Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Nonprofit Creates COVID-19 Fund To Aid Music Community

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Photo: Jamie Wright

Miranda Lambert is lending a hand to members of the music industry who are currently struggling with unexpected pet bills through her nonprofit, MuttNation. MuttNation is partnering with the Waggle Foundation to form the MuttNation Fund to help music community members impacted by COVID-19 with their pets’ medical bills.

“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.”

Application for the MuttNation Fund is open to anyone who is a member of the broader music community who has a dog or a cat with medical needs and has been impacted by COVID-19. Music community members include musicians, singers, songwriters, engineers, producers, management, music venue staff and other music industry employees. Applications for support are available at wagglefoundation.org/muttnation/

MuttNation is jumpstarting the Fund with a generous matching grant donation, and the MuttNation Fund at Waggle will be supported and sustained through online donations by caring people who are moved to help after reading the stories about the pet in need on the MuttNation Fund page. 100% of the donations received are sent directly to the pet’s attending veterinarian. If more than enough funds are raised for any one pet, the extra funds rollover into the MuttNation Fund to keep helping more dogs and cats.

For those who are not working members of the music community, Waggle can offer aid too. Applications are available at waggle.org.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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