The time is now... and I am sure the ZooCrew and Richard will also be happy when decisions have been announced and winners finalized... I felt I must comment one more time and let you know, Richard, how very much Second Chance Animal Shelter would benefit from this makeover, and how very much we could benefit Zootoo in return... We are a shelter full of progressive thinkers - we look ahead to the future and the endless possibilities that await us. Our Director has created a shelter that is built on a foundation of love & care & compassion and we want to bring that to as many pets as we can. We have the team in place to do just that - willing and able and raring to go. We can & will create the community that will make a difference - statewide! countrywide! we are prepared to help as many pets as we can - we just need your help to make it happen. I hope that you have chosen a winner who can not just benefit their own shelter & community but who also has plans to pay it forward! Thank you for your consideration & best wishes to all the ZooCrew!

Dear Richard and the entire Makeover Team,
As one of the vets at Second Chance Animal Shelter, I want to add my thoughts to the many eloquent words already written here. To put it mildly, this is one amazing group of folks! They are unbelievably dedicated and compassionate. I could not ask for a more committed group of volunteers to help make the dream of "no more unwanted animals" come true. We have already shown what we can do with the tiny amount of space that we have - nearly 2000 spays and neuters last year in our low-cost program, and hundreds of placements in forever homes for our shelter dogs and cats. Imagine what we can do with a "real" surgery space instead of a storage closet! Each kitty could have a comfortable cage with a litter box, instead of sitting in its tiny carrier all day. We could separate the surgery area from the shelter kennel, so the barking dogs don't add to the stress of the surgical patients. We could schedule more clinics each week and help other shelters adopt out neutered pets, thereby guaranteeing that more dogs and cats do not add to the overpopulation problem. There is a huge need for these programs in central Massachusetts; no other organization has the facilities to offer these low cost services to pets and their owners. We promise that if you give us the facility, we will make it happen. It's that simple.

Thank you in advance for your consideration, and for all you are doing for pets and their people.

Even though it has been over 2 weeks since the Zootoo visit, the excitement over the makeover contest continues. Not a day goes back without a phone call or visit from someone that wants to know if we have heard anything. We've had several newspapers and other media at the shelter covering the story. The sign in front of E B Flatts restaurant has large letters saying "Good Luck Second Chance Animal Shelter". A local church group has added Second Chance in their prayers to ask for help in getting this makeover. This goes to show how excited the community is about the shelter and the makeover. They know what this could mean to the community and well beyond.
Second Chance has made the best of what we have. The countless comments are about the lack of a ventilation and drainage system, no inside areas to bathe dogs or wash dishes, no central heating or air conditioning, and the tight spaces.
Second Chance staff and volunteers have been one of the most creative groups that I know. The converted storage room now does nearly 2,000 surgeries a year for the low cost spay/neuter program. The rabies clinics are lined out the door waiting patiently for room in the tiny office to get their pets vaccinated. Volunteers work around each other (and sometimes over each other) to show pets to prospective adopters. They have done the best with what the shelters facility has. For that alone, I am very grateful.
A makeover of this shelter would not be aboute making the staff and volunteers more comfortable, it is about the pets that we serve. It is about having a place for the cats that has a window and a room for them to roam, it is about the dogs having more space and an area to meet their new families, it is about being able to do more spay/neuters with more space, it's about having a place to provide training for owners and their dogs, and the list goes on.
The saying goes, give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for life. Well, Second Chance has the tools to teach others about ending overpopulation with our spay/neuter and other programs, given the space, we can teach others as well. We can teach people how to train their dogs so they don't give them up out of frustration, we can spay/neuter more pets so they are not surrendered because the owners can't afford to do it, we can spay/neuter more so that there are less unwanted litters being born and thus have more homes for pets that are in shelters, we can take better care of more pets and create more happy endings for homeless pets.
Every shelter needs something, whether it is a makeover, more funds, or more volunteers. We are not the only ones. I wish all shelters could receive what they need and be able to do their needed work without financial worry.
One thing special about Second CHance is that we have formed partnerships with other shelters through our programs. We know we are not alone and we know we are stronger working together. A makeover will not just be providing us with more, but will be allowing more to be provided to others. Just today, we loaded a truck full of donations to another needy shelter - dog food and bowls. Our shed is stuffed full with donations collected for other needy shelters so they can do their work as well. This is what it's about, helping each other with the resources we have.
I want to thank Zootoo for this contest. It has taught us a lot about ourselves, and it has made us proud of what we have accomplished and what we can accomplish. I still am amazed at how our shelter rallied to get into the top 20. From day one of the contest, the volunteers worked tirelessly getting the word out about the contest. It brought our volunteers even closer together. It opened the eyes of many on how our shelter can make such an impact.
Thank you Zootoo!

