In a world filled with many causes that tug at our hearts, pet charities may not always be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Contributions to charitable organizations representing animals and the environment (combined) make up just 3% of all donations and tend to be less during election years.

However, these organizations’ impact on both animals and people is undeniable. From helping abandoned pets find loving families, to supporting efforts to keep owned pets healthy and happy in their homes, to community health initiatives, animal welfare organizations, including BISSELL Pet Foundation, play an essential role in creating a more compassionate world.

Here’s what your support can do:

Saving Lives of Abandoned and Stray Animals
Each year, millions of animals are left homeless due to neglect, abandonment, or mistreatment. Animal shelters and rescues often struggle with overcrowding and limited resources. Your gift will fund the care, food, shelter, and medical treatments that allow these animals to live another day and, hopefully, find a loving home. Without donations, many shelters would be forced to turn animals away or, in the worst cases, euthanize them.

Supporting Spay and Neuter Programs
Unplanned litters of kittens and puppies add to the overpopulation crisis plaguing our nation’s already full shelters, and with veterinary costs skyrocketing, many pet owners lack access or cannot afford to spay/neuter their pets. Community spay/neuter programs are needed to help control the population and prevent litters from ending up on the streets or in the shelter. BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Fix the Future™ program will reach nearly 100,000 pets in just over a year, preventing millions of unplanned kittens and puppies from an uncertain fate. When you donate to BISSELL Pet Foundation or animal welfare organizations that provide spay/neuter, you’re supporting a proactive and compassionate approach to end pet homelessness.

Making Adoption Affordable
Now more than ever, our nation’s shelters have pets like yours and mine—including purebreds—many are trained, have known homes, have slept on couches, and have been a family’s best friend. They’re simply waiting for someone to give them a second chance and we must help them. Shelters invest a significant amount of money into a pet, including spay/neuter and vaccinations, to make them ready for a new home. They need support to cover those costs to make adoption affordable. By donating to your local shelter or BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters adoption program, you can make free or low-cost adoption possible, which will allow more pets to find loving families.

Helping Animals During Natural Disasters & Crises
In the face of natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and floods, animals are often forgotten victims. Animal welfare organizations mobilize quickly to rescue, care for, and reunite pets with their families during and after these catastrophic events. Similarly, when a puppy mill or hoarding case is discovered, hundreds of pets that have been neglected and mistreated will likely need medical care and safe housing until they recover and can be adopted. By giving to BISSELL Pet Foundation or other organizations qualified to respond to urgent situations, you’re contributing to emergency preparedness and response efforts when pets’ lives are at stake.

And so much more
Animal welfare organizations provide so many services that it’s impossible to list them all. From providing veterinary care for injured and sick pets, to operating food pantries for community members who lack financial resources, to advocating for stronger animal protection laws…they do it all and need your support.

Where to Direct Your Donation
With so many organizations asking for your charitable dollars, it’s hard to know where to give. Your local animal shelter is often a great place to start, as these organizations are often under-resourced and provide so many services for the people and pets in your area. Be careful of groups that post heart-wrenching pictures on social media with desperate pleas for help. Before donating, check that you are supporting a legitimate organization with a proven track record for doing the work promised. Always do your homework to ensure you are giving to a trustworthy 501(c)(3) organization, understand where your money will be directed and know how much of every dollar you donate will impact pets.

Want to make a broader impact?
BISSELL Pet Foundation is a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness with proven high-impact programs, including our Empty the Shelters™ reduced-fee, national adoption events, Fix the Future™ national spay/neuter initiative, Animal Incident Management crisis and disaster response, and more. Unlike many organizations that apply a percentage of each donation to administration or advertising, when you donate to BISSELL Pet Foundation, 100% of every dollar saves pets.

Every gift makes a difference. Please give generously.

Until every pet has a home,

Cathy Bissell

Founder, BISSELL Pet Foundation