She was just a tiny calico kitten, hiding under a bush.

A neighbor noticed her crouched low in the shadows, small and frightened, with unusual-looking eyes. The family in the house next door had moved out days earlier — and left her behind to survive on her own.

When a rescuer arrived, it became clear why her eyes looked different: she had been born without eyelids, a rare and painful birth defect. Without treatment, she would have gone blind or suffered terribly.

Thanks to quick action and veterinary care, she received the surgery she needed. She healed, she thrived, and she found her way to a safe, loving home — where she would live a long and happy life.

She was one of the lucky ones.

At PennyFix, we hear it all the time — a neighbor’s yard overrun with unfixed cats, an apartment complex manager ignoring repeated pleas to enforce pet sterilization policies, a trailer park where dogs are allowed to breed unchecked.

Across the country, from shore towns to college neighborhoods to rural trailer parks, many abandoned pets aren’t so fortunate. Left behind when families move away, they face hunger, injury, and the dangers of reproducing unchecked. And too often, when neighbors ask, “Can’t we call the authorities?” the heartbreaking answer is… there are no authorities to call.

The Enforcement Void

Across the country — especially in rural or economically challenged areas — there are no animal control officers, no local ordinances requiring spay/neuter, and sometimes not even a shelter or rescue group within reach. Even in places that do have basic animal services, enforcement is inconsistent at best. Landlords, property managers, and municipalities may have spay/neuter policies on paper, but no one is holding anyone accountable. The result? A breeding cycle that never stops.

Moving Out — and Leaving Pets Behind

This abandonment isn’t rare. It happens everywhere, but rates are particularly high in shore communities, where seasonal renters leave at summer’s end, and in college towns, where students graduate or transfer and simply “can’t take the pet with them.”

Dogs are left in empty yards or tied to porches. Cats are turned loose to fend for themselves. Many of these pets were never spayed or neutered, and they quickly add to the community’s population crisis.

Good Intentions, Nowhere to Go

Many people support Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats — and that’s a critical part of the solution. But after the trap and the vet visit comes a tough reality:
“Where do the cats go?”

People cheer for spaying and neuter but often don’t want the cats returned to “their” property. Shelters, when they exist, are often full or forced to turn cats away. Foster homes are maxed out. Some cats are friendly and adoptable. Others are truly feral or deeply unsocialized — making life indoors terrifying for them and adoption nearly impossible. And adoption is even less likely for cats with traits people too often overlook or reject — like black cats, who are statistically adopted at lower rates due to lingering superstition and bias.

And it’s not just cats who suffer from this bias.

The “Undesirable” Dog Problem

In the dog world, certain breeds are overbred and then dumped when they become inconvenient. Bully breed dogs, for example, flood shelters — many are wonderful companions, but stigma and breed restrictions make adoption harder. At the same time, public demand often skews toward small breeds, leaving large, loving dogs in kennels for months or even years.

The tragic irony? Many of these “less desirable” animals are among the most loyal and loving you’ll ever meet — if only they’re given the chance.

This Isn’t Just a Policy Problem — It’s a Funding Problem

Enforcement gaps, abandonment, breed bias, and dead ends for community cats all point back to one root issue: there’s not enough money to support spay/neuter on a large, consistent scale.

And that’s where PennyFix comes in.

We believe the solution isn’t more punishment — it’s more prevention.

Through our penny-per-can donation model, pet food companies can create a sustainable, growing fund to support organizations doing the unglamorous, essential work of spaying and neutering every cat and dog — not just the lucky ones.

For individuals, our penny-a-day giving option offers a simple, affordable way to make a powerful difference. Just one cent a day — less than $4 a year — can help create lasting change when multiplied by thousands of caring people.

We fund the boots-on-the-ground efforts in areas with no other safety net. We help reduce the burden on overwhelmed volunteers. We give property managers, landlords, and rural communities a path forward — not by cracking down, but by stepping up with support.

What You Can Do

If you’ve ever said, “Why isn’t someone doing something?” — you’re not alone. But here’s what you can do:

Support local groups doing spay/neuter work — even a small donation goes far.
Talk to your community leaders about sustainable spay/neuter funding and policies.
Encourage pet food retailers to partner with PennyFix through the penny-per-can program.
Join PennyFix’s penny-a-day giving community — just one cent a day makes a real impact.
Donate to PennyFix to directly support organizations on the front lines.

We can’t enforce our way out of this problem. But with compassion, cooperation, and creative funding, we can prevent the suffering before it starts.

Together, let’s build a future where every dog and cat is wanted, cared for — and fixed.

“Why Isn’t Someone Doing Something?”