Meet Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation®

Q: How did BISSELL Pet Foundation get its start? 

Cathy Bissell: My life changed in 2008 when I adopted a gentle black Labrador named Bear. I had always loved animals, but Bear, who was six years old when he was surrendered to the local humane society, opened my eyes to the dogs and cats waiting to be adopted in shelters nationwide. Bear was the perfect dog, and he changed the trajectory of my life, leading me to get involved with animal welfare.  

The more I learned about animal shelters and the pets within them, the clearer my path became. In 2011, I established BISSELL Pet Foundation®. Our nation's shelters have so many pets waiting for someone to give them a second chance, and while I regret not adopting sooner, it’s never too late to make a difference. My goal is to spread this message and create programs that save lives until every pet has a home. 

Q: What would you like people to know about BISSELL Pet Foundation®? 

Cathy Bissell: BISSELL Pet Foundation® supports animal welfare organizations to reduce pet homelessness through our lifesaving programs. We visit and listen to our shelter partners across the country to understand the challenges that are unique to each community. This approach has enabled us to create solutions to best address their needs. BPF’s programs, such as Fix the Future®, the fastest-growing free spay/neuter program in the country; Empty the Shelters®, the nation’s largest funded adoption event; and Animal Incident Management™, our crisis and disaster response, were launched to address our partners’ needs. We have more than 7,000 partners that are eligible to benefit from our programs or utilize our resources, tools, and connections to help pets.

Q: What’s one accomplishment you’re especially proud of?  

Cathy Bissell: I’m incredibly proud of BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Fix the Future® program, our proven solution to address pet homelessness by reducing unplanned litters. In recent years, pet populations have been exploding due to the high cost and lack of access to spay/neuter. By deploying contract veterinarians and working in partnership with host organizations across the country, BPF is providing free access to spay/neuter for shelters and pet owners.

In just over a year, the Fix the Future® program has reached more than 108,000 pets, preventing millions of unplanned kittens and puppies. We are already seeing the impact in communities across the country, and we are prioritizing an aggressive expansion of this program to spay/neuter twice as many pets in 2025. Fix the Future is preventing shelter overcrowding and transforming the lives of people and pets - one spay/neuter at a time!

Q: Could you share how BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters® adoption events have become so nationally recognized and how they have grown to help so many pets find loving homes?

Cathy Bissell: I started the Empty the Shelters® adoption event in 2016. Shelters were full, and I wanted to create awareness for the incredible, highly adoptable pets in shelters. We started small in Michigan to refine the program, gather feedback, and then grew the program slowly over the years. Whenever possible, we engage multiple participating shelters in an area, giving adopters options, and we created a website tool to help people find organizations near them. The Empty the Shelters® adoption event has helped change the public perception of adoption and is a lifesaver for our partners. Over the event’s history, nearly 322,000 pets and counting have been adopted from 800 shelters in 49 states. It is now the largest funded adoption event in the country.

Q. Why is this work so important to you?

Cathy Bissell: At BISSELL Pet Foundation®, we see and learn about pets in many heartbreaking situations and often I lie awake at night thinking about them and how I can help. In many cases, if we don't respond quickly, pets' lives will be at risk, so my team and I are available 24/7 to shelter directors and others working to save lives. While I can't save every pet, the knowledge that I can take action to save more of them is my driving force every day.

Q: What sets BISSELL Pet Foundation apart from other national animal welfare organizations?

Cathy Bissell: BISSELL Pet Foundation® is different from other national animal welfare organizations because 100% of donations impact pets through our lifesaving programs. This is made possible by BISSELL’s generous support, a portion of which offsets the Foundation’s administrative fees, including salaries, marketing, and other expenses. While many people think that having a company like BISSELL behind us means we can respond to every request, call, or emergency, the need is far greater than one company, one family, or one person can meet. Every donation we receive makes a profound difference in our ability to reach more pets in more places.

Q: How can people support BISSELL Pet Foundation’s mission? 

Cathy Bissell: Beyond donating to BISSELL Pet Foundation® to support our lifesaving programs, you can support our mission by:

• Spaying and neutering your pets. “Fixing” your pets is the most important thing you can do to make a difference in the pet overpopulation crisis. Unaltered pets can result in unplanned litters filling our nation’s shelters. 
• Adopting or fostering pets through your local shelter. By adopting, you are joining a growing movement that’s making a difference. You are modeling the joy and importance of saving a life for friends and family, encouraging others to adopt, not shop.
• Supporting your local shelter. Right now, our nation’s shelters are overcrowded and under-resourced. You can make a difference by reaching out to your local shelter and seeing how you can help them.