Shelter animals get second chances at forever homes BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer ERIC SUCAR staff Jersey Shore Animal Center executive director Patricia Wallace (l) and Jamie Drohan gear up for the shelter's annual eight-hour telethon at the Comcast studios in Brick on Saturday. BRICK TOWNSHIP - The front of the Comcast building on Brick Boulevard was dark Saturday night. But appearances can be deceiving. The two side doors in the back swung open and closed continually, with a steady parade of dogs and cats. The nonprofit Jersey Shore Animal Center's annual telethon, the biggest fundraiser of the year, was in full swing. Inside, shelter community relations director Susan Richmond held bunny Surfer Girl snugly in her arms, as the two waited their turn to spotlight the orphan rabbit and find her a home. Surfer Girl peered placidly over Richmond's shoulder and twitched her pink nose at visitors. T he telethon helps potential adopters see the benefits of adopting a shelter pet, Richmond said. "It's very important, so people can see what pets they can get from the shelter," she said. "Some people think they are damaged goods. They make wonderful pets." PATRICIA A. MILLER One-year-old Fred, a silky terrier, and volunteer Linda Samuel wait their turn at the annual telethon. Many visitors who came to the broadcast Saturday were shelter "alumni." Brick residents Pam and Vic Basinski showed up with their dogs, Midnight, a 4-year-old black Labrador retriever mix, and Shaggy, 2, a Jack Russell terrier mix. They adopted both dogs from the shelter. They sat on a couch in the studio and chatted with shelter director Patricia Wallace, who remembered Shaggy as a lively dog during his time at the shelter. "You don't know the half of it," Vic Basinski said with a laugh after their stint was finished. "I've only had one pedigree dog in my life," he said. "All the mixedbreed dogs really want is love, and they give so much back in return. There's nothing better when you come through the door and you get mobbed. There's a reason they say they are man's best friend." Brick Patrolmen Jeffrey Lempicki and Jeffrey Fornarotto dropped by with their K-9 counterparts, German shepherds Kaden and Dakota, as part of an educational segment. "He belongs to the department, but he lives with me," Lempicki said during the telecast. "He's considered a police officer. If somebody hurts him, they get charged with assault." Kaden and made himself comfortable. His police badge shimmered under the bright studio lights. Dakota was restless and whined several times. "They are part of our family," Fornarotto said. "I spend more time with him than I do with my wife." "As soon as he sees me putting on my uniform, he gets excited," Lembicki said. "He knows we are going to work." Shelter volunteer Linda Samuel sat on the floor in the hallway outside with Fred, a frisky young silky terrier who needs a home. "The owners had no time for him," Fred's yellow information card read. "He's a very active boy." The telethon is the shelter's biggest event of the year. Richmond and Wallace started putting it together three months ago. They called all the shelter alumni and commandeered as many volunteers as possible. The show had 12 segments per our over eight hours, with 100 guests and 30 volunteers, Richmond said. "It's a lot," she said Sunday. "I had a lot of help. It's a group effort. It's something one or two people couldn't do. We love it. We look forward to it every year. It's a great day." The telethon was broadcast live to towns in northern Ocean and southern Monmouth counties, said Shannon Aungst, who directed the event for Comcast. "We hope to hit southern Ocean County next year," she said. Comcast began filming taped pieces for the telethon several months ago, to run during the breaks between the live broadcasts, Aungst said. "There's a lot of prep work involved," Aungst said. "It's for a good cause. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it in the end." "She was a huge help to us," Richmond said. "She did all the pretaped segments. They make the whole thing run." The telethon raised $36,325, short of the $50,000 goal. Anyone who wants to make a pledge can still Richmond at (732) 920-1600, ext. 208, or mail pledges to Jersey Shore Animal Center, 185 Brick Boulevard, Brick, NJ 08723.