SPCA Stories

Spring has sprung—and here at SPCA Monterey County, that means one thing: puppy and kitten season is here! Every year, as more young animals come into our care, the need for foster families grows in a big way. In honor of this busy and lifesaving time, we’re re-sharing a special episode all about our foster program. You’ll hear from Abigail Shaw, our Lead Foster and Transfer Coordinator, and Destinee Lopez, Foster and Transfer Coordinator, as they share what fostering really looks like—and the incredible difference it makes for animals who need a little extra care before finding their forever homes.

In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations—highlighting the heart, dedication, and impact of our incredible volunteers. Today, we’re re-sharing our episode featuring Chris Patton, a volunteer with our Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Chris is one of the many compassionate individuals who give their time and energy to care for wild animals in need, helping them heal and return to the wild where they belong. As you listen, we hope you’ll be inspired by Chris’s story—and by the powerful difference volunteers make every single day. For more information on volunteering for SPCA Monterey County and to support our lifesaving programs please visit www.spcamc.org!

This week, we’re celebrating something truly special—National Volunteer Week—and the incredible people who give their time, their hearts, and their compassion to the animals in our care. Volunteers are the quiet heroes behind so many of our success stories. They show up day after day to walk dogs, comfort shy cats, work with barn animals and wildlife, assist behind the scenes, and help create brighter futures for animals who need it most. To learn more about becoming an SPCA Monterey County Volunteer or to support all of our programs and services visit www.spcamc.org!

This week’s episode of SPCA Stories is a little different. We’re trying out a new storytelling format—bringing you closer to the moment, the emotion, and the journey of one very special dog. Instead of our usual interview, this episode unfolds more like a story—one that lets you experience each step along the way, from rescue to recovery to a happy ending. This is a story about compassion, resilience, and how one act of kindness can ripple into a forever home and a happy ending. This… is Enoch’s story. For more information and support all of SPCA Monterey County's programs and services please visit www.spcamc.org Background music: "Lamentation" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Touching Moments Three - Deeper" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Pepper's Theme" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  

When disaster strikes, people often have just minutes to make life-changing decisions—what to grab, where to go, and how to keep their families safe. For many of us, our animals are family. But what happens when pets, livestock, and wildlife are caught in the middle of an emergency? Here in Monterey County, there’s a team trained and ready to help. From evacuations and large animal rescues to sheltering and reunification, the SPCA Monterey County Disaster Response Team works alongside emergency responders to protect animals when they need it most.  Joining us is Rosanna Isely, our Vice President of Operations, who leads these lifesaving efforts and ensures our teams are always ready to respond. For more information and to support SPCA Monterey County's programs and services visit https://www.spcamc.org/  

Meet Kennedy Rivera, one of our amazing Community Educators here at SPCA Monterey County!  Kennedy is fun, smart, and incredibly creative, and she brings so much heart to the work she does with animals and the people who love them. She’s passionate about helping our community learn how to care for animals and build compassionate connections with them. Kennedy also runs one of our most popular programs —SPCA Summer Animal Camp! With registrations now officially open, she’s here to talk about what makes camp so special, what kids can expect, and why it’s such a fun and meaningful experience for young animal lovers.

Meet Lisa Borne, SPCA Monterey County Controller!  Brilliant with numbers and strategic to her core, Lisa keeps our financial world running smoothly.  Lisa is fun to talk to, and she brings a genuine passion for animals to everything she does for us at the SPCA and beyond.

Meet Ciera Duits-Cavanaugh, SPCA Wildlife Center Manager.  Ciera leads the day-to-day operations of our Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, where compassion, expertise, and dedication come together every single day. Under her care and leadership, our team rescues and treats more than 2,500 wild animals each year, giving them the opportunity to heal and return to the wild where they belong.   For more information on all of our programs visit www.SPCAmc.org!

Meet Les Lamcke, SPCA Facilities Manager!  Every door, kennel, and system reflects Les’ dedication to SPCA Monterey County - he knows our facilities inside and out.  His dedication and passion helps the animals in our care to thrive.  For more information about SPCA Monterey County visit www.spcamc.org!

Meet SPCA Dr. Jen Wernsing, one of SPCA Monterey County's exceptional veterinary staff members!  For more information on SPCA Monterey County, visit www.spcamc.org.   Season 1 of SPCA Stories is coming to a close with this episode. We will take a bit of a hiatus, with Season 2 commencing in January!  We will continue with the interview-style format  - we still have many wonderful SPCA folks to introduce to you!  We will also be exploring an additional format that we think you all will enjoy, and this format will feature heartwarming stories of animals rescued by your SPCA Monterey County.  Thank you so much for your support!  

Meet Sherrie McCullough, esteemed Chair of the SPCA Monterey County Board of Directors.  For more information about SPCA Monterey County visit SPCAmc.org.

Meet Zack Young!  Zack is an IT technician for Livewire Information Systems - the amazing company that takes care of all of the SPCA’s important tech needs.  Zack is a great guy who loves animals and truly appreciates the work that is accomplished at SPCA Monterey County.  For more information about SPCA Monterey County visit spcamc.org; for more info on Livewire Information Systems visit livewireis.com!  

Meet Crystal Botello!  Crystal is one of our incredible Customer Care Specialists.  These vital team members welcome the public to both our adoption center and our intake shelter, holding a wide variety of responsibilities - all performed with the utmost compassion.  For more information about SPCA Monterey County please visit www.SPCAmc.org.

Meet Jamie Doglione!   Jamie is in charge of SPCA Monterey County's highly regarded Ruff Start program.  Ruff Start provides a second chance for shelter dogs that need extra training, socialization or care before being placed for adoption - pairing these shelter dogs with inmate trainers at Salinas Valley State Prison.  Learn more at www.spcamc.org!  

