This week has been incredibly challenging for us at Second Chance. We’ve had an unprecedented influx of animals with urgent medical needs, and we need your help to give them the best care possible.

Meet Rocky, KJ, Iris, and Laura:

Rocky: This 14-week-old sweet and playful kitten needs a right front leg amputation. Rocky came to us in pain from an old, non-healing fracture that won’t get better on its own. Amputation will bring him the relief he desperately needs.

KJ: A 13-week-old Husky full of energy and love, KJ needs a left front leg amputation. Despite being a happy pup, KJ is in significant pain from an elbow fracture. Amputation is the best option to get him back to playing without pain.

Iris: A 1-year-old domestic short hair cat, Iris is a bit shy but incredibly sweet. She’s been limping on her right rear leg due to a complex, old fracture. Amputating her leg will finally end her long-term pain and give her a chance at a happy, pain-free life.

Laura: An energetic 8.5-year-old Pug, Laura is facing several challenges. She needs her painful, enlarged eye removed due to glaucoma and a cataract, and she’ll be spayed at the same time. Once she heals, Laura also needs extensive dental work. Despite her medical needs, she’s still full of love and energy.

This week has truly been a test of our resources, both emotionally and financially. We want to give Rocky, KJ, Iris, and Laura the care they deserve, but we can’t do it alone. Your donations will directly support their surgeries, medications, and aftercare.

We are keeping them as comfortable as possible and hope to perform their much-needed surgeries within the next week.

Please consider donating today to help us provide the life-saving surgeries these animals need. Any amount makes a difference in their journey to a pain-free life. Thank you for your support and compassion!

Donate Now to Make a Difference!

It’s been an amazing year of saving lives thanks to your support. Join us as we count 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.

In January, this sweet baby came to us in pain. Ozzy had fallen through a grate onto a cement pad one story below, fracturing his femur. It was a clean break and one of our vets surgically pinned the limb to aid in healing.

He made a full recovery and was adopted by a loving family who shared an update on him when he turned one in October.

These two sweeties named Bugs Bunny and Leif came to Second Chance from a crowded Georgia shelter. They were both suffering from a very painful eye condition called entropion – their eyelids are rolled in, causing the haired portion to rub on the surface of their eyes.

They arrived with secondary infections that had to be treated before they could receive their life-changing surgeries.

Bugs had his surgery first, and after he recovered, he found his forever home. Leif’s entropion was much worse and he underwent surgery on both eyes. He made a full recovery and traveled to our Framingham PetSmart satellite where he found a loving new home.

When Onyx‘s healthy began to fail, her family felt they had no other options for their sweet 18-year-old cat. They were prepared for the worst when a visit to one of our full-service Community Veterinary Hospitals had an unexpected outcome. Lab work revealed that Onyx is hyperthyroid. With medication, Onyx’s thyroid levels could be managed so she can comfortably live out her remaining years. ❤️ Onyx and her Mom were ecstatic to leave together. Second Chance Community Veterinary Hospitals were established to help keep pets with the people they love. Four locations are open to all with subsidized rates for those that qualify, so all pets can have access to the care they need. Right now, the need is great. More pet owners are relying on subsidized rates than ever before.

To look at one-year old Liam, an adorable Labrador retriever mix, you would be hard pressed to guess all that he’s been through in his short life. Liam would eye every visitor to the dog room of the Adoption Center and bark to make sure he got your attention. He was one of five dogs that Second Chance brought back from a Maryland rehabilitation center that were part of a group of approximately 120 dogs rescued from the South Korean Meat Trade.

They were so shy when we first met them, and we were in awe as we watched them get brave enough to explore our play yard and begin to come out of their shells. Since they never had the chance to be a dog, they would need patient families who to help with things like walking on leash or simply playing. All five made great progress and found loving homes where they can have the great life they deserve.

Natty came to us in excruciating pain, suffering from a severe degloving injury to his leg. The skin and tissue had been torn away, leaving his limb vulnerable and exposed. Our dedicated team of veterinarians and staff immediately sprang into action, attempting to save his leg. Pain medication and constant monitoring were provided, but Natty’s distress was so overwhelming that he resorted to chewing on his own leg.

We had to make the difficult decision to amputate Natty’s leg to provide him with the comfort and quality of life he deserved. With your support, we were able to provide Natty with the surgery he desperately needed, and he emerged from the procedure with the resilience and strength that defines his spirit. Learning to walk without his leg proved to be no obstacle for this remarkable pup.

