a sweet dog named Nena. Nena is a Maltese mix who was languishing in the local animal shelter where adopters seemed to be discouraged by her age. She also had an obvious eye condition, but with the funds from the grant, she was able to visit a veterinary ophthalmologist to diagnose what turned out to be a benign eye issue. The advanced veterinary care she received through the Golden Paws program helped ensure potential adopters that she was in good, stable health and was highly adoptable.

Buddy’s Big Fix Fund

Casey

Buddy’s Big Fix Fund is a program which provides for the non-routine, more complex medical care which might be required by an animal prior to adoption.  Overall, the suffering of 25 animals was reduced or eliminated thanks to the grant money provided by the BISSELL Pet Foundation.  Casey was one of the animals who received treatment.  He suffered some of the worst dental issues that Vicky’s volunteers had ever seen. He was in so much pain that he was not able to eat. With a visit to a veterinary dental specialist, Casey had 16 teeth removed and his advanced dental disease treated. After receiving this care, Casey’s foster mom saw immediate improvement in his ability to eat and his overall temperament. He has now made a full recovery and found a loving family to call his own