News Archives - Page 2 of 7 - Second Chance Animals

70,000th Spay/Neuter

Second Chance is proud to announce that last month we performed our 70,000th low-cost spay and neuter surgery. This milestone is a significant achievement in our mission to reduce pet overpopulation and improve the welfare of animals in the community.

Spaying and neutering pets not only helps to control the population of stray and unwanted animals, but it also has numerous health benefits for the pets themselves. These procedures can prevent certain cancers and other serious health issues and can also improve pets’ behavior by reducing aggression and roaming.

Second Chance is dedicated to making these life-saving procedures accessible to all pet owners, regardless of their financial situation. We began our low-cost spay and neuter program in 2005 at the East Brookfield shelter to help stem pet homelessness in the surrounding community. Today, hundreds of pets come to our Community Veterinary hospitals each month for spay and neuter services in state-of-the-art surgical suites made possible by grants and generous donors.

We are so proud of the impact that we have made through these 70,000 surgeries. There is more work to be done. Our goal is to continue expanding our efforts to help as many pets as possible.

Second Chance encourages all pet owners to spay and neuter their pets to help address the issue of pet overpopulation and improve their pet’s health. Many of the emergency surgeries we see are female pets suffering from pyometra, a potentially deadly infection of the uterus. Routine spays and neuters can help protect pets from many life-threatening conditions including pyometra and testicular cancer.

To take advantage of this program for your pet, please fill out a S.P.O.T application.

Record-Breaking 44,017 Pets Helped in 2022!

Second Chance Animal Services helped a record-breaking 44,017 pets to live better lives in 2022. We credit our caring and compassionate staff, volunteers, and supporters, but also the great need for help from area pets for the astounding results and know that there is still much work to be done.

Second Chance CEO and founder Sheryl Blancato is deeply grateful to everyone who made this possible. “I am probably biased, but I think we have the most amazing team of employees and volunteers anywhere. Our supporters truly care about animals. Many people don’t know this, but I personally open nearly all envelopes that arrive at Second Chance, and I’m heartened to read the beautiful notes that accompany some donations. We couldn’t do all that we do without the support of these three groups.”

Unfortunately, there’s no time to rest. Given the current economic climate, we know the need will only grow this year. Many are facing what can be called economic euthanasia. When people’s finances are limited and an emergency arises, they may not be able to afford a necessary surgery to stop the suffering. Second Chance has amazing surgeons at our hospitals that can perform these surgeries and we offer subsidized rates for those that qualify so that everyone can have access to the care they need.

Second Chance aims to always be ready to help. We aren’t just committed to keeping pets in their homes whenever possible. We are also an emergency partner for several agencies. Last year we helped with natural disasters and pets rescued from medical breeding facilities and the meat trade. We must keep fighting for pets in need.

For anyone wishing to help, donations can be made online at www.secondchanceanimals.org/help or by mail to Second Chance, PO Box 136, East Brookfield, MA 01515.

National Pet Dental Health Month is Coming!

Did you know that by their second birthday, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some form of periodontal disease? If you notice your pet’s breath is not so fresh, this may be the first sign.

That’s why every February, Second Chance offers discounts on our dental services. If you schedule a dental cleaning for your pet during the month of February, you’ll receive a 10% discount off the dental procedure. Spots fill up fast, so make an appointment today and get your furry friend’s teeth cleaned!

Give us a Call to Schedule Your Pet’s Appointment:

North Brookfield: (508) 637-1333

Southbridge: (774) 318-1101

Springfield: (413) 739-2343

Worcester: (774) 243-1234

Make a Resolution to Help Pets

It’s that time of year again when we choose to participate in activities to better ourselves or to do something to help others. Why not make your resolution to help the animals this coming year! Here are some great ways you can help pets:

ADOPT A SHELTER PET – You can give a pet a great life by welcoming them into your life. Visit our website to see available pets.