We are overjoyed to share the final chapter of Natty’s story. After all he had been through, Natty found his forever home—a place where he is cherished and adored. His new family including his three-legged dog sister Lucy love him unconditionally. You may even know him by his new name, Nugget the Timberyard BrewDog. His journey reminds us of the incredible impact we can make when we come together to support animals in need. Your generosity and compassion have transformed his life, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

Day #6 is not just the story of one pet, but the story of hundreds of pets that our Homebound to the Rescue helps.  Funded entirely by generous donors like you and by grants, Homebound to the Rescue brings veterinary services to to low-income senior

housing areas at no cost to keep pets healthy and up to date on vaccinations.  This year, the need was great and Homebound to the Rescue worked with communities to set up visits throughout Central and Western Massachusetts to prevent seniors from having to choose between their pet and putting food on the table.

Day #7 is a story of lives saved through our community vaccine clinics. This year we were out in the community offering more life-saving vaccine clinics than in years. These low-cost vaccine clinics are part of Second Chance’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of pets within the local communities, improving the lives of animals and the people who love them.

Day #9 When five-month-old Teddy was hit by a car, the emergency vet recommended surgery to repair his injury. The cost for the surgery was more than the family’s budget could bear and they reached out to Second Chance for help. Second Chance is committed to providing access to care, offering subsidized rates for those that qualify so all pets can get the help they need.

Day #11 Charlie was just 7 weeks old when he came to us with a fractured leg. To save his leg, the shelter pup would need frequent bandage changes and close monitoring, which was made possible thanks to supporters like you. Charlie captured our hearts as he grew like a weed, often needing a new splint to keep up with his lengthening leg. We are happy to report that Charlie made a full recovery and was adopted by a loving family.

Day #12 Amelia was found wandering the grounds of the Southbridge Airport in November. The local animal control officer was able to get the scared little dog who had no microchip. She visited our groomer for a makeover. She was not claimed and was turned over to Second Chance where we found she was suffering from Lyme disease and would also need dental surgery.
Amelia is currently in the care of one of our loving fosters while she undergoes treatment.

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.

Special guest blog post by Morganne, Second Chance Volunteer

As a volunteer, I package pet food that gets delivered to (human food) pantries and, in some cases, I package donated pet toys for fundraisers. I even fold newsletters for upcoming fundraisers. To make all those cats and dogs out there happy, that’s why it’s done.

In many instances, it helps the owners too. There are people out there who can’t afford to feed their pets or themselves at times, and it’s truly heartbreaking because of the sacrifices those people make to keep their furry companions around. Sometimes, their pets are all they have.

Pets are like loved ones, losing even one is very painful, no matter how old you are. Even animals have feelings for their human companions, so it’s important that we give them the support they need to be happy and healthy.

Although bagging food or toys can be a little tedious, I do it because it feels good to help animals and humans alike. They need us, as much as we need them. That’s why I keep coming back every week and feel honored to be providing this service for the greater good.

Click here for more information on volunteering at Second Chance.

2022 has been an extraordinary year of helping pets thanks to you!  Here are just a few of the  pets you have helped this fall.

Houston is a young pup who came to Second Chance suffering from a very serious condition – heartworm disease. Left untreated, he was at serious risk for lung disease, heart failure or even death.

With your support, pets like Houston get the treatment they need so they can get a true ‘second chance.” Houston underwent a series of injections and did amazing. His foster will bring him back in six months to confirm that the treatment was successful.

Thank you for giving Houston a ‘second chance.’

Poor one-year-old Oatmeal came to Second Chance suffering from upper respiratory congestion and nasal discharge that never completely went away. He needed a rhinoscopy (a scope of his nasal area) to find the cause of his condition.

At the time, we don’t know what the cause could be – it could have been something serious like cancer.

When the day came for his procedure, the specialist discovered that a rubber foreign object was lodged in his nose!

The object was removed and Oatmeal found his “furever” home at the Adoption Center this week. We are so grateful for your support so pets like Oatmeal can get the care they need.

Congratulations to Ray, a very special pup who recently found his forever home! Ray is a 6 month old Weimaraner who came to Second Chance on transport from an overcrowded shelter in Mississippi.

This sweet, energetic pup who loves to play, is blind in his left eye due to corneal scarring. Our vets say it is most likely from a previous injury and he does not appear to be in any pain. Ray charmed everyone who came to visit the shelter and he met his match in just 10 days.
Thanks to you, pets like Ray get the ‘second chance’ they deserve.

On behalf of everyone here at Second Chance, I want to thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Doray
Chief Development Officer

Second Chance Animal Services

111 Young Road P.O. Box 136 East Brookfield, MA 01515