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Meghan Markle provides sponsorship for animals in need in Archie's name

The Duchess of Sussex continued her support of a U.K. animal welfare charity with a sponsorship in the name of her 1-year-old son, Archie.
/ Source: TODAY

The Duchess of Sussex is making sure pets in need will have shelter at a U.K. charity, all in the name of her 1-year-old son.

The former Meghan Markle wrote in the foreword of the annual review for Mayhew, an animal welfare charity, that she is renewing her sponsorship for pets in need in the name of Archie, her son with Prince Harry.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Visit South Africa
The Duchess of Sussex has renewed her sponsorship of a dog kennel for needy pets in the name of her son, Archie. Getty Images

"I renewed my sponsorship of a dog kennel in the name of our son, Archie, to create an interim home for a pet in need,'' she wrote. "I hope you will show them your support in whatever ways you can. When you do, you will be contributing not just to animal welfare but to the shared welfare of us all."

Despite stepping back from her duties as a senior royal and moving to Los Angeles, she has remained a patron of Mayhew after first becoming involved in the organization last year.

She paid a visit to Mayhew in January, and shared a heartfelt message about the joys of pet adoption last year in Mayhew's 2018 annual review, writing that taking in a rescue pet "will undoubtedly change your life."

In this year's review, she reflected on the coronavirus pandemic and the work Mayhew has done to keep animals safe and bring people together.

"As I write, the Covid-19 crisis is gripping every country in the world and destabilising the lives of countless families across the UK," she wrote. "I am proud of how Mayhew have responded by finding new ways to support animals and people in these uncertain times. What I am even prouder of is that Mayhew’s mission was made for moments like these.

"It’s not just about cats and dogs; it’s about all of us, about our ability to come together as a community. In the wake of Covid, we are reminded that our need to take care of one another is a vital part of the human spirit. Mayhew has always understood this."

The duchess noted Mayhew's work in providing care and veterinary service to pets of at-risk and homeless people as well as programs in nursing homes and mental health centers. The charity also has been crucial during the pandemic.

"Mayhew’s temporary fostering programme, Pet Refuge, is more important than ever, with more people unable to afford to care for their animals until they can get back on their feet," she wrote. "And of course, the international neutering and vaccination programmes protect dogs while helping to empower struggling communities to build a more positive relationship with the animals that live among them."

In addition to her support of animals, Meghan has also spoken out about the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests that have swept across the country.

She mourned his death as she weighed in on the "absolutely devastating" events of the past week in a video speech to the graduating class of her high school alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles.

"I wasn't sure what I could say to you,'' she said in her speech. "I wanted to say the right thing, and I was really nervous that I wouldn't or that it would get picked apart, and I realized the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.

"Because George Floyd's life mattered, and Breonna Taylor's life mattered, and Philando Castile's life mattered, and Tamir Rice's life mattered, and so did so many other people whose names we know and do not know."