‘Keeping pets and people together’

For many, pets are like family. And the Sugarbelle Foundation wants to keep everyone together.

The Sugarbelle Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Birmingham that works with financially struggling families to afford pet care. It was founded by Hoover resident Jana Budoff Maynard, who said she has been involved with various rescues, shelters and groups that aim to help animals since she was a kid. 

She noticed, however, that there was nothing out there to help people in addition to their pets.

“It’s important because sometimes people hit a bump in the road and just need a little bit of help,” she said. “They don’t want to give up their pets, but they don’t know what else to do.”

Sugarbelle Foundation provides pet supplies, assists with vet bills, organizes temporary foster homes and helps in other ways, Maynard said, with an ultimate goal of “keeping pets and people together.”

“I just feel like if people knew, when people know that they can possibly get some help, it makes all the difference,” she said. “Sometimes people will feel like their only option is to relinquish their pet to a shelter, and shelters, we know, are full and overrun.”

Sugarbelle Foundation was established in December 2011 and received 501(c)3 status in 2013. Over the last seven years, they have helped around 300 pets, Maynard said. They work with families and individuals in a variety of situations, from paying a bill after losing a job to individuals leaving situations involving domestic violence. 

As an example, Maynard told the story of Skinny and Gracie, two cats that Sugarbelle Foundation helped foster.

“Their mom was in a bad situation and had to go to the Lovelady Center,” Maynard said. The Lovelady Center is a faith-based center that helps women rebuild their lives after incarceration. “She had three cats who needed a foster while she finished the program. We were able to get two of her cats, keep them safe and loved until she was able to get them back [in March].”

They also work with Galleria Animal Clinic to provide surgeries or other procedures when needed. Maynard said families needing that sort of help are encouraged to use a vet with whom they have a relationship.

“Sometimes the people we help we help once, and sometimes the people we help, we help on a [regular] basis as much as we can because we know their situation,” she said. “And that’s a big part of it, is knowing their situation.”

While they want to help all pet owners in need, Maynard said they have guidelines to qualify for assistance to ensure resources are not used when they are not necessary. In addition to helping provide care and pet supplies, Sugarbelle Foundation will also connect people to resources such as low-cost spay and neutering or payment plans for pet care. They’ll do the same for resources for the human part of the equation. 

“The thing about Sugarbelle is we are helping the animals, but we’re also helping the people because they’re able to continue keeping their animals or get help for them,” Maynard said. “... A lot of times, it’s simply connecting people to the right resources to help them.”

To operate, Sugarbelle Foundation relies on monetary and item donations, Maynard said, as well as the help of volunteers and people who are willing to foster animals. 

“People were like, ‘How are you going to do this?’” Maynard said regarding the start of Sugarbelle Foundation. “And we do a lot of fundraisers, and we beg, and we’ve got some very generous donors, but I want to say I’ve heard from a lot of different people … that we are filling a need, and they wish there was more like this.”

For more information about Sugarbelle Foundation or to find out how to donate, go to sugarbellefoundation.org.