On Saturday, Haines Animal Rescue Kennel director Kay Clements found a surprise in her mailbox: an unsolicited $3,000 check and an acknowledgement as one of the best shelters in the nation for 2019 from a Nashville-based nonprofit.
“Funny what the postman delivers sometimes,” Clements said.
Mutt Nation Foundation, an organization founded by country music singer Miranda Lambert and her mother Bev that promotes and funds shelters, selected one shelter in each state. This is their fourth year allocating $150,000 across 50 states.
Bev Lambert said that the group selects shelters in each state using criteria it developed that looks at factors such as strong volunteerism, high adoption rate, community presence and advocacy. “It’s almost a process of elimination,” Lambert said. There is no nomination process.
Clements said that HARK will use the money for part of its spay and neuter program by funding vouchers which help reduce the cost of surgery.