In celebration of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, MCA Nashville recording artist Clare Dunn is happy to announce a new addition to the family: Conner, a young pit bull who was scheduled to be euthanized this week.
The singer/songwriter/producer was touring the East Coast last week, prepping for another show on the acclaimed 2019 CMT Next Women of Country Tour, when she came across Conner’s picture on Instagram. She was immediately drawn to him. “There was just something special about him. He had the sweetest face but I could also tell he had a broken spirit. I had to help him,” said Clare.
The problem? Conner was nearly 3,000 miles away, housed in the Riverside County Animal Services shelter outside of Los Angeles. He’d been there for several weeks, too, and had recently been moved to the shelter’s kill list.
Dunn contacted a dozen friends, hoping to find someone who could help save the dog. When those attempts failed, she hopped on a flight at 6 a.m. on Tuesday — National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, coincidentally — and headed straight to California. By the afternoon, she’d officially adopted Conner, and by the evening, Conner was fast asleep in Clare’s lap.
Animals have always played a role in Dunn’s life. Years before launching her country music career in Nashville, Dunn spent her childhood on the family farm in Two Buttes, Colorado, growing up alongside dairy cattle, horses, and dogs. As Conner’s new owner, she continues a lifelong association with the pit bull breed, while also providing a home for an animal who nearly lost his life.
Dunn’s passion for animals is only matched by her passion for music. A triple-threat frontwoman who writes her own songs, plays her own guitar solos, and co-produces her own recordings, she’s made serious strides this spring, racking up more than a quarter-million streams for her newest track, “My Love,” and plays sold-out shows at venues like the Gramercy Theater in New York City. She’ll continue touring this spring and summer…and will probably have to find a dog bed for the bus.
Clare’s upcoming tour dates include:
May 2 | Evansville, IN | K.C.’s Marina Point
May 3 | Des Moines, IA | Wooly’s
May 4 | Columbia, MO | Blue Note
May 30 | Pittsburgh, PA | Tequila Cowboy
May 31 | Columbus, OH | Tequila Cowboy
June 1 | Southern Pines, IL | Sunrise Theater
June 15 | Brookfield, MO | Summerfest
June 21 | Chicago, IL | Country Lake Shake Festival
June 27 | Oshkosh, WI | Country USA 2019
June 29 | Lansing, MI | Common Ground Music Festival
July 13 | Decorah, IA | Winneshiek County Fair
August 3 | Fort Collins, CO | Sundance Steakhouse & Saloon
August 10 | Galva, IL | The Back Road Music Festival
August 16 | Pullman, WA | National Lentil Festival
June 15 | Brookfield, MO | Summerfest
August 16 | Pullman, WA | National Lentil Festival
September 14 | Louisville, KY | Hometown Rising
For a complete list of tour dates and more information for Clare Dunn, visit her website at www.ClareDunn.com .
