SPCA Stories

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!