Two paws up for Miranda Lambert! Country darling and animal activist Lambert called upon her fans to raise funds for her MuttNation Foundation animal charity, and they came through with the dough, to the tune of $66,000.
The owner of seven rescue dogs, Lambert, 31, partnered with Ram Trucks to auction off a customized Ram Laramie Longhorn truck (winning bid: $54,901), in addition to autographed copies of her album, Platinum, tickets to 2015 concerts, and signed guitars. "I'm happy to see everyone come together to raise so much money for MuttNation Foundation, which is so close to my heart," Lambert told Us Weekly in a statement Nov. 20. "So many dogs will have happier holidays and lives thanks to this generosity.
The CMA Female Vocalist of the Year started MuttNation Foundation with her mom, Bev Lambert, in 2009 to raise money to build shelters, increase awareness of pet adoption, and end animal cruelty. Money raised from Lambert's latest charity auction will be added to the $2.2 million MuttNation has already raised over the last seven years.
Lambert's fans can rest assured that their donations will be put to good use, as the Grammy winner personally appoints the use of every penny. "What I like about it is that I have control, my mom and I. It's a very small board," Lambert told Rolling Stone Country of MuttNation earlier this month. "It's five girls and we have control over where every dime goes. We know every dollar, how it's spent . . . . We bought a beagle a wheelchair a couple of years ago whose back legs didn't work. We get to pick wherever it goes."
Dogs aren't the only animals close to Lambert's heart: At the Tishomingo, Okla., farm she shares with husband Blake Shelton, the singer has cats, horses, mini horses, pigs and chickens. And as she told RS Country, Lambert doesn't mind having an audience follow her every move around the house. "They don't know who Miranda Lambert is or care," she says. "They just love me because I'm their mom."