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<p>KINGSTON TWP. &#8212; Frances Slocum State Park went to the dogs on Saturday as the 26th annual Walk for the Animals fundraiser was held.</p><p>Approximately 200 pet owners and their furry friends gathered to help the the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Luzerne County.</p><p>Organizers estimated the event raised about $10,000. It is the largest fundraiser the organization holds each year.</p><p>In addition, the walk focused on building awareness about the continuing animal overpopulation problem locally and promoted a new more welcoming SPCA, said Executive Director Todd Hevner.</p><p>&#8220;This is not your grandfather&#8217;s pound,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We work to make it more visitor friendly.&#8221;</p><p>People interested in adopting a homeless pet are now encouraged to stop by the SPCA offices in Plains Township and feel comfortable, Hevner said. </p><p>In the past the facility was more like a &#8220;last chance holding place,&#8221; which scared some people away, he said. Now the animals don&#8217;t have a &#8220;time stamp.&#8221; Some are there for more than a year, he added.</p><p>On Saturday, participants took their pets for a two-mile walk through the park. Attendees also purchased tickets for about 50 different donated raffle baskets, bought shirts, had portraits of their pets taken with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton RailRiders team mascot Champ, enjoyed face painting and made other donations.</p><p>Chelsea Feldmann, who volunteers at the shelter and worked the event, said she enjoys helping the &#8220;underdogs&#8221; at the SPCA. Seeing them find new homes is very fulfilling, she added.</p><p>Lisa Natt, SPCA board president, said the effort to build awareness about animal overpopulation is paying off. Twenty years ago, there were 15,000 animals euthanized annually and that number has now dropped to 5,000.</p><p>&#8220;Now about 40 percent of the animals we get are placed,&#8221; Natt said.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s important the community understands what responsible pet ownership is,&#8221; she added.</p><p>Noah Daily, an aspiring Eagle Scout, volunteered for the event, showcasing the recent improvements he and other scout volunteers made to SPCA facility. He helped build a new gazebo, storage shed, flower planters and other improvements.</p><p>&#8220;When I went there one day, it broke my heart,&#8221; Dailey said. &#8220;I saw they needed a better home.</p><p>Natt and the other heads of the SPCA thanked the volunteers, staff and donors for their help in planning the event and keeping the facility running.</p><p>&#8220;We survive totally on donations,&#8221; she said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Rocky, a Yorkshire Terrier, right, greets Baxter, a Shichon, and Bailey, a Golden Retriever, at the Luzerne County SPCA 26th annual Walk for the Animals at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township on Saturday morning.       Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100216Animals_3-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Rocky, a Yorkshire Terrier, right, greets Baxter, a Shichon, and Bailey, a Golden Retriever, at the Luzerne County SPCA 26th annual Walk for the Animals at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township on Saturday morning.       Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100216Animals_2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kristin Fino, of Dallas, left, and her rescue Maltese Broadway, and her mother Corrine Caperoni, of Exeter, watch other dogs as they wait to register for the Luzerne County SPCA 26th annual Walk for the Animals at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township on Saturday morning.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100216Animals_2-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kristin Fino, of Dallas, left, and her rescue Maltese Broadway, and her mother Corrine Caperoni, of Exeter, watch other dogs as they wait to register for the Luzerne County SPCA 26th annual Walk for the Animals at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township on Saturday morning.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100216Animals_1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sandy Sylvester, of West Pittston, and her dog Maynard, a Lhasa Apso breed, participate in the Luzerne County SPCA 26th annual Walk for the Animals at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township on Saturday morning.     Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100216Animals_1-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Sandy Sylvester, of West Pittston, and her dog Maynard, a Lhasa Apso breed, participate in the Luzerne County SPCA 26th annual Walk for the Animals at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township on Saturday morning.     Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ralph Nardone</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Animal walk raises funds for SPCA of Luzerne County