Man’s best friend recently found a new best friend in country music.
Canines in Crisis Inc., an animal rescue shelter in De Soto, will be one of many organizations across America screening a virtual concert featuring rising country duo Pryor & Lee on its social media page at 7 p.m. June 23.
Canines in Crisis Inc. is one of more than 130 animal shelters, rescues and humane associations coast-to-coast participating in the event.
Shelters from Brazil, Canada and Puerto Rico also are taking part in the concert.
The duo is made up of 2018 The Voice contestants Pryor Baird and Kaleb Lee, who decided to organize the event following the release of their single, “Good Ol’ Dogs and God,” in March.
In addition to an acoustic version of “Good Ol’ Dogs and God,” the concert will include the duos’ debut radio single, “Y’allsome,” and a new unreleased song.
The free, prerecorded concert will last approximately 30 minutes and will have some segments recorded specifically for each participating organization, Lee said.
Pryor and Lee said they hope the event raises awareness about homeless animals.
“We want to make sure every pet out there has the opportunity to have a safe and loving home,” Lee said. “We feel like us being a part of these organizations and this project allows us to have a hand in helping make sure as many folks are hearing about these organizations and what they’re doing.”
He said the concert also is designed to encourage people to consider adopting homeless pets.
“We absolutely adore and love our dogs. They are as much a part of the family for us as our own actual family,” Lee said. “We feel like this is a song that connects with other dog and pet owners and want to try to leverage and use this song to the greater good.”
Hosting the concert comes at no cost to the shelters, and the duo hopes it will help bring more funding to those who participate, Lee said.
“The win for us in this is that we get to help these organizations use this as a tool to raise awareness for their organizations and raise money for their efforts in what they’re doing in their local areas,” Lee said.
Baird said “Good Ol’ Dogs and God” focuses on the undying devotion and love both God and the furry pets offer.
“They’re always happy to see you. When you’re down, they’re there. In the worst times, they’re there. In the best times, they’re there,” Baird said. “They’re always happy to see you; they’re always in the best mood. They don’t judge you, and that’s the message we want to get across.”
Lee said the group welcomes all who are interested in participating.
“We didn’t close the door on anybody; we left it as wide open as possible and invited as many organizations as we could to be a part of this,” Lee said. “We’re just excited that so many organizations jumped on this, and they’re just as excited as we are.”
To view the concert, visit Canines in Crisis Inc.’s Facebook page when it screens on June 23 or after the event.