VOLUNTEER or FOSTER – Second Chance is always welcoming volunteers and fosters to help care for pets. To learn more, visit our volunteer page.

DONATE – Donating money or supplies can help more than you know! You can view our wishlist online or make a donation now.

BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR – You can help pets all year long when you become a monthly donor.

Already a monthly donor? Thank you! We are so grateful to all our Pet Pal Champions. Your support saves lives all year long.

Walks with Socks

She lead the way across the open field heading back to the parking lot when I saw a man waving at me. He asked if he could say hi to my dog and we approached a couple on a morning walk. “We just said good-bye to our dog of 15 years” he told me with that crack in his voice that I know all too well. “I could see her looking at us and I just needed to say hi.”

“She’s not my dog. She lives at Second Chance Animal shelter,” I told the older couple that wanted to introduce themselves to my little black companion. “They call her Socks, I call her Nelly or Nell.” She approached the man and rose on her hind legs and gave him a hug. He smiled and laughed and hugged her back. I told her down, she sat down in front of him. I made a click sound with my mouth and she turned and came to me. I gave her the hand cue to sit. She sat. I gave her the hand cue to lay down. She did. I told her to come up, she came up and got a treat. “She has me trained well.” I smiled at them.

“She is such a good girl,” they said. “She’s so smart,” they noticed. She sat beside me as we spoke and then she approached the woman and startled her as she jumped up to give her a hug too. She laughed and petted her and hugged her back. “She is so sweet.”

“She’s a hugger,” I said, grinning.

I told them I take her out a couple times a week. We discussed her life at the shelter and the training and conditioning we have been doing together. They told me I was a good person for doing what I was doing. What they did not know is that this girl has done as much for me as I have done for her. Nell came into my life and into the shelter at a time when I needed her and I knew that she was going to need me. And so, she became “my girl” from that day until the day she goes to her new home.

So, because of the amazing program at Second Chance called ‘Dogs Day Out’ this girl and I have spent so much time together these past few months. We have hiked a lot of miles in the summer heat, playing in the autumn leaves and walking briskly through the winter snow and wind. I took a week off from work at the beginning of the fall and spent it with her and we hiked almost 50 miles in 6 days at about 10 different locations. She is truly a great companion. She is a great friend. She is a great dog.

I’ve been volunteering at SCAS for years now and every pup I have met is amazing in their own way. Some I only meet once and never see them again and some stay longer so I get to know them better. I get dogs, I just get them. And now and again I meet one that just gets me. And this girl gets me. You see, eventually I plan to work with dogs/animals full time; so behavior and training are things I am constantly studying and reading about. I’m always trying to develop my conditioning methods and skills so, finding a girl like Nell that is so intelligent and emotionally complex was like finding a real hidden gem. A true diamond in the ruff!

I started this blog with the story about the couple mourning the passing of their beloved dog and wanting to say hi to Socks/Nell for a reason. I tell that story because it is not the only time it happened. There have been several times where someone asked if they could say hi to her. Because she was looking at them like she wanted to say hi. And she walked over and hugged them, and they smile and laugh and embrace her and tear up and with that crack in their voice that tells me that they just lost their dog. Coincidence? Maybe. Or does she just have a sense? I don’t know but it has happened enough that it makes me wonder.

If I had the home and the yard that she needs and deserves she would be my girl forever. There is no question about that. But I have made a promise to her. I promised her that with all my heart, the staff and I would find her the perfect people to take her home for good and give her the Second Chance that she deserves.

If my girl sound like the friend you are looking for come by and say hi and maybe we can all go for a hike. Or maybe just stop in for a free hug.

Mike -long time SCAS volunteer

12 Days of Second Chances

It’s been an amazing year of saving lives thanks to your support. We are counting down the 12 Days of Second Chances by looking back at some of the amazing pets that together we’ve helped over the past year.