It has been over two weeks since Richard and ZooToo visted Second Chance. The excitement and anticipation still linger, but the daily caring for the animals, screening new forever home, and scheduling the spays and neuters continue.
It is amazing all of the things that Second Chance has accomplished while working in a building long outgrown. Space is definitely an issue. Not enough space for all of the dog and cat calls. People literally crawl around each other to answer the phone, work on the computer, or talk with perspective forever homes.
The septic is a tight tank. Water needs to be lugged outside whenever possible to avoid the cost of pumping the tank frequently. In the LONG New England winter when the snow and ice are falling, that takes real dedication and love. Our spay neuter clinics, in a room orginally designated as a storage room, is really getting to the root of the pet overpopulation. IMAGINE what could happen with a makeover.
Thank you Richard, since ZooToo the number of requests for our educational outreach program has increased. It is a great way to spread the word about animal responsibility. Quoting a volunteer, IMAGINE when animal shelters are not longer needed because people are taking pet responsibility seriously.
There are many reasons why I chose to volunteer at Second Chance. Others have written so eloquently about this shelter which makes the most of everything and every inch of space. Let me give you but one example of the heart and soul of the shelter. The shelter was literally elbow to elbow with activity. People were dropping off donations or filling out applications. Others were visiting the animals or eagerly picking up their new family member:) In all of the hustle and bustle, Joe Craig a volunteer and board member was checking the dogs in their runs making sure they were comfortable. As I was leaving the kennel area, I heard Joe say quietly and calmly, " I'm going to sit with Virgil awhile (a fairly new arrival). He seems a little stressed today." That is what happens at Second Chance everyday, caring for the physical as well as the emotional needs of the animals.
Wonderful things happen now with volunteers having to lug water to save a septic tank, with spays and neuters performed in a redone storage closet, with people crawling over each other to get tasks accomplished, and with not enough space for the calls that come in for all of the animals in need. IMAGINE what Second Chance could accomplish with the much needed makeover.

Second Chance Animal Shelter NEEDS this makeover! It is very small in there and the capacity when you walk in is about 8 or 9 people. You need to squish through everyone in order to get to the cat or dog rooms.

I have watched Second Chance grow from a system of foster homes with heart & drive to a small building with a huge heart & drive to match. What Sheryl & her team of dedicated volunteers have accomplished here is amazing. What they could do with the help of a Million Dollar Makeover would help change lives here & beyond. Second Chance is a model of what a shelter should & could be doing for animals. The spay/ neuter program here works - there is amazing outreach & support to the community just pouring out of these crumbling walls. Sure to the untrained eye and due to the dedication of volunteers cosmetically at first glance everything looks okay - but just look beyond that first glance and you see the hill that threatens to rain mud and water and debris down. You see the well worn cover of a tight tank that must be constantly pumped. You see there is no septic system, no ventilation. You see the multitude of fans that must run on a hot summer day just to keep the temperatures down - not comfortable mind you, just workable. You see the crumbling foundations and when you look close you realize there are no fittings to support them.
Second Chance is already a million dollar shelter in the eyes of the pets that have come through its doors, in the eyes of the Director and her entire network of volunteers - with your help Zootoo this million dollar shelter could function like one too !

It is Friday morning, April 11, and the big day had finally arrived. As I turned onto Young Road I got goose bumps up and down my arms. There lining the road were dozens of signs made by the junior volunteers, screaming out in their own special way to Richard and the Zootoo crew. “Please pick us”; “We love our animals”; “Second Chance needs ZooToo’s help”. Tears starting welling up in my eyes and a great sense of pride took over. Second Chance, my shelter, had become a finalist in the Zootoo makeover and I am a part of this. To think that this little shelter tucked away in the small town of East Brookfield had been put on the map!!

For months we had struggled to get the word out to all the volunteers, adopters, potential adopters, clients from our spay/neuter clinics, junior volunteers, family members and friends to join in and help us achieve the goal of being in the top twenty. The staff and volunteers rallied to spread the word. We made flyers and posted them throughout the surrounding towns, brought them to our hair dressers, stores, and near- by colleges where we work with the students. We were like the little engine that could.

The little engine that could which is driven by Sheryl our director at Second Chance. Sheryl spends many hours at the shelter and from her home making sure that the animals which make their way to our shelter are well cared for. The dedication of this woman is remarkable. She has assembled a group of volunteers and staff from the community that is second to none. Her empathy for the fate of the animals that come through the doors is unending. She has built this amazing haven for animals from the ground up through contributions and love.

