Statements

Mission

Our mission is to end animal suffering through the financial support of animal welfare needs.

Background

Lovie's Legacy honors the life of Mrs. Lovie Mae Smith, who was born in Robertson County, TN in 1907, and died on February 18, 2005 at the age of 97. Lovie had a passionate heart for rescuing and caring for lost and lonely animals, which she did often throughout her lifetime. In addition, Lovie was one of the first donors to the National Humane society in Washington D.C., and gave regularly to animal welfare charities. Prior to her death, she made sure that her legacy of love for animals would live on, by directing the formation of the non-profit corporation known as Lovie's Legacy.Through the efforts of her loving friends, Steve Bard and C. C. Couch, the organization was founded in 2006. Since then, a Board of Directors has been assembled, programs have been put into place, and over $30,000 has been contributed to other animal welfare charities that support our mission. Through consultation with local veterinarians and members of other well established animal welfare groups, we found that one of the most pervasive needs today is education. A consultant was hired in November, 2007, to begin the process of creating a children's humane education program to reach children in their formative years (K-2). Our desire is to expand this program over the next 3-5 years into other counties in Tennessee - especially those counties that have little or no access to these types of educational programs. We also desire to work with lawmakers to establish humane education laws on both local and state levels.

Impact

Our veterinarian assistance program provides immediate payments to veterinarians to treat emergency situations. If funding for our veterinarian assistance program is out, we will strive to put applicants in touch with other agencies who may be able to provide financial assistance. We will also continue to solicit funds through angel funds, where friends, family members, and concerned individuals can donate a little or a lot to help desperately sick and injured pets receive treatment.
Each year, volunteers respond to phone calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We do this because we do not want any animal to suffer for one minute longer than necessary. Often, our payment is not enough to take care of all the veterinarian bills, but will cover an assessment, pay for pain medications, and buy some time to raise more money.
We continue to return all public support to the animals, using all contributions to help end animal suffering. In addition, we spend very little of our investment income on administration. Over 90% of our expenses are used for our mission. Our volunteer-based charity makes it possible to keep administrative expenses very low so that we can continue to end the suffering of sick and injured animals and pay for wellness treatments and neuter expenses for low income pet owners.

Needs

Requests for assistance from our Veterinary Assistance Program continue to increase and it is our goal to never turn away any request for help. Continuing funds for this program are a vital need.

CEO Statement

As we continue to provide funds for medical assistance to injured, sick and abused animals through our Veterinary Assistance Program, we are humbled by the circumstances and buoyed by the success stories. The requests for financial assistance continue to increase. It is our goal to make sure we have sufficient funds so no animal is ever turned away. It is with great optimism and commitment that we seek to grow our program in 2020.

Board Chair Statement

I am thrilled to be part of a transition that will allow us to continue supporting our mission--to break the cycle of animal neglect and abuse and to make an even bigger difference in the lives of the animals that need us most.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Animal Related  - Fund Raising & Fund Distribution
Secondary Category:	Animal Related  - Animal Protection & Welfare
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

TN - Davidson

TN - Robertson

TN - Rutherford

TN - Sumner

TN - Williamson

TN - Wilson

TN - Cheatham

TN - Montgomery