How Pet Transport Saves Lives

When done responsibly, pet transport is one of the most effective tools in animal welfare. BISSELL proudly supports the transport program run by BISSELL Pet Foundation®, which provides lifesaving opportunities for pets nationwide. In 2024, this program helped give more than 5,000 pets a second chance, and that progress continues in 2025. Whether pets are transported as part of regular rescue efforts or in response to a crisis, pets are moved to places where they’ll be seen, welcomed, and adopted.

What is pet transport?

Pet transport is the process of relocating adoptable pets from overcrowded shelters to other shelters or rescues that have available space and strong adoption demand.

For example, a rural shelter in the South may be overwhelmed with large-breed dogs and struggling to find adopters. Meanwhile, a shelter in the Midwest may have plenty of adopters but fewer dogs. Transport connects those dots – giving pets a better chance at adoption and relieving pressure on shelters that are at capacity.

When done properly, transport benefits both the incoming pets and those already in the destination shelter. Many shelters report that new arrivals help boost foot traffic and interest, which means more adoptions overall. A family might come in to meet a recently transported doodle and end up falling in love with a pitbull that’s been waiting in the shelter for weeks.

Why transport matters

Every day, shelters face heartbreaking decisions. As intake rises – especially during puppy and kitten season or after natural disasters – space runs out. Even healthy, adoptable pets can be at risk. Transport can be the difference between life and death for those pets. On the receiving side, it also helps shelters create variety in their adoptable population. Bringing in different breeds, ages, or sizes that aren’t common locally gives potential adopters more choices. And more choices mean more matches, which means more lives saved.

Best practices for responsible transport

BISSELL Pet Foundation believes transport must be done responsibly. That means carefully choosing shelter partners on both ends, making sure each animal is healthy and ready to travel, keeping the pets safe and comfortable during transit, and confirming destination shelters are truly prepared.

Before any pet travels, they must be:

• Spayed or neutered
• Vaccinated
• Microchipped
• Behaviorally and medically assessed

BISSELL Pet Foundation gives its receiving shelter partners the ability to select pets for transport based on what their community needs. They know what their adopters are looking for, and they can choose pets they know will succeed.

In crisis, transport becomes urgent

Sometimes, transport is the only option. In places like Riverside County, CA, shelters are routinely over capacity – caring for 800+ dogs on a given day. BISSELL Pet Foundation worked with the team there to identify long-stay, at-risk dogs who weren’t thriving in the shelter. Those pets were flown to Michigan, where they were adopted quickly. Without transport, those dogs may not have had their second chance.

When shelters are out of space and pets are out of time, transport becomes a lifeline.

Transport is not the only solution

Transport is a powerful tool, but it’s not the full solution. The ultimate goal is to reduce the number of pets entering shelters in the first place. That’s why BISSELL Pet Foundation is heavily invested in prevention through its Fix the Future® spay/neuter initiative. The fewer unplanned litters born, the fewer pets will be in shelters that need transport.

Transport helps manage the crisis. Prevention helps end it.

BISSELL is honored to support BISSELL Pet Foundation’s programs that save lives today and create a more compassionate future for pets.