Lily was one of six dogs rescued from the South Korean dog meat trade that made their way to Second Chance in January to begin a new life. The other dogs had recently arrived in the United States as part of the Humane Society International’s campaign to end the dog meat trade. They were being cared for by one of our partners, the Humane Society of the United States. Lily had been at their temporary shelter for longer.

She appeared to have been a breeding dog for the meat trade. Though very anxious, Lily had helped to comfort new arrivals before it was her time to begin her new life. She was nervous but was slowly beginning to come out of her shell.

At Second Chance, Lily learned to be a dog. It took some time for her to adjust and to maintain a healthy weight. A family who hoped to adopt Lily began to come and hang out with her several times a week for a couple of months. Eventually they were able to walk her and give her treats. They brought extended family to meet her so people would be more familiar once she went home. When the big day came for Lily to go to their home, Second Chance staff drove her because she was comfortable in her crate in the van. She was nervous, but when she saw her familiar person, you could see her relax. “Oh right, I know you. Let’s go.” She has done so well and was officially adopted in July.

Ten-year-old Chiquita went to work with her owner every day to greet customers. One day her owner noticed that she wasn’t quite herself and was quite lethargic. An x-ray revealed a linear blockage. She needed emergency surgery, but the cost was too much for her owner’s budget.

Her owner searched everywhere for help and had almost given up hope when she learned about Second Chance. Chiquita and her owner made the four-hour trip from New Jersey and our vets removed most of her small intestines to save her life. Without help, she would not have survived another day.

Chiquita made a full recovery and is back at work. This is why Second Chance pioneered access to care in Massachusetts – so every pet can get the help they need.

Finian was living in extremely harsh conditions when he was seized by local law enforcement and signed over to Second Chance in March. He was severely dehydrated, anemic, and emaciated – weighing only 25 pounds when a dog his size should be 45 pounds.

He had been eating anything he could find, just to survive. We had to focus on getting his weight up slowly, so we didn’t make him sicker after not eating a good diet for so long. Once he was no longer anemic and his weight had come up, he could begin treatment for heartworm as well. He was also suffering from Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. He was in our care for some time to treat all his medical needs and found a wonderful foster who officially adopted him just last month.

“He is the most loving boy! I think he is happy to have a full belly, a roof over his head, soft places to sleep, someone to play with (almost all day!) and belly rubs. He seems to just appreciate a good life. I look at him and ask myself how can he be so loving after what he went through?! Now that Finian is an official member of our family, and his heartworm testing was negative, he will be running around his fenced in yard and going for long walks. We are so happy that he found us!”

In April we took in 22 cats from a home in our community. There were lots of babies and two moms named Duchess and Roo. Four groups were welcomed by our amazing fosters until they were old enough to be weaned and spayed or neutered. When they were ready for adoption, they all found wonderful homes.

Our North Brookfield hospital helped bring these two beautiful babies into the world in May while performing an emergency c-section. The owner was very grateful. Mom and babies were doing wonderfully when they came back for a recheck.

11-week-old Baby Yoda arrived at Second Chance on transport from a crowded Missouri shelter with a congenital defect. He was born without a radius in one leg. His leg was abnormally shaped and shortened. He could not bend it or place weight on it and when he tried to use the leg, it caused him to contort his body which put him at risk of arthritis and injury to his body.

Baby Yoda needed surgery to amputate his leg. The surgery was a success and in no time, he was hopping around like a champ, ready for his ‘second chance.’ That chance came when a family saw him on our website and rushed to meet him. It turns out their eight-year-old son had something in common with Baby Yoda. Their son had an above the knee amputation after he was born with a congenital defect of his leg. They knew Baby Yoda would make a perfect addition to their family.

Candy was a 3-month-old kitten who was very sick from what turned out to be aspiration pneumonia. She was so cold, lethargic, and stayed laying on her side most of the day. Our North Brookfield hospital team warmed her up, started her on antibiotics and gave her lots of TLC. A Second Chance vet took her home fearing she was not going to make it.

