Talk about a lesson learned.

Last Friday's Home Front item about Sacramento Realtor Donald Stitt finding so many abandoned pets these days in repossessed homes drew a barrage of reader criticism for not explaining what people should do when they find animals left behind.

The animal-related item attracted a landslide of phone calls and e-mail from readers. All revealed their affection for pets and concern about animal cruelty that's become an unfortunate side effect of 40,000 foreclosures in the capital region since 2007.

First off, Realtor Stitt says the rabbit, turtle and dog he talked about were rescued from their situations. He also noted that he'll be explaining rescue options soon to other real estate agents at the Sacramento Association of Realtors.

Secondly, Home Front received a ton of advice for people who find abandoned pets in abandoned homes. The message: no excuses, rescue them.

Lesley Kirrene, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, offered phone numbers tied to area animal control dispatchers:

• Unincorporated Sacramento County: (916) 368-7387 and (916) 875-5000 after hours and weekends.

• City of Sacramento: (916) 808-7387.

• City of Elk Grove: (916) 687-3023 or (916) 714-5115 after hours and weekends).

• City of Rancho Cordova: (916) 851-8852.

Elsewhere, Kirrene suggested that people check phone books for county government listings to find animal control. Online Google searches with the name of the county and the words "animal control" will also provide Web sites and phone numbers.

Last year, the Sacramento SPCA took in 1,000 more animals than in 2007 due to residents' moves, foreclosures and inability amid job losses to afford pet care, Kirrene said.

Nola Williams, a volunteer with Roseville's Leaps and Bounds Rabbit Rescue, also offered a phone number – (916) 782-8669 – for people who find pet rabbits left behind in abandoned bank repos.

So attach these numbers to a refrigerator magnet at home. And to all who showed so much concern for the helpless, apologies for not thinking ahead to add this practical information last week.

House not awarded

Cheryl Shitabata of Sacramento didn't win the free $1.9 million house in Placer County. But she is still one lucky McGeorge School of Law student.

Shitabata recently won $555,000 in a Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern California fund-raiser that tried to pull off the region's biggest-ever home giveaway. More than 300 others won prizes from $300 to $25,000. But not the house.

Charities' community relations director Stacy Hodge said the group didn't sell enough tickets to award the $1.9 million house as planned. Tickets were $150 in an economy rocked by layoffs, furloughs and uncertainty.

"It's kind of tough right now to raise money," she said.

Shitabata didn't have to decide whether to take the house and pay gift taxes – or take $1.5 million in cash. She isn't available for comment, either. She is out of state for a summer internship, said Hodge.

Weeks ago, Home Front highlighted this regional contest as a growing trend in big-time fundraising: the expensive dream home give-away. Ronald McDonald Charities was the first to try it in Sacramento. Too-few ticket sales, however, means the anonymous owners of the Placer County house still have the keys.

Next to watch is San Francisco's $2.4 million home raffle on July 25. That's to benefit the city's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In Sacramento, Hodge said Ronald McDonald Charities will raffle another "equally beautiful" home in January. Same idea, different house. Details in December.

Area agents on top 100 list

Five Sacramento-area real estate agents made a Top 100 sales list just compiled by the Wall Street Journal, Real Trends and lore Magazine. Agents were ranked by numbers of transactions in 2008. Altogether, 13 Californians made the list. Those listed regionally, and their national rankings:

• Tom Daves, Keller Williams Realty, Roseville; eighth with 509 transactions.

• Carlos Kozlowski, Coldwell Banker, Sacramento; 12th with 445 transactions.

• John Brophy, Keller Williams Realty, Roseville; 15th with 397 transactions.

• Glenn Adams, Coldwell Banker, Vacaville; 77th with 155 transactions.

• Sean Work, Keller Williams Realty, Roseville, 95th with 139 transactions.

One thing in common: lots of repo sales last year.

Call The Bee's Jim Wasserman, (916) 321-1102. Read his blog on real estate, Home Front, at www.sacbee.com/blogs.