Three-time GRAMMY Award winner country superstar Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation and Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, have partnered for the third year in a row to donate more than $250,000 to animal shelters across the country. Through MuttNation’s Mutts Across America program, one outstanding shelter or foster care shelter in each state – plus Washington, D.C. and one “Wildcard” choice – will be rewarded with a surprise $5,000 grant.
The Mutts Across America 2023 Georgia grant recipient is Homeward Bound Pet Rescue, Inc in Ellijay. The organization is a non-profit pet rescue organization in the mountains of North Georgia, rescuing dogs and cats, puppies and kittens. They rescue animals from local high-kill shelters and abandonment, then help heal and comfort them and find them forever homes. Visit them online HERE And HERE.
“It’s easy to find deserving shelters and rescue groups across the country,” said Bev Lambert, Miranda’s mother and co-founder of MuttNation, which also designed Mutts Across America. “It’s about reducing it to just one in every state it’s really difficult.
“Mutts Across America is the cornerstone of MuttNation – it was our first flagship program,” Miranda added. “These grants give us the opportunity to show our appreciation and shine a light on shelters across the country for their hard work, year-round, to improve the lives of pets.” We are very proud to partner with Tractor Supply on this and other programs, allowing us to elevate our goals and increase the number of animal lives we can change.
Since launching the initiative nine years ago, MuttNation’s Mutts Across America has supported more than 450 shelters with more than $1.75 million in grants. Tractor Supply began its partnership with MuttNation in 2021.
“Shelter animals have our heart at Tractor Supply,” said Kimberley Gardiner, director of marketing at Tractor Supply. “Miranda’s passion for this cause and the work she has done through MuttNation truly inspires us and supporting their work is a privilege and a joy. These shelters save the lives of animals and pets and provide them with the care they need while they wait for their future owners.
Each year, MuttNation conducts extensive research to carefully choose which organizations will be honored with annual grants and, this year, specifically recognizes some of the exceptional shelters that help seniors, special needs dogs, large dogs and mixtures; “Love Harder” dogs who are easy to love but hardest to adopt. There is no application process for Mutts Across America and recipients receive no notice prior to receiving the award.
In addition to the Mutts Across America partnership, MuttNation and Tractor Supply launched the Relief For Rescues Fund earlier this year to help shelters and pets recover from natural disasters. To date, the fund has generated more than $357,000 to support shelter animals affected by disasters such as floods, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, with funding already distributed to organizations helping animals of shelter affected by severe flooding in California’s Central Valley, a violent EF4 tornado in California. Mississippi and more.
Tractor Supply is the exclusive retailer of MuttNation pet products, with a percentage of all sales donated to the MuttNation Foundation to promote and facilitate its mission.
The Mutts Across America 2023 grant recipients are:
Shelter name | State |
Help at the animal sanctuary | Alabama |
Juneau Animal Rescue | Alaska |
Unconditional Love Animal Rescue (ULPR) | Arkansas |
NAGI Foundation | Arizona |
California Animal Compassion Team | California |
Soul Dog Rescue | Colorado |
Military Legacy Animal Rescue and Sanctuary | Connecticut |
Rural dog rescue | CC |
Cruelty-Free Animal Partners | Deleware |
UFAR animal partners | Florida |
Homeward bound pet rescue | Georgia |
Hawaii SPCA Maili Waianae | Hawaii |
Heart of Idaho Wildlife Sanctuary | Idaho |
Second City Dog Rescue | Illinois |
Grateful Rescue and Sanctuary (Grateful Rescue) | Indiana |
Forever Dogs of Iowa (Forever Dogs) | Iowa |
Clay County Animal Rescue and Education Center | Kansas |
LIFE House for Animals | Kentucky |
4 Paws Rescue Inc. | Louisiana |
Underground Railroad, Inc. | Maine |
Senior Dog Sanctuary | Maryland |
Cape Ann Animal Aid Animal Shelter Christopher Cutler Rich | Massachusetts |
Stray K9 Rescue League | Michigan |
Great river rescue | Minnesota |
Rescue HoofBeats and PawPrints | Mississippi |
Colombia Second Chance | Missouri |
The Dedman Foundation | Montana |
FurEver Home, Inc. | Nebraska |
Village of Living Hearts | Nevada |
Second Chance Ranch Rescue NH | New Hampshire |
Marty’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary, INC. | New Jersey |
Pet-A-Bulls, Inc. | New Mexico |
Cross-legged animal rescue | new York |
Lake Norman Human | North Carolina |
Prairie Paw Rescue | North Dakota |
Multi-breed rescue | Ohio |
Oklahoma Alliance for Animals | Oklahoma |
Southern Oregon Humane Society | Oregon |
Speranza Animal Rescue | Pennsylvania |
Rescue of anchor legs | Rhode Island |
Pet Aid Adoption Shelter and Spay/Neuter Clinic | Caroline from the south |
B Team Dog Rescue | South Dakota |
New leash on life | Tennessee |
Dog Ranch Rescue | Texas |
Rescue of hearts 4 paws | Utah |
Coming Home, Humane Society of Addison County | Vermont |
Wolf trap animal rescue | Virginia |
Old dog shelter | Washington |
Humane Society of Harrison County – WV | West Virginia |
Bob’s house for dogs | Wisconsin |
Laramie Peak Humane Society | Wyoming |
Bonaparte Retirement Dog Rescue *WILDCARD* |
Tennessee |
About the MuttNation Foundation
Founded by Miranda and her mother, Bev Lambert, in 2009, MuttNation is a donation-funded 501c(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to promote shelter animal adoption, advance sterilization and to educate the public on the benefits of these actions. . MuttNation provides financial support and works with transportation partners to assist and relocate animals in the event of a natural disaster. MuttNation Fueled by Miranda Lambert, a line of pet toys and supplies benefiting the Foundation, is available exclusively at Tractor Supply Company stores across the United States. www.muttnation.com
Source: Tractor supply company