“I didn’t want her to be alone or suffering. That night she laid on the couch with me for 4 hours, not moving at all. She slept in a makeshift area next to my bed so I could check on her breathing every 30-45 minutes throughout the night. I woke up at 4am to a little mew and her little paws on the side of my bed. Her harsh breathing had subsided, and she was purring when I held her.”

Within 24 hours, she was back to being a crazy kitten. She made a full recovery and is enjoying life with her new family here in New England.

In August Second Chance traveled south to help one of our partners, the Humane Society of the United States, with the effort to rescue 4,000 beagles from a medical breeding facility. Inspectors found some of the dogs living in unsanitary conditions with insufficient food and inadequate veterinary care.

We brought back 20 beagles who had spent their entire lives in the facility, known only by a tattoo on their ear. It was precious to watch them wander and explore in the dog yard, their paws touching grass for the very first time. Your support helped them begin new lives with names and families who love them by providing the veterinary care to prepare them for adoption.

The pandemic disrupted so much, including visits to the vet. Second Chance resumed in-hospital vaccine clinics early in the pandemic and prioritized resuming community vaccine clinics as soon as cities and towns would allow as the risks grew. In the midst of this year’s full schedule of local vaccine clinics, news broke of several parvo cases confirmed in one Springfield neighborhood. We responded immediately with an emergency clinic to examine and vaccinate dogs at risk on-site. Free vaccine clinics were set up in multiple Springfield locations to eradicate the threat. We also hosted a free vaccine clinic in Fitchburg this fall to help mitigate the risk of an outbreak in that community.

Your support brings critical veterinary services to protect pets in the community.

Houston is a young pup who came to Second Chance suffering from a very serious condition – heartworm disease. This condition could lead to serious lung disease, heart failure or death if not treated in time.

Heartworm treatment isn’t easy on a dog – it includes a series of injections that can be very painful. Houston needed to be closely monitored in our hospital after each injection to ensure there weren’t any complications or reactions. His treatment took place over the course of several months.

Thanks to your support, Houston was able to complete his treatments in October. His foster will bring him back in 6 months to confirm the treatment was successful so that he can be officially adopted. Houston is just one of the many pets who came to Second Chance this year with great medical needs. With your support, pets like Houston get the treatment they need so they can get a true ‘second chance.’

Blue was just a young husky pup when he was surrendered to Second Chance by a local animal control officer. He was clearly uncomfortable and pawing at his red eyes. Upon closer examination, our vets found he had limited to no vision, possibly from birth. He needed to start daily eye medication right away and needed an experienced foster so he could begin treatment. Thankfully Second Chance works with many rescue groups. A contact that had worked with a husky rescue for years was able to temporarily foster this pup and helped find a long-term foster while Blue’s medical needs were addressed.

Blue found a true champion when he met his foster. She had adopted rescue huskies for many years, most had been abused or neglected. She’d never had a blind dog before, but she was determined to help Blue and did some quick research.

She ordered blind toys like meat scented fetching balls & squeaky toys and also ordered a scent kit to put certain scents with certain things. The food and water bowls got one scent, dangerous areas like stairs got another scent.

“Mostly, it was just spending time with him and teaching him that when I say, ‘wait,’ he needs to stop until I say something else. I.E.- I say, ‘wait’ at the top of the stairs, and then I say, “step” for each stair he needs to walk down. In all honesty, he figured out my house and yard very quickly based upon his own trial & error. The eye doctor said he’s very adaptable because he’s been blind for most of his life. I really thought he’d require much more work.”

“He’s smart and sweet. The real secret for Blue was the same as every husky, daily exercise. Our beach walk keeps him very satisfied for the rest of the day. My husband passed from cancer in March and my two 13-year-old huskies passed within the last year, so frankly Blue has done more for me than I for him.”

We are happy to report that this foster has fallen for Blue and last month he was officially ADOPTED!

Babies can get themselves into all sorts of trouble and Prancer and Asher are no exception. These two pets were transferred to Second Chance from other facilities days apart after fracturing their legs.

