Miranda Lambert Lends a Paw to Shelter Pets
The singer-songwriter’s foundation seeks to put an end to animal cruelty and find pets the loving homes they deserve.
W hen country superstar Miranda Lambert isn’t selling out concerts or winning Grammys, she’s pouring her heart into another passion: helping pets find loving homes. Growing up on a farm in Texas, she always had dogs and cats in her home. Paws up In 2009, she founded MuttNation Foundation with her mother, Bev Lambert, to not only raise money for animals that need care but decide how and where each dollar was spent in an effort to end animal cruelty and homelessness. With approximately 7.6 million companion animals entering shelters in the U.S. annually, Lambert saw the need for support.
“Our goal is to help bring awareness to rescues and improve shelter pets’ quality of life,” Lambert explains. MuttNation helps animals nationwide, through spay and neuter campaigns, mill rescues, adoption events, medical treatments, service dog training and much more. The foundation also focuses on initiatives like Mutts Across America: 50 States/50 Shelters, which provides support annually to shelters in every state.
Other efforts include Redemption Ranch, a low-kill shelter in Tishomingo, OK, and partnering with North Shore Animal League and Red Star Emergency Relief to help with mill rescues and disaster relief.
When asked what sparked this mission to be a voice for the voiceless, Lambert says it wasn’t a specific moment that led to her decision. “I believe it was born in me,” she says. “I have always loved animals and taken in strays of all kinds.”
That’s as true as ever today, with Lambert currently caring for five horses (four Gypsy Vanners and a Welsh Cob), three mini horses, seven dogs, and one cat at her Tennessee home.
Strays in America
It’s nearly impossible to count the number of stray dogs and cats out there, but the ASPCA estimates 70 million cats alone, an overwhelming statistic that motivates people like Lambert to take action.
The number one message she hopes everyone, especially potential pet owners, hears is: “Don’t be afraid to visit, volunteer or adopt from your local shelter. They are great places, and nothing is more fulfilling than knowing you showed love to an innocent soul that needed love.” Lambert also reminds those who are adopting to spay and neuter their animals.
Her passion and enthusiasm for the cause is as admirable as her singing success. Even with her fastpaced schedule and chart-topping music career taking up much of her time, Lambert makes room for MuttNation. In her words, it’s simple: “Don’t forget—love a shelter pet.”