Fix the Future with Cathy Bissell

What does it take to disrupt the cycle of pet overpopulation in America—fast? In this replay from the United Spay Alliance Conference, Cathy Bissell of the Bissell Pet Foundation shares how a bold, scalable idea became one of the nation’s fastest-growing spay/neuter initiatives. “Fix the Future” wasn’t born from a long-term strategic plan—it emerged from urgency, collaboration, and a willingness to say yes to a challenge. What started with a single call to action in Puerto Rico quickly evolved into a national model connecting relief veterinarians with shelters and communities in need. The result? Hundreds of thousands of pets receiving critical care—including spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and microchips—often in places where access was previously nonexistent. In this episode, Cathy breaks down how the program works, from matchmaking veterinarians with host organizations to maintaining high-volume, high-quality standards. She also shares the realities behind the scenes—funding pressures, community resistance, workforce challenges—and the lessons learned while scaling at record speed. This conversation goes beyond logistics. It’s a call to action for shelters, veterinarians, and advocates alike to rethink accessibility, affordability, and collaboration in animal welfare. Because as Cathy emphasizes, without spay/neuter, the system can’t keep up. If you're looking for innovative solutions, real-world impact, and inspiration to take action in your own community—this episode delivers. In this episode you will hear: How “Fix the Future” scaled from one project to 250,000+ pets served A practical, replicable model for high-volume spay/neuter programs The role of relief veterinarians in expanding access to care Real barriers communities face—and how to overcome them Why affordability (not just availability) is key to impact Lessons from launching clinics in both rural and urban areas Funding realities and how to build sustainable programs The power of collaboration between shelters, vets, and nonprofits Resources from this episode: United Spay Alliance: https://unitedspayalliance.org Bissell Pet Foundation: https://www.bissellpetfoundation.org Fix the Future Program Inquiry: [email protected] The Sato Project (Puerto Rico partner): https://thesatoproject.org