The executive director of the Bella Vista Animal Shelter got a nice surprise last week. She learned that the shelter is the recipient of a $3,000 MuttNation Foundation grant.
"It was a fantastic surprise," Deidre Knight-Matney said, "We're honored to be the only shelter in Arkansas to be selected."
MuttNation Foundation was founded by country singer Miranda Lambert and her mother, Bev Lambert. They own and operate a shelter in Tishomoingo, Okla. In 2013 they started "Mutts Across America."
They choose one shelter from each state as a grant recipient each year. They look for a high adoption rate and a low euthanasia rate, as well as high volunteerism, successful fundraising and spay/neutering campaigns.
In Bella Vista, about half the shelter's budget comes from donations, Knight-Matney said, and last year their euthanasia rate was less than 3 percent.
The grant will help care for the dogs and cats currently living at the shelter, she said. The shelter takes in about 800 pets a year from the Bella Vista area. While some are returned to owners, many find new homes through adoption. In 2014, 134 dogs were reclaimed by their owners and 233 were adopted. Nineteen of the adopted dogs were returned. Nine dogs were euthanized.
General News on 02/10/2016