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The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF)
is thrilled to announce that animal welfare philanthropist
champion Cathy Bissell, will be honored
with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the foundation’s 15th Annual
Unconditional Love Gala on July 20th, 2024.
The gala, serving as the premiere fundraising event for the
Foundation, plays a vital role in raising essential funds to
support SASF’s mission to nurture the bond between humans
and companion animals through education, advocacy and
adoption.
"We are honored to recognize Cathy Bissell for her lifelong
commitment to animal welfare," said Jordan Lippner, Chair of
the Board of Directors at the Southampton Animal Shelter
Foundation. Cathy created BISSELL Pet Foundation in 2011
which has impacted the lives of nearly 750,000 pets
and directed over $30 million to shelters and programs to
support animal welfare and provide resources to underserved
communities.
The 15th Annual Unconditional Love Gala promises
an evening of glamor and giving, featuring live
entertainment, a gourmet dinner, and a silent auction. Funds
raised from the gala directly support the shelter's efforts
to provide medical care, food, shelter, and love to animals
in need.
"I am deeply honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation," said
Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. "This
recognition reaffirms the importance of our collective
efforts in advocating for animal welfare and is a testament
to the lives we have saved. Together, we can continue our
critical work to find every pet a loving home." said Cathy
Bissell, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Join Cathy Bissell, and other animal lovers for an
unforgettable evening of compassion and celebration at the
Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation’s Annual Unconditional
Love Gala on July 20th.
About the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF):
The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) is a
501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies on the
generosity of our donors and volunteers to care for the
homeless animals in our community and place them in loving
“forever homes.” The number of animals in need of our help
is growing every day. The overpopulation of pets on Long
Island is a major issue and sadly more amazing animals are
ending up homeless. Whether caring for strays found
wandering the streets, rescuing neglected and abandoned
animals, or saving dogs from the horrors of the puppy mill
industry, the shelter is a safe haven for all animals and
for some, the last resort. Without SASF, these animals would
not be able to survive. The shelter provides a steppingstone
for animals to find loving homes. It offers them housing,
food, medical treatment, training, and rehabilitation when
necessary.
About Cathy Bissell:
With 13 years of experience in animal welfare and as the
founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation, Cathy Bissell is
dedicated to creating solutions for animal welfare
organizations and the communities they serve. Cathy oversees
the foundation's day-to-day operations, constantly
collaborating with small and large animal shelters in
different parts of the country to understand the most
pressing challenges and needs and develop programs to make
the greatest impact. Cathy's hands-on approach and
lifesaving vision have launched 13 programs that the
foundation executes and improves upon to support its growing
partner network of more than 6,000+ shelters in all 50
states, impacting nearly 750,000 pets since 2011.
Cathy’s insight into the struggles of shelters and pet
owners inspired her to create the groundbreaking Fix the
Future™ initiative in 2023 to address the lack of access to
veterinary care for both shelters and pet owners. Through
the deployment of BPF’s network of more than 160 (and
growing) relief veterinarians, the foundation is reducing
future shelter intake and solving the access to care crisis
for communities across the country.
Additionally, in 2016, Cathy conceived and established the
foundation's Empty the Shelters™ adoption event, which has
since become the nation's largest funded adoption event and
has helped to find homes for more than 226,296 pets. BPF's
programs continue to prioritize the original pillars of
adoption, spay/neuter and microchipping, while growing to
include ground and air transport, crisis and disaster
response, community spay/neuter and vaccine clinics,
heartworm prevention and treatment, and mentorship programs
for shelters.
Not only is Cathy the driving force behind every program,
but mindful of every dollar, she also ensures that each gift
is maximized to reach the greatest number of pets. Shelters
know they can turn to Cathy Bissell and BISSELL Pet
Foundation to respond quickly to their concerns when other
organizations cannot. Today, Cathy's own five adopted pets
inspire her as daily reminders to continue saving animals
until every pet has a home. |