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: Kim.Album@bissell.com

• The Sato Project (Puerto Rico partner): https://thesatoproject.org

In this episode of United We Spay, host Stacy LeBaron talks with Julie Jacobson, founder of Spay Tennessee and a longtime advocate for prevention-focused animal welfare. Julie shares how her journey began in a small Tennessee county with no veterinarian, no shelter, and no animal control—and how that experience led her to shift from rescue work to a strategy centered on spay and neuter.

Over time, Julie helped dramatically reduce the number of unwanted litters in her community and expanded her work statewide, building a network that connects spay-neuter clinics, assistance programs, and funding opportunities across Tennessee. She explains why fixing owned pets—and ideally every pet in a household—is one of the most effective ways to reduce overpopulation, and how many impactful programs can be coordinated from a desk through smart partnerships, grant writing, and community outreach.

Julie also discusses the challenges facing spay-neuter efforts today, including veterinary shortages, shifting funding priorities, and the importance of sustainable programs. Her practical insights offer a roadmap for communities looking to create lasting change through prevention.

In this episode you will hear:

• Why prevention—not rescue—is the real long-term solution to pet overpopulation

• The surprising power of fixing all pets in a household instead of just one

• How Julie helped reduce puppy litters in her community from 100 per year to just a handful

• Practical steps to start a spay-neuter assistance program in your county

• Grant-writing tips that dramatically increase funding success

• Why many effective spay-neuter programs can be run from a desk instead of the road

• The growing impact of veterinary shortages on spay-neuter access

• Smart strategies for sustainable funding, estate gifts, and donor awareness

• Why transport programs should include spay-neuter accountability for source communities

Resources from this episode:

• Spay Tennessee – https://spaytennessee.org

• Spay Tennessee Facebook – https://facebook.com/spaytennessee

• United Spay Alliance – https://unitedspayalliance.org

• Contact Julie Jacobson – spayzilla@yahoo.com

What happens when a financial professional is entrusted with a transformative philanthropic gift for cats? In this episode of United We Spay, Stacy LeBaron sits down with Deborah Cribbs, founder of the Give Them Ten Movement, to explore how a banker's mindset reshaped feline welfare in Cincinnati and beyond.

Deborah shares how disciplined stewardship, business strategy, and unapologetically bold messaging turned a local foundation into a national force for cats. From launching community cat programs to leveraging data and market research, she explains why spay neuter is not just compassionate. It is the most practical, scalable solution to feline overpopulation.

In this episode you will hear:

• How a fiduciary approach transformed charitable giving into measurable impact
• Why collaboration, not competition, is essential for sustainable shelter systems
• What functional community cat programs actually require to succeed
• The power of branding, humor, and visual storytelling in shifting public behavior
• Why "Fix by Five" is a critical messaging tool for modern feline welfare
• How donor-advised funds and community foundations can unlock local funding
• Why specialization may be the smartest move for smaller organizations
• Early insights into Give Them Ten's new research on the emotional drivers behind spay neuter decisions

Deborah makes a compelling case that data and compassion are not opposites. They are partners.

Her bottom line is simple. If every person who sees a cat takes responsibility to ensure that cat is fixed, the entire landscape changes.

Resources from this episode:

• Website: www.GiveThemTen.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neuteredscooter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/givethemten/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/give-them-ten
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neuteredscooter
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/neuteredscooter/
• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@neuteredscooter
• BlueSky: @neuteredscooter.bsky.social