BISSELL Homecare, Inc recently joined the Petfinder.com Foundation and crew in Kentucky for the Rescue U trip to the Rowan County Animal Shelter and the Menifee County Animal Shelter.

Emily Valentine, a BISSELL senior account representative, worked with the Rescue U students and volunteers to build new raised dog beds and meet with 15 area shelter and rescue groups for our education day. This educational seminar focused on issues affecting adoption and gave local shelters and rescue groups a chance to ask questions and brainstorm new ways to help homeless pets.

BISSELL also raffled off several products from its pet product line and invited all attendees to participate in its Partners for Pets program, which supports qualifying animal shelters and rescue groups in the United States.

This trip was made possible by support from our sponsors BISSELL Homecare and The Animal Rescue Site. The Animal Rescue Site has been a longtime supporter of the Petfinder.com Foundation and previously sponsored our January trip to South Carolina. See a video of this trip.

As a result of the Kentucky trip, 65 dogs were transported from overpopulated shelters to shelters and rescue groups in the Northeast, where they are now awaiting their forever homes!

Support Rescue U and the Petfinder.com Foundation:

To show your support for homeless pets and to support programs like Rescue U, text 4PETS and your email address to 20222 to donate $10 to the Petfinder.com Foundation, or visit Petfinder.com Foundation.

The Petfinder.com Foundation has been in Kentucky at the Rowan County Animal Shelter and Menifee County Animal Shelter for the past week and the work is finally done!

There has been a ton of progress on both shelters thanks to the Rescue U student volunteers and shelter staff. The dogs are resting on newly raised dog beds and finding comfort in their fences and new roofed kennels.

But the dogs were not the only ones to get new digs! The cats have a new indoor and outdoor play area, providing them with comfort and safety while they wait for their forever homes. (Check out our video of the new cat enclosure below.)

Maybe the happiest news of all: 65 dogs will find new and loving homes! They are being transported from  overpopulated shelters to shelters and rescue groups in the Northeast including St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey, Furry Friends in Ontario, Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in Virginia and Animal House Rescue, Willing Hearts Dalmatian Rescue and Worthy Tails Animal Rescue in Pennsylvania.

Not only will the move improve their chances for adoption, it will provide them with a better quality of life, with less risk of illness and kennel stress, while they await adoption.

Check out this video showing some of the work students did on the cat areas in the final days of the Rescue U trip.

I spent four days at Rowan County Animal Shelter in Morehead, KY, on the Petfinder.com Foundation Rescue U trip last week.

When I arrived, it was clear that the shelter was in need of repair. I am amazed at how the students got to work, diligently fixing the roof, painting and cleaning the kennels, making dog beds and much more. The students' dedication is impressive.

The dogs happily watched as the students worked around them, getting occasional pets and hugs along the way. One student fell in love with a puppy and will be taking her home.

I fell in love with a skinny, sweet Beagle who bravely let me pick ticks off his ears. Eventually, he ate out of my hands and his tail started to wag slowly. He was picked up off the street with another dog whose parents claimed him over the weekend.

As for my "Hound," Rescue U is transporting him to a foster home with the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in Arlington, VA, until he finds his forever home -- which I can promise you he fully deserves and will thrive in. (Check out this video of him and his buddy at the shelter.)


Stay tuned; soon we'll show you the results of the shelter renovation!

This trip was made possible by BISSELL, Inc. and The Animal Rescue Site.

To show your support for homeless pets, text 4PETS and your email address to 20222 to donate $10 to the Petfinder.com Foundation, or visit Petfinder.com Foundation.

It's day three in Morehead, Kentucky on our Rescue U trip to help Rowan County Animal Shelter. We've made a lot of progress and managed to dodge any significant weather-related delays. The outdoor kennel roofs are framed, fencing is going up, the shelter roof is repaired and dog beds and kitty condos are being constructed by the students. The community support is overwhelming.

Our friend Rob Hamilton, the manager of Braxton County Animal Shelter in West Virginia, drove over yesterday to help out and pay it forward. Last year his facility was the site of a Rescue U trip. (Read about and watch video of that trip here.)

Colleen Harrington, the director of shelter operations at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey, joined us too. She is here to help care for the animals and transport dogs back with her, increasing the likelihood that they will be adopted.

After a long travel day full of weather-related flight delays, I made it to Morehead, KY, and met up with the students and volunteers who are here for our Rescue U program.

We headed out early this morning to the Rowan County Animal Shelter and began work to repair the roof and kennel fencing -- two of many projects that desperately need to be completed by the time we leave.

This is day one of a 10-day trip for students from Delaware Valley College, Morehead State University and Eastern Kentucky University who gave up their first week of summer vacation to meet us in Kentucky to rehab the shelter to help homeless pets.

The pets here are all amazing, with eyes that melt your soul, all of them just waiting to find their forever homes. One look at them quickly reminds all of us why we are here. The staff and volunteers at the shelter welcomed us with open arms and the community of Rowan is rallying around this effort. I can't help but be inspired by the dedication of the students, volunteers and staff who all care so much.

Follow us here as we blog from the shelter each day.

And remember ... today is the last day to VOTE for the Petfinder.com Foundation to support this program with a $500,000 donation from Chase. Voting ends at midnight EST. Every vote counts and we could definitely use yours!!!

This trip is made possible through the support of our friends at BISSELL, longtime advocates for pet adoption; The Animal Rescue Site and GreaterGood.org. Visit The Animal Rescue Site every day to make a free click donation that supports the Petfinder.com Foundation.

... back to the shelter ...

Liz