The eighth annual telethon will run from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. and offer information about pets available for adoption from the Monterey County shelter. The telecast will also include stories about animal rescues and information about veterinary care, training and SPCA programs, organizers said.
The SPCA at 1002 Highway 68 in Salinas will remain open and offer adoptions during the telethon, which will air on KION-TV 46 for county residents and stream online at www.SPCAmc.org for those outside of Monterey County.
Donations will be accepted during the telethon, and credit card donations of $100 or more will qualify for prizes each hour donated by local businesses, according to the SPCA.
The Pet Telethons have raised a total of $766,185 from the last seven telethons, with 558 pets adopted as a direct result of the annual broadcasts, spokeswoman Beth Brookhouser said.
"It is an exciting event for us," Brookhouser said.
This will be the second year the event will be streamed live online, and organizers are hoping for the same success as last year, when donations came in from Southern California and outside the state.
"With the economy the way it is right now, the demand for our services is definitely going up," Brookhouser said of services for surrendered, neglected and abused pets. "We really need this right now to help get through these tough times and keep helping people and animals."
All donations made during the Pet Telethon will fund operations for the SPCA for Monterey County, an independent nonprofit not connected with any other SPCA chapter that shelters pets and livestock and provides training and other services.
Additional information about the telethon is available online at www.spcamc.org or by calling Marie Lefebvre at (831) 373-2631 or (831) 422-4721, ext. 203.