Meet Christy Jacoby!  Christy oversees the day to day operations of the SPCA Benefit Shop, located in Carmel, CA. The SPCA Benefit Shop is an amazing second hand boutique, and all proceeds go to help the animals at the SPCA.   For more information visit www.spcamc.org

Meet Rosanna Isely, Vice President of Operations for SPCA Monterey County. Rosanna oversees our Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, the SPCA Barn, Humane Investigations, the SPCA Behavior Department and the Facilities Department.  Rosanna is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, she is passionate about her work and about the animals.  For information on our programs and services and to support our important work please visit SPCAmc.org. 

Meet Susan Imwalle, Vice President & CFO for SPCA Monterey County! Susan leads and administers SPCAMC’s financial departments, helping programs develop and deliver on our mission.  Susan has a great sense of humor and cares deeply about the SPCA.  Enjoy! For more information on SPCA Monterey County Programs please visit www.spcamc.org

Meet Chris Patton, one of our incredibly hard-working, compassionate volunteers.  She currently volunteers in our Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Center where she helps staff work with injured and orphaned wildlife. Chris also handles DD, our Education Red-Tailed Hawk.  Chris and DD visit schools, libraries, and other events to teach our community about the incredible native wildlife in Monterey County and all the resources the SPCA Wildlife Center provides.   For more information visit www.spcamc.org!

Summer Animal Camp registration is in full swing, so we thought it would be fun to hear from a special guest who has attended our amazing summer camp in the not-so-distant past!  For more information on our camps and all of our educational programs visit www.spcamc.org!

Meet Tiana McNair, one of our incredibly hard-working, compassionate Animal Care Specialists!  Tiana and her team tend to the needs of the animals in our care - everything from feeding and cleaning kennels to administering vaccinations and providing extra love - for all pets available for adoption and behind the scenes awaiting their turn.  Tiana is warm, kind, funny, and magnetic - and she clearly cares about the animals at SPCA very deeply.  She is quick to laugh, and has a lovely outlook on the world.   For more information about SPCA Monterey County visit www.spcamc.org!

Meet Fernando, Community Outreach Coordinator at SPCA Monterey County!  Fernando is responsible for creating content, tracking stats and trends for all Social Media, building digital communication, and a host of other duties.  He's a great guy! To learn more about SPCA Monterey County go to spcamc.org.  

Meet Jamie Lima, SPCA Monterey County Barn Manager.  Jamie is responsible for all of the day to day goings on in our barn, managing and coordinating the staff and volunteers who care for all rescued barn animals great and small.  (A quick programming note - this episode was recorded in the barn, so there is a bit of an echo at times, wonderful barn animal sounds.....all the ambiance!) Learn more about SPCA Monterey County (including how to support the work) at SPCAmc.org.

Meet Ashley Fessenden, Clinic Practice Manager for SPCA Monterey County.  She plays a vital role - managing and coordinating staff and the day to day operations of our Spay/Neuter Clinic as well as working with shelter staff in facilitating medical needs within our animal shelter population.

Meet Abigail Shaw, Lead Foster & Transfer Coordinator, and Destinee Lopez, Foster & Transfer Coordinator. Abby and Destinee are the coordinators of SPCA Monterey County's Foster Friends program. They manage and work with wonderful foster volunteers who prepare underage or injured pets for their permanent and loving homes. Fostering provides an invaluable service for the animals in our care who are not yet ready for adoption. For more information visit spcamc.org/foster

SPCA Summer Animal Camp registration opens up on March 1st, so we thought it would be fun (and totally adorable) to go back in time to an interview with a young camper about his experience.  The year is 2015...   For more information on our Summer Animal Camps visit www.spcamc.org/camp To support SPCA Monterey County for "A Day of Giving" go to www.spcamc.org/give-love

Meet Angelica Prado, Community Educator at SPCA Monterey County. Angelica manages and implements all of our education programs both on our campus and in schools and other educational venues.  She nurtures empathy and compassion through all children's love for animals.  For more information on SPCA Monterey County go to www.spcamc.org!

Meet Ben Shaw, Shelter Manager for SPCA Monterey County.  Ben manages the day-to-day ins-and-outs of the SPCA's shelter and the shelter staff, both out front and behind the scenes.  Thank you so much for tuning in! If you'd like to support SPCA Monterey County's work go to SPCAmc.org for details.  Thank you in advance for helping animals!

Meet Beth Brookhouser, VP of Marketing & Communications for SPCA Monterey County.  Learn how she works to highlight and communicate the ways SPCA staff and volunteers work together to make the world a better place for pets, wildlife, and people.   For more information on SPCA Monterey County and how you can support the work go to www.spcamc.org.  Thank you for listening!  

Meet Andrea Satterfield, SPCA Monterey County Event & Development Engagement Manager.  For more information on SPCA Monterey County, and to support all animals in need in Monterey County go to www.spcamc.org.  We can't do any of this without you!  Thank you for listening!  

Meet Officer Jacob Duarte, SPCA Monterey County Humane Investigations Manager.  SPCA Monterey County investigates all reports of potential animal cruelty and neglect, and Officer Duarte touches on this and more.  

Beth Brookhouser, SPCA Monterey County’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications provides a brief update on LA wildfire assistance efforts.  To learn more about how to help go to www.spcamc.org.

Dawn Fenton interviews SPCA Monterey County President & CEO Scott Delucchi.  

New Podcast Alert!  SPCA Monterey County Content and Education Manager Dawn Fenton chats with members of the SPCA Monterey County team about who they are, what they do, why they do it, and the hopes for the future in Monterey County’s world of animal welfare and protection.  Original music by Scott Fenton; Original artwork by Aracelli Hernandez to come.  First episode launching January 9, 2025!   YzqXqzkCjCCutB9ZKyp5