Ian Somerhalder auctioning date for charity

Actor IAN SOMERHALDER is auctioning off a lunch date as part of a new charity appeal for his animal sanctuary.

The Vampire Diaries hunk is raising funds to build a rescue centre for abused creatures as part of his Ian Somerhalder Foundation.

Now Somerhalder has offered to take one lucky fan to lunch in Atlanta, Georgia to pull in more cash for the project.

He says, "There are too many animals that are abused, mistreated, and abandoned. They've been ostracised, they have behavioural issues, and they're starving. It's just unbelievable what we've done to the animals, and I think that's why this is so important. I appreciate you and your generosity. I will try not to bore you to tears...

"If we can give animals a home, we can also take the youth of our country and our world - kids who have behavioral issues, bullying other kids, and halting the progression of those around them - and bring them together to learn compassion from one another. If you have compassion for an animal, then you'll ultimately have compassion for another human being."

The CharityBuzz.com auction, worth an estimated $2,500, will run until 18 June (12).