Dalmatians in the News:
Crisis in Orange County

On May 12, 1999 an urgent plea was emailed to Save the Dalmatians about 16 Dalmatians in the Orange County Animal
Shelter. With our foster homes full, we turned to the internet and the media for assistance in saving these Dalmatians. Joanne
Carson, former wife of entertainer Johnny Carson, offered to assist us with publicity for the Dalmatians.

We developed a press release and emailed it to all of the television stations in the Los Angeles/Southern California area on
Friday, May 14, 1999. CBS (Channel 2) responded very quickly and by Monday, May 17th, they had a camera crew and
reporter Dave Lopez out at the Orange County Shelter to film the story. CBS also sent a camera crew out to Joanne Carson to
film an interview with her. Radio station KFI's ("More Stimulating Talk Radio") Karel and Andrew also interviewed Joanne
Carson about the Orange County crisis as well as the large numbers of Dalmatians in other shelters. The local Orange county
station also broadcast the story as a part of their weekly pet adoption program and the story appeared on CNN Headline
News in Orange County. By Friday, May 21st, only six of the original sixteen in the Orange County Shelter were still waiting
for new families.

Unfortunately, on Tuesday, May 25th, we received word that many new Dalmatians have flooded into the Orange County
Shelter and there are now 12 Dalmatians there facing death unless someone adopts them. In addition, there are 8 Dalmatians at
the Downey shelter on Garfield and 8 Dalmatians at the West Valley Shelter. Our work to save the Dalmatians never ends. We
wish to express our gratitude to CBS, KFI and Newsline 3 for their assistance in spreading the message about Dalmatians in
shelters and for enabling so many Dalmatians to find new homes before their time was up. Many thanks also to volunteer Deborah Kac for creating the stills and quicktime movie for us.

Watch the interview (6 meg file)

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