As the music industry reels from the lack of touring and the closure of venues, dog and cat owners in that line of work have still had to deal with vet bills, the cost of pet supplies and other expenses we sometimes take for granted.
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Enter Miranda Lambert and her nonprofit shelter dog organization MuttNation, which has teamed with the Waggle Foundation's veterinary assistance group to launch the MuttNation Foundation. The foundation will help pet owners, in Nashville and beyond, when they face unexpected major expenses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
"We know how quickly vet bills add up and that Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on the music community," reads a statement posted at wagglefoundation.org/muttnation. "We want to help raise the funds needed to make sure your pets can get the medical care they need.
Lambert, the mom of nine shelter dogs and five cats, was inspired to start a special MuttNation fund by a colleague's fluffy friend.
"It really hit home when my backup singer and close friend Gwen's shelter dog, Earl, became extremely ill in early March, just as the pandemic was taking hold and our tour had to stop," Lambert said via a statement. "After taking him to several vets, she was told Earl had a rare liver disorder. Then there were multiple hospital stays, relapses, more hospital stays...Earl is doing great now, but he'll require ongoing treatment for the rest of his life. It was such an unexpected major expense at an already tough time. So, it got me thinking that there must be a lot more people whose careers in the music industry have been on pause due to lack of live performance opportunities, and who are struggling with their pets' vet bills. Because music and mutts are my two passions, I knew I had to do something and thought that starting this fund would help both the music community that's been so supportive of me, and their pets."
Read More: Miranda Lambert's MuttNation Donates $160,000 to Animal Shelters Across America
Per its website, the mission of Miranda Lambert's MuttNation Foundation "is to promote and facilitate the adoption of shelter pets, encourage spay & neuter for all pets and educate the public about the importance and beneficial impact of these actions. Our objectives are accomplished through numerous initiatives which include: high profile adoption events, fundraising events, a national pet transport network, and providing financial support to carefully vetted shelters across the United States. MuttNation is also committed to providing monetary, hands on and transport assistance during times of emergency and disaster."
Lambert and her mom, Bev, founded the nonprofit organization in 2009 to help animals at local shelters find forever homes.
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