Kent County SPCA holds Rehoboth fundraiser

It may have taken place during what seemed like the dog days of summer, but the Kent County SPCA's annual fundraiser in Rehoboth Beach June 18 was anything but a dog-day afternoon.

The event was held at Meredith Townsend Marshall's beach house and drew a sold-out crowd of more than 170 residents and animal supporters from across the state and region.  President Alex Moore said the event raised an estimated $25,000 for the SPCA's general fund.

"We will use this money for spay and neuter; we will use it for food for the animals. We have programs where if somebody can't afford to buy food for their dogs, they can come to us, and we will help them out with food. And we will help them out with medicine as well," Moore said.

Catering was sponsored by Jack Lingo Realtor and Porter Auto and was provided by Sugarfoot Catering, based in Wilmington.

Sugarfoot owner Ann Day had a local tie, being the daughter of Marshall, the hostess.

Marshall said she's always been a supporter of animal organizations, including the SPCA both in Delaware and in Florida, where she spends much of her time with her two Jack Russell terriers. She gave credit for the turnout to Ricky Pryor, who organized the event for the Kent County SPCA.

Moore said Marshall's classic beach home off East Lake Drive in Rehoboth was a big draw.

"The last time she had a party here was 15 years ago. We were very fortunate to be able to come here, and it was a big drawing factor. A lot of people were interested in coming to see the house," he said.

The Kent County SPCA sheltered more than 15,000 dogs and cats in 2010. It is the only open-access shelter in Delaware and performs animal control all over the state. This is the SPCA's second annual summer fundraiser, although the shelter does have other fundraisers throughout the year.

Moore said of the turnout, "Everybody loves the animals, and they know we have a great need."

He said the next big project for the shelter is putting together a fund for spaying and neutering cats.

"That's one of the things this fall we really want to start working on," Moore said.

For more information on the Kent County SPCA, visit www.kcspca.org.