The shelter is in dire need of more space to further help the community with our spay/neuter clinics. The room where the procedures are done is very small and cramped. There is barely enough room for the vet, vet techs and the twenty or so animals that are helped on each clinic, yet they strive to do more. A cat room where the cats could roam around and be comfortable would help the stressed animals that come through our doors better adjust to their situation. Bigger runs for the dogs that come through and get adopted to a forever home would also benefit the animals.

As far as the building itself, the office, where we do all the paperwork, meet with potential adopter’s, have meetings, and take-in and discharge animals is very cramped. It would be nice to be able to disinfect the bowls, litter pans and toys in a room instead of outside in the sub-zero temperatures in the fall and winter.

Most of all it would be nice to see a “million dollar make-over” so that we could take in even more dogs and cat and help more people spay/neuter their animals. It is all about the animals at Second Chance. The staff and volunteers put in endless hours to ensure that all the animals are well taken care of. The amount of love that we have for the animals is endless and to be able to help more animals with this makeover would be awesome.

Thank you Richard for coming to our shelter and seeing the wonderful work we do. With your help we could do so much more which is one of our goals. You have inspired so many with this contest and helped us all come together for the animals that need us.

Thank you Mr. Thompson and everyone at Zootoo for a lovely day. I was very impressed with your enthusiasm for spaying and neutering. Second Chance Animal Shelter has really been working hard to get that message out to the community and it is working. I hope that you will consider them for this makeover. They could do so much more not just for our community, but they could certainly be a Zootoo model for the country.
They have done so much with so little. If you give them the tools that they need with more space and the basic necessities that they are lacking, I think you will be very impressed with the outcome of your makeover. I really think they could serve as an example of how spaying and neutering services can not just help the pets at the shelter but can transform a community.
I hate to hear about pet over population and being euthanized. Getting pets spayed would make tremendous difference. This shelter is so deserving for their hard work and I hope that they can expand and show everyone what they can do if they have more space to give more services. They help other shelters to not have to euthanize and I'm sure that a makeover would help them to do so much more.
I know that they take in from other areas of the country and I have heard that they are planning on working with these other areas to help them start spay programs. I think this is amazing for a small shelter in East Brookfield. I can only imagine what more they could do with a makeover. They are certainly deserving for their efforts.

I would like to thank Richard and the Zootoo team for coming to celebrate at with Second Chance. I was fortunate enough to have the day off and could experience the hopeful and positive energy that was palpable in the room. It was great to see the community support from Senators to Mayors and just plain town folk. The Second Chance staff and volunteers do a fantastic job with what they have but could do so much more if they won the makeover. They help the community and farther out as you can see by the other entries. I believe Second Chance should win this makeover and they will definitly do you proud and be proud to follow through with Richard's ideas.

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As a neighboring shelter - Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society - I wanted to let you know how important to us Second Chance's work is to the community of shelters in Western Massachusetts. It's only been since Second Chance began their innovative spay/neuter program that we've been able to spay/neuter most of our shelter's adoptees before they go home. When I call the local vets to get spay/neuter appointments, they may give me one or two appointments, three weeks from now. That doesn't help much when I need 30 appointments each week, every week, during kitten season! Because Second Chance can spay/neuter 20 kittens for us in one day, we drive over an hour to them, every week. This means that we don't have to worry about our adoptees having 'accidental' litters before they get spayed in their new homes!
Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society is also proud to partner with Second Chance with our Feral Spay Sunday program (celebrating serving our 5,000th cat on 4/20/08!). However, I will tell you frankly that Second Chance is by far the least-favorite host site for Feral Spay Sunday - I have a hard time getting volunteers signed up. It's tiny and cramped, people are standing on top of each other, and we have to put some folks outside because there just isn't room for them indoors when we're spaying/neutering 80 or more cats in there. During inclement weather, I've seen the poor volunteers who are stationed outside turn blue and shaking because of the cold (we don't put cats outdoors, just our poor human volunteers). And with the tight tank septic issue, we have to tell people not to flush the toilet too often...you know animal rescue, it's all women...so imagine 25 women with one tiny bathroom that you can't flush the toilet very often. No wonder it's hard to get volunteers to help at our clinics held at Second Chance! They do the best they can to make up for it with their enthusiasm, but it's hard to overcome a space that's just too small to fit everyone indoors.
What I love best about Second Chance is their innovation and amazing things they do with their tiny space - and how much they reach out to work with other groups. They dream big - but they make their dreams come true. Playing well with others can be a hard-to-come-by quality in the shelter/rescue world; Second Chance embodies it.
Karina King, Animal Care Manager
Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
www.dakinshelter.org

I believe Second Chance Animal Shelter needs this makeover over all other shelters in the running because even though we have so many helpful volunteers and are in a great community, the shelter is so small we reach full capacity frequently. We could help so many more animals and find more forever homes for all these animals once we have the facility to house them all. I believe we can do so much good for not just animals in Mass, but animals in the southern US whom which we transport up here for there forever homes as well. SCAS also does a lot now with there Spay/neuter program, if we get this makeover we could continue this program and limit procreation of animals that would otherwise be in the shelter.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... SCAS NEEDS THIS MAKEOVER!!!

