In honor of World Spay Day today, Feb. 24, Country Music Super Star Miranda Lambert and her MuttNation Foundation has announced a new three-year partnership with the Doris Day Animal Foundation for its spay and neuter program, “It Takes Balls.” Throughout 2026, the campaign will focus specifically on Southern California, continuing the initiative that began in 2023. To date, “It Takes Balls” has awarded more than 125 grants to support low-cost spay and neuter programs across Tennessee and Texas, helping raise awareness about the importance of these lifesaving services.
“We’re so excited and honored to be partnering with the Doris Day Animal Foundation and are grateful for their amazing commitment to spay & neuter,” said Lambert. “Everyone knows that Doris Day holds an unparalleled place in film and music – but do they also know she started Spay Day USA in 1995 (now World Spay Day)? When I found out, I knew this was a perfect partnership and I want everyone to know about her enduring passion for animals.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with Miranda Lambert and MuttNation Foundation on such an important initiative,” said Doris Day Animal Foundation CEO Bob Bashara. “Establishing Spay Day USA over 30 years ago and seeing it evolve into today’s World Spay Day was one of Doris Day’s proudest achievements in her pioneering animal welfare advocacy. As DDAF carries on Doris’ legacy, we are grateful that Miranda and MuttNation share our passion and dedication to make this a better world for the animals, and together we can make a meaningful difference in reducing the homeless pet population and euthanasia rates.”
While many animal shelters are doing incredible work and taking on as much as they can, they simply can’t keep up with the vast number of animals that come in each year. In 2025, sadly 5.8 million animals entered shelters and 597,000 were euthanized, often due to lack of space. One of the most effective ways to help bring those numbers down is through spay and neuter.
MuttNation is encouraging low cost spay and neuter programs in Southern California to apply for grants to help tackle this ongoing challenge. Apply for grants HERE – muttnation.com/it-takes-balls