Rachael Ray gives $4,000 to Old Fella

The Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue has $4,000 to put toward its cause, thanks to Rachael Ray's Mutt Madness competition.

The television chef and author launched the online contest as a way to help non-profit groups dedicated to animals in need - and Old Fella was among the 84 organizations tapped for the $50,000 grand prize, which will be decided Nov. 22 by online votes from the general public.

Voters pushed OFBCAR through the first four rounds into the final-eight, but Old Fella was knocked out Tuesday by Angel's Gate, a New York based companion animal hospice for terminally ill pets that has appeared on Oprah and the Martha Stewart Show.

OFBCAR president Bruce Storm said community support was overwhelming, and that the $4,000 in prize money to will go toward the continued medical rehabilitation of rescued animals. To date, Old Fella has rescued 603 dogs and cats, including 550 that have been adopted or transferred to sister shelters for adoption.

"Our friends and neighbors have been very generous in their support of efforts to make our community safe for the animals," Storm said. "We appreciate all of our members, volunteers, supporters and news media that rallied to our support in the contest."