Advice from Second Chance Founder & CEO Sheryl Blancato

Maybe you have your heart set on a Golden Retriever or a French Bulldog.  You’ve been visiting your local shelter and shelter websites with no luck.  In fact, there’s not as many pets to choose from as there were a few years ago and you wonder how you’ll ever find your new furry family member.

Animal transports are not a new thing, but with so few pets locally surrendered to shelters here in New England, the practice has greatly increased.  How do you know that the pet you are getting is not from a puppy mill?

As with everything, opportunity sometimes fosters a negative side.  Transporting pets from overcrowded shelters where they are at risk of euthanasia to shelters in areas where families are waiting to adopt is a wonderful thing.  It saves so many lives.  Local pets should always be the first priority, but when that number has declined to a point that a shelter or rescue has room to help pets from other states too, it is a good way to save more lives.

Prospective pet owners need to be careful though.  There are people out there posing as rescues when they are not. In animal welfare, there are lots of names for them like “puppy flippers.”  There are flags to watch out for and alert you to do further investigation.  If you live in Massachusetts and you find a pet online that you want to adopt, beware if they will only meet you in Connecticut or somewhere else over the border.  That tells you that they are not registered in the state of Massachusetts.  There is a mandatory 48-hour quarantine requirement for all pets entering Massachusetts from other states.  They may be trying to avoid that and once they leave the drop off site, you can be left on your own if the pet gets sick.  You can find legitimate, registered organizations listed on the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources website.

There is also a growing trend of people bringing puppies into the state without health certificates and claiming that they raised the puppies.  These pets may actually be from puppy mills.  You should always ask to see the parents of the puppies, or at the very least the mom.  If they refuse, beware.  If they have several different breeds available, that should also be a red flag warranting further investigation.  Reputable breeders usually only breed one or two breeds. They do it to further the bloodline of their beloved breed.  They care deeply about the offspring and will often require a contract before you can take one of their pups home.

We all need to be sure that when we are adopting a pet that we are helping that pet and not supporting a puppy mill.  We need to be sure that transporting is done safely for the pets and not putting them at risk.  There are best practices that all shelters and rescues follow when bringing pets in from out of state.  A truck on the side of the road, tightly packed floor to ceiling with crates and poor airflow who are handing out pets to those that have cash is not one of them.  Let’s all work together to ensure that all pets are safe and that we don’t unknowingly support the practice of puppy mill operations.

Dixie was just four months old when she was adopted from Second Chance.  Despite a positive meet and greet with her new 3-year-old sister Dakota, things got off to a rocky start. “There were several issues in the beginning with puppy curiousness and not knowing personal space.”  Their owners kept a close eye to make sure things didn’t get out of hand.

“I’m told it was the puppy finding her place in the family…In the beginning I was so close to bringing Dixie back because I didn’t think it was fair to her for us to be so focused or controlling of them playing…I loved her to pieces and didn’t want to. I made the appointment to return her but arriving there, getting ready to hand over her leash, that look she gave me…I just couldn’t.

Now 10 months later they are inseparable…Dixie follows her sister Dakota everywhere…They have fun playing & when Dakota has had enough she has this bed- we call it the ‘I’m done, time to take a break bed’ – she goes there, lays down & Dixie is right beside her, which is fine for both of them apparently. So we all ended up living happily ever after! I’m so glad I gave it more time…I couldn’t imagine her not being part of the family.”

“As the coordinator for Project Good Dog at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office I have seen many dogs in need come through our door, none more frightened and shut down than May. May was a seven month old Hound mix who Second Chance rescued from an unfortunate situation that left her with extreme anxiety caused by the trauma she experienced at such a young age. May was fearful of everyone and everything. Going outdoors, just three steps down the hall, was like running a marathon for her. When she finally did get outside she would do backflips on the leash trying to get back in. We couldn’t get her to eat, to come out of her crate, to interact at all.

I was so afraid we wouldn’t be able to help her, shedding tears over this poor puppy, not knowing what to do for her. Then one day I climbed in her crate with her to say goodnight – yeah I wasn’t giving up on this girl – and Miss May gave me kisses! I was so shocked and it was at that moment I knew she would be okay.

Gradually with plenty of patience, time and consistency May came out of her shell and grew to trust us. Every small accomplishment by May made all of us at Project Good Dog so happy as we knew how difficult it was for her and how far she’d come. When she barked for the first time we all erupted in cheers. When she began to play with the other dogs we looked on in silent awe of this strong, beautiful girl. In the eleven weeks May spent at Project Good Dog she learned not only her basic commands, but how to have fun, how to trust, how to love. She learned how to truly be a dog.

Fast forward five years and May is amazing, living in her forever home with me! I just couldn’t let her go when she completed the program, I knew she needed me. As it turned out I needed her just as much. Today May is silly, quirky, affectionate and playful. She loves to go outside in her yard and she is an absolute nut for food of all kinds! May makes me laugh every day, and with her strength and resilience she has taught me so much more than I could ever teach her. I truly have no idea where May would be without Second Chance and Project Good Dog.”

Second Chance’s Project Good Dog pairs behaviorally needy shelter dogs with inmates who provide them with 24/7 care and training. They work with the dogs on socialization, basic obedience, housebreaking, and sometimes a trick or two. Not only does it provide benefits to the dogs but it also has positive results for the handlers who learn patience, compassion, responsibility. Many of the inmates say that it also gives them a focus while they transition back into the community. The training the dogs receive while in the program helps them to be more adoptable and stay in their homes. We asked the handlers how they felt about the program and the responses were all positive.