For more than 40 years, I’ve dedicated much of my life to animal rescue. Along the way, I’ve met countless incredible women who have opened their hearts, homes, and wallets to animals in need.

And after all these years, one thing hasn’t changed.

We’re still the ones picking up the pieces.

We’re the ones taking in unwanted litters, rescuing abandoned animals, and caring for seniors who have gone their entire lives without proper veterinary care. We’ve seen elderly dogs arrive with rotting teeth, untreated infections, and painful conditions that should have been addressed years earlier.

And then there are the innocent puppies born with congenital deformities and inherited diseases, sometimes associated with irresponsible backyard breeding.

My beloved Holly came from a backyard breeder and developed Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), an inherited eye disease that eventually caused her blindness. She later lost both eyes. I’ve also flown halfway across the country twice to rescue Benny and Birdie, two dogs born with identical severe front leg deformities requiring expensive specialized veterinary care and ongoing support. All because backyard breeders cared more about money than the health of their litters.

And I’m far from alone.

Across this country, rescuers sacrifice their time, savings, and emotional well-being to help animals who have nowhere else to turn.

We cannot keep rescuing our way out of problems that could often be prevented.

Spaying and neutering help prevent unwanted litters. Vaccinations protect against serious diseases. Routine veterinary examinations can identify health problems before they become painful and expensive to treat.

Yet for countless families, these basic services remain financially out of reach.

As more independently owned veterinary practices are acquired by large corporations, many pet owners are struggling with the rising cost of veterinary care. What was once considered routine and affordable has become a financial hardship for families who simply want to keep their pets healthy. While veterinary professionals deserve to be fairly compensated for their expertise and dedication, essential preventive care should not become a luxury. And when families cannot afford these services, the consequences often fall on the animals and the already overwhelmed rescue community.

Struggling financially doesn’t mean someone loves their pet any less.

What we’re asking for

I’m calling on Banfield Pet Hospital and VCA Animal Hospitals, two of the nation’s largest veterinary networks, to use their resources and reach to establish regularly scheduled low-cost spay/neuter and preventive veterinary care days in all 50 states, either through their own facilities or partnerships with local veterinary providers.

These programs should expand access to:

Affordable spay/neuter services to help prevent unwanted litters and reduce shelter overcrowding.
Low-cost essential vaccinations to protect dogs and cats from preventable diseases.
Basic preventive veterinary care to identify and treat health problems before they become serious.
Mobile veterinary clinics and community partnerships serving rural and underserved communities.
Responsible breeding education, including awareness of genetic testing and inherited health conditions.
Support for nonprofit rescues and community cat programs, including humane trap-neuter-return initiatives.
We’re asking these companies to commit to affordable care events at least quarterly, with the goal of expanding access as resources allow.

Prevention is part of rescue.

I’ve witnessed the extraordinary compassion of women who continue rescuing, fostering, fundraising, and sacrificing because they cannot turn their backs on an animal in need.

But we shouldn’t have to keep fighting the same preventable battles generation after generation.

This isn’t about making pet ownership free, criticizing veterinary professionals, or judging families who struggle financially. It’s about encouraging major veterinary networks to become part of the solution by making essential care accessible before animals suffer and helping families keep the pets they love.

After four decades in rescue, I know there will always be animals who need saving. But I also know we can do better.

Please sign this petition and ask Banfield and VCA to help create a future where fewer animals suffer, fewer unwanted litters are born, and fewer rescuers are left carrying the burden alone.

Because every animal deserves more than a chance to be rescued.

They deserve a chance to never need rescuing at all.