Dear Mr. Thompson & the Makeover Team,
I have been a volunteer at the Second Chance Animal Shelter since the start. During that time I have seen our services grow by leaps and bounds - unfortunately our bulding does NOT expand at the seams and we have far outgrown our space.
We have an extremely busy spay/ neuter program that is handled in one tiny room in the back of our building. With the surgical equipment, 2 technicians and a vet back there you can see how terribly overcrowded it is when we run a clinic. We also participate in a Feral Spay Sunday program where up to 100 cats can be s/n in ONE day - you saw our space - can you picture the work involved in trying to do that many surgeries in that area - well, we make it work but an expansion would allow us to do more. Our building has some serious structural problems - no footings under the kennel areas - they are detaching from the walls. No drainage - in the spring the water & mud flood from that hill you saw right into those back kennels making them unusable. In the winter we have ice floes! No ventilation system . No air conditioning. No windows. Cross contamination in the enclosed cat areas is always a risk due to poor air quality. Lack of space limits how many animals can be on site - we have a foster system but that is extremely limited - we could help so, so many more if we just had the space to do it
The list goes on but I just need to say that every penny of every dollar that is donated to our shelter is stretched tightly to benefit our shelter and beyond - we help over 30 communities - we have adopters from all the New England states and New York, our community outreach extends all the way to Kentucky - and with your help, with Zootoo's support, with the Million Dollar Makeover we can triple - even quadruple - our efforts.
I realize that all shelters - not just the ones represented in the Top 20 - but all shelters in the USA need help but I sincerely hope that the Zootoo Team will choose Second Chance. We will represent you well and proudly - if you choose us it will be a lifetime partnership!
Sincerely,
Sheila (Hayley'sMom)

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have been a volunteer at Second Chance for about a year now.I would just like to say that the shelter is an asset not only to East Brookfield but to alot of the surrounding towns. I am an assitant Animal Control Officer in a neighboring town and I cannot count the number of times Second Chance has helped me to place an animal, or helped me with contacts etc. There are severl ACO's in the area that benefit from the shelter. The volunteers are just wonderful, never asking for anything in return and never hesitating to be there no matter what day it is even holidays there is always someone signed up to be there. No matter what the outcome of the contest you can bet that Second Chance will continue to help animals and people everyday that they are needed. Also I would like to thank Zootoo for the exposure they have given to Second Chance.

It is truly remarkable all the work the volunteers and small staff do for the pets of Central Mass. Thousands of pets have better lives because of this small shelter. A makeover would allow Second Chance to help even more! Just necessary improvements are needed to keep it running the way it has been! A septic system, new footings, larger kennel and veterinarian areas, a retaining wall (just so the hill doesn't fall in on them some day).

Second Chance has so much community support. After reading the write-ups about it on Zoo Too and in the local newspapers, I want to add that the community support extends far beyond East Brookfield. If you were to talk to all the supporters who showed up at the Zoo Too visit, you'd see that we are from many of the small towns in the area, the city of Worcester and beyond. Dog walkers and cat socializers drive 45 minutes or more for their time with the animals. Some adopters drive an hour or more! The support from the wider community is HUGE!

The love Second Chance volunteers send out comes back to them two-fold (and more)! Help Second Chance continue its unparalleled work! They sure deserve it!!!!!

My mother volunteers for Second Chance Animal Shelter and I was there when Zootoo came to visit. What a wonderful experience it was to be around and with the second chance animal shelter people. The work second chance animal shelter exemplifies the kindness humanity needs more of. I feel without the efforts from groups such as second chance animal shelter our kind loving friends would be in a truly desolate place. Second chance definitely deserves to win the makeover.I commend Richard and the Zootoo crew for all their exhaustive efforts and the message of making communities more aware of their shelters and caring for our fellow creatures. God Bless Second Chance Animal Shelter and Zootoo for all their wonderful work.

