More than 4 million people watched 1st dog telethon

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Producers say more than 4,400 people filed adoption papers for homeless dogs during what was billed as the first all-star dog adoption telethon.

Director Michael Levitt says it would be huge if only half of the applications result in adoptions. Levitt also says he thinks anyone who watched the show would strongly consider a rescue next time they get a dog.

Seventy dogs from rescues across the country were featured on the two-hour Thanksgiving night telecast — a show the producer hopes becomes a fixture in the future.

More than 4 million people tuned in to the show, which was co-hosted by actresses Hilary Swank and Jane Lynch, and aired on donated time from the Fox Network.