At five weeks old, a young kitten named Prancer fell through a grate onto a cement pad one story below. He fractured his femur. A caring person brought the young kitten to Second Chance so he could get the care he greatly needed. It was a clean break and one of our vets surgically pinned the limb to aid in healing. One of our doting vet techs is fostering him while he recovers. If all goes well, he should be fully healed in 4-6 week so he can get ready to be adopted.

Days later, a five-month-old puppy named Asher was also transferred from another facility for surgery to repair a badly fractured leg. Staff kept him comfortable with pain medication overnight and he underwent surgery the next day to repair his leg. He is doing great at his foster home. He seems comfortable, happy, and wants to be a puppy! Now the challenge is to keep Asher calm and limit his activity

We are so grateful for the support that made these Second Chances possible. If you would like to give the gift of hope to a pet in need in the coming year, please consider a donation in their honor:

This holiday, give the gift that changes lives.

Your gift will help keep pets in their homes whenever possible, and when they can’t, it will help pets get a second chance with a new home.

DONATE NOW

A Second Chance for Chloe

Recently we had the privilege to care for Chloe. She had developed a mass on her neck and her family was determined to get Chloe the help she needed to live her best life.

I can’t thank you enough for taking such wonderful care of our baby Chloe. As you know she is 13 1/2 years old, a Shih Tzu and full of life. When a cancerous tumor was detected in her thyroid gland and when other doctors said ” just let her live her life out because of her age and because she has a heart murmur” and another would charge double the amount for the surgery, you said it is a very risky surgery being close to major arteries but I can do this.

Even though you made me aware that there were no guarantees and it was a very complicated surgery, I saw that Chloe was very much at peace with you and your staff, instead of being her nervous self when going to the doctors. My husband and I had to give her a chance to live a longer life and have the surgery. The surgery was a success and we want to Thank you all again so much. She is happy and full of life. If she only lives a short time or another 4 years we are so grateful you said yes to helping her.

We are all so very happy that we could give her a “Second Chance”.

For the Animal Lover who has Everything

If you’re scratching your head and trying to come up with holiday gift ideas, consider making a donations to Second Chance in the names of friends and family members. When you provide the gift recipient’s name and address, we’ll let them know how your thoughtful gift is saving lives and keeping pets in their homes.

Make a Holiday Gift

Keep Your Paws Crossed for Prancer

Keep your paws crossed for this little guy. At 5 weeks old, Prancer has quite the tale to tell. He fell through a grate onto a cement pad one story below, fracturing his femur. He was surrendered to Second Chance so he could get the care he greatly needed.

It was a clean break and one of our vets surgically pinned the limb to aid in healing. One of our doting vet tech is fostering him while he recovers. If all goes well, he should be fully healed in 4-6 week so he can get ready to be adopted.

Check out Prancer getting a little TLC from his foster.

Want to help pets like Prancer get their second chance?

Reminder – Second Chance pets are not available for adoption until they are cleared by our veterinary staff and listed on our website. We do this because health can be fragile for some pets, especially the very young, and we never want to break any hearts unnecessarily. We also do this so no pet sits waiting for an adopter who’s changed their mind and forgotten to tell us. Thanks for understanding.

GivingTuesday THANK YOU!

We are so grateful to all our GivingTuesday supporters.

Thanks to Tito’s Handmade Vodka match of $15,000, together we raised over $31,000 to help more pets. Your gift:

helps homeless pets like Marley find a home.
keeps pets in their home with the people they love by giving pets access to the highest-quality veterinary care at one of our four Community Veterinary Hospitals that offer subsidized rates to underserved communities.
feeds hungry pets whose owners are facing financial struggles through the Second Chance pet food pantry program.

This year’s GivingTuesday fundraiser is more important than ever. With so much financial uncertainty, we need to be there for all the pets who need help. We can’t do it without your help!

Make a gift to help keep pets in their homes with the people they love

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