{"podcast":{"title":"United We Spay","slug":"united-we-spay-6721497","podcast_index_feed_id":6721497,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/494283/rss","website_url":"https://www.unitedspayalliance.org/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/a/7/9/5/a795a5dc01dbc474e5bbc093207a2619/Final_UWS.jpg","author":"United Spay Alliance","episode_count":33,"summary":"Welcome to United We Spay - the show dedicated to promoting affordable spay/neuter services across the USA and beyond. In each episode, we delve into the heart of a movement that's changing the lives of animals and communities for the better. Our mission is clear: build awareness, educate, and empower. In this podcast, we'll explore the inspiring stories and voices that drive the spay/neuter movement, all while keeping our eyes on the bigger picture. Hosted by Stacy LeBaron, our team at United Spay Alliance is here to make a difference by tackling the root causes of overpopulation, ensuring that every animal has the chance for a better life. Join us as we embark on a journey to address the problems and pain points faced by grassroots rescue and shelter workers, and the general public. We'll answer the three most common questions we receive, discuss the challenges of finding low-cost spay/neuter services, and explore strategies for recruiting more veterinarians to support these crucial efforts. What truly irks us is when the animal welfare space fixates on the symptoms of overpopulation, rather than focusing on prevention through spay/neuter. We believe it's time to change the conv…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-02T18:19:15.165816+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/united-we-spay-6721497"},"episode":{"title":"Fix the Future with Cathy Bissell","slug":"fix-the-future-with-cathy-bissell","published_at":"2026-04-02T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/united-we-spay-6721497/fix-the-future-with-cathy-bissell","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/united-we-spay-6721497","url":"https://0759aabc-07b2-466f-8bc4-9f829c391c44.libsyn.com/fix-the-future-with-cathy-bissell","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/0759aabc-07b2-466f-8bc4-9f829c391c44/USA_Ep029_Bissell_Master.mp3?dest-id=4225473","summary":"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…","meta_description":"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 th…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2481,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/united-we-spay-6721497/episodes/fix-the-future-with-cathy-bissell/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/united-we-spay-6721497/fix-the-future-with-cathy-bissell.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}