Miranda Lambert’s foundation awards $3K grant to Arizona animal shelter
Feb 27, 2018, 4:15 AM
FILE - In this April 30, 2016, file photo, Miranda Lambert performs during the 2016 iHeartRadio Country Festival in Austin, Texas. Lambert, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley and more are performing at this year’s CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn. The Country Music Association on Friday, March 17, 2017, announced the lineup for concerts at Nissan Stadium on June 8-11, 2017. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP, File)
(Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP, File)
PHOENIX — Country music star Miranda Lambert has awarded an Arizona animal shelter with a $3,000 grant through her MuttNation Foundation.
According to a press release, Lambert has awarded the money to Arizona Animal Welfare League, the oldest and largest no-kill shelter in the state.
The Mutts Across America grant is only awarded to just one shelter in every U.S. state. The grant was created by Lambert and her mother, Bev, in 2014.
Each year, the Arizona Animal Welfare League rehomes and rehabilitates 4,500 animals every year without any state or federal funding.
The grant will be used to “further its mission of reducing Arizona’s shelter population while offering affordable vet care and dog training to the public.”
It will also be used to help fund a year-round education department to educate the next generation of animal advocates and teaches compassion for all living things to people of all ages, the release said.
The MuttNation Foundation was launched in 2009 to “ensure that as many dogs as possible would have a safe and happy place to call home,” its website said.
Since the foundation does not operate its own shelter, it aims to “promote and facilitate the adoption of shelter pets, encourage spay/neuter operations and educate the public about the importance and impact of those actions.”
The press release said these qualities demonstrated by Arizona Animal Welfare League are reasons why the grant was awarded to the shelter.
In a statement, Arizona Animal Welfare League Executive Director Judith Gardner said the grant was an “honor that our hard work over the last five decades is being recognized by the Lambert family and their foundation.
“Pet homelessness is a national crisis, and AAWL is constantly pushing itself to do its part for the animals and communities all over the state,” she added.
The Arizona Animal Welfare League was founded in 1971 and has since rehomed and rehabilitated more than 4,000 rescue animals across the state. At the moment, the shelter is housing 140 cats and 190 dogs.
