Miranda Lambert Creates Fund To Assist the Music Community with Vet Bills Amid Pandemic

Miranda Lambert is stepping up to help our four-legged friends once again. The superstar just announced that her nonprofit MuttNation…

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

September 10, 2020

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10:43 am

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Miranda Lambert; Photo by Jamie Wright

Miranda Lambert is stepping up to help our four-legged friends once again.

The superstar just announced that her nonprofit MuttNation has partnered with the Waggle Foundation to form the MuttNation Fund to assist members of the music community who have been impacted by COVID-19 with their pets’ medical bills.

Lambert, who has nine rescue dogs at home, got the idea to create the fund after seeing her friend and backup singer, Gwen Sebastian, experience a health issue with her dog earlier this year.

“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. 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,” she explains. “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.”

The “Bluebird” singer said partnering with Waggle was “the perfect fit for us. They have all the pieces in place and 100% of the donations go directly to their dog or cat’s vet, so everyone can be sure their support goes where it needs to go.”

Members of the music community who have been impacted by COVID-19 and have a cat or dog with medical needs can apply for support HERE.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.