This was originally written April 10th but ended up in my journals only so I am putting it here. We deserve to win the Zootoo makeover because we are a small shelter in a rural area in central Massachusetts. We have a very small office that is bursting at the seams. Our cats have 2 small rooms one being for stressed or cats that haven't been vetted yet and the other ready for adoption and you have to cut through them to get to the kennel areas where the dogs are kept. The kennels are dark and small and the fencing needs repair.
Our sewer system is below par so any sink has a small pail that we dump into a bucket to be carried outside. We wash the animal dishes and disinfect the beds outside in all weather. Have you ever washed cat and animal bowls outside in subfreezing weather? You can't even feel your hands after awhile.
As for the community we have low cost spay/neuter programs. Feral spay sundays. The office gets loaded with cats in there cages and we have had to foster the dogs out for a day just to make room for the cats. We have petco adoption day where we inform the public of our programs and teach the importance of spay and neuter your pets.
We get fantastic support from the community for our annual auction. Our Walk and Wag is another annual function to raise money. The alumni of Second Chance and their owners come for a walk to raise money. They get their pictures taken,there are vendors there,agility demonstrations and you can get your dog his good citizenship award if you want. There is a barbeque and a fun time is had by all for a good cause in a beautiful natural setting.
We at Second Chance are a diverse group of people from young children with their parents all the way up to grandparents who have one goal in mind, to help the animals on our community . They cross our path but for a short time but do leave an imprint on our hearts forever. The animals make us laugh, their sad stories make us cry. And personally working with these wonderful creatures give me peace in my spirit, sometimes when I need it the most. Pet a dog, walk a dog, watch them run with abandon in the small outside area. Look in their eyes and see the love coming back. See the cats with their funny antics and reaching out to you with their paws saying touch me, see me. If we won the makeover we could help more animals that need us in their time of need. Zootoo we do deserve this make-over. We won't disappoint you. Thanks for this process because it has been a very exciting ride! Lionpearl

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Thank you Mr. Thompson for coming to our shelter! I have adopted 2 dogs from this shelter and I can tell you that the experience in adopting from Second Chance was wonderful. It is not just about adopting a pet, but becoming part of a family. They take the time to evaluate the pets and then match the pets to owners. They help to educate the owners on the pet that they are considering adopting. This makes such a big difference in the whole adoption process.
I am really happy to see that you saw how important the spay neuter initiative is with this shelter. They have made a huge impact in the community with this and have helped to prevent a lot of euthanasia in the area by helping where it is needed most. I hope that you consider them for the makeover because I know that they will really make a huge impact with that gift. They have been talking about taking their spay neuter program and helping across the country to get this type of program started elsewhere. I learned a lot about how many areas do not have this type of program and I know that Second Chance is the one to be a model for the country. What they have done with so little is amazing. So, with a million dollar makeover, they could lead the way in stopping pet overpopulation by showing others as well.
A makeover is so needed for this shelter. They bulit it with donations and volunteers and built it as best they could with what little they had. But, the foundation of this shelter is love and dedication. They just need a better structure on this foundation to give them more space for needy pets and a bigger area to do more spay neuter programs that will help more communities and more shelters everywhere. I know that with a larger facility, their adoptions would skyrocket. They are limited by the small number of cages and kennels so a makeover would be a huge plus.
I have watched them carry out buckets and work out in the cold cleaning. A gift of a makeover would make a world of difference here and beyond.
Thank you Mr. Thompson for Zootoo, it is a wonderful idea and I hope that it helps pets everywhere. I hope that when you visited Second Chance you found what you were looking for, I know I did.

Thank you Zootoo for giving us a chance, for recognizing our love for animals and for understanding our dedication to do whatever is needed to make a greater impact on the quality of their lives.

We are a small dedicated group with a common goal to make a large impact in our community and beyond. We are creative, we have ideas and we will not rest until we have found a solution for homeless and unwanted pets. Please be assured that if we are lucky enough to win the million dollar makeover, every dollar invested in our shelter will be used to care for pets and educate generations to come. As a community, each of us must take responsibility for this problem and contribute in whatever way possible. Collectively, one animal at a time, we will make a difference with the pet over population problem.

Many shelters need assistance and are worthy of a makeover, but Second Chance will truly represent what Zootoo stands for. We understand your vision and passion for animal care and feel we could be a first step, a strong foundation, for the amazing shelter program that you plan to create and build up over the years. We are ready to be an example to others and share our programs and successes across the country.

Congrats Second Chance! I have heard many wonderful things about Sheryl and the folks involved - they are all great people. Good luck to all!

Franstj's Profile > Franstj's Journal > View Entry

Apr
16
2008 5:52am

Second Chance Animal Shelter

Posted