Not Glamorous, But Necessary
Across the country, countless animal lovers dream of starting a rescue. Their hearts are in the right place — they want to save lives, give homeless animals a chance, and make a difference. Sometimes, people even imagine that opening a rescue might be a way to build a livelihood while helping animals in need.
But here’s the hard truth: no matter how many rescues we create, the problem of overpopulation doesn’t go away.
For every kennel that opens its doors, there are more puppies and kittens being born than there are homes available. More rescues don’t equal more families waiting to adopt. The supply of animals is drastically outweighing the demand, and until we address that imbalance, we will always be in crisis mode.
And here’s another challenge we don’t always talk about: the more rescues there are, the more groups are reaching out with their hands out for support. Donors can only give so much. The number of people willing and able to donate doesn’t grow just because the number of rescues grows. So instead of each organization getting the resources they need to make an impact, donations get stretched thinner and thinner.
In other words, more rescues often mean less funding for each, making it harder for anyone to succeed. But if we reduce the number of animals needing rescue in the first place, fewer groups are needed — and the ones that remain can actually thrive, with stronger donor support and more resources to do their lifesaving work.
It’s also important to remember that starting a rescue isn’t as simple as finding a building and opening the doors. Rescues face zoning restrictions — they can’t just go anywhere, and in many cases, the surrounding community may not welcome them. Noise from barking dogs, meowing cats, and the odors that come with housing many animals can create tension with neighbors. Most people also have no idea of the costs involved: veterinary bills, food, supplies, staff or volunteer support, and sadly, even burial or cremation expenses for animals that don’t make it. These financial and logistical challenges add up quickly, often overwhelming even the most dedicated rescuers.
That’s why spay and neuter is the real solution. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t have the same fairytale appeal as opening a rescue — but it works.
Rescues can share heartbreaking stories of a neglected dog or abandoned kitten, raise money with those emotional appeals, and then share a triumphant “happily ever after” update. It’s a compelling, visible transformation that pulls at the heartstrings. Every time a sad, dramatic story is shared and donations come pouring in, it’s important to remember that nearly every shelter or rescue could duplicate that story — they all have heartbreaking cases, often right in your own hometown. Spay and neuter programs, on the other hand, don’t have those dramatic before-and-after photos. At PennyFix, we can’t show you the suffering we prevented, because it never happened — and that’s the point. By stopping overpopulation before it begins, we stop countless tragedies before they ever unfold. But because prevention doesn’t come with a dramatic storyline, it often gets overlooked when people decide where to donate. That’s why education is so important: to show that prevention may not be glamorous, but it’s the most effective way to end the cycle of suffering.
Every surgery prevents countless future litters, breaking the cycle of overpopulation before it begins. If we want to get ahead of this crisis, we need everyone — individuals, communities, and companies — to get on board with spay and neuter.
That’s where pet food companies can play a game-changing role. Imagine if every can of pet food included just one extra penny dedicated to spay and neuter. It wouldn’t come out of the companies’ pockets. It wouldn’t raise costs in a way that customers would even feel. But multiplied across millions of products, those pennies add up to life-changing funds. Funds that go directly to spay and neuter programs, reducing the number of animals entering shelters in the first place.
For pet food companies, it’s not only an opportunity to support animal welfare — it’s also a tax-deductible way to give back while strengthening their bond with the very community they serve: pet lovers.
Starting a rescue will always feel like a noble dream. And for some, it will be the path they choose. But if we truly want to see fewer homeless animals, fewer crowded shelters, and fewer heartbreaking stories, we have to focus on prevention. The fairytale of “just one more rescue” can’t solve this crisis. Only spay and neuter can.
At PennyFix, that’s our mission — to bring everyone together around the one solution that truly gets to the root of the problem. With your help, with the commitment of pet food companies, and with a shared vision for the future, we can finally get ahead of overpopulation.
Because every pet deserves a home — and it starts with preventing unwanted litters before they’re even born.
[See also: “Why Spaying and Neutering Matters…” “Are More Shelters the Answer?” “We Can’t Save Them All. But What If We Could Spay Them All?” “A Perfect Storm…” “Is No Kill Even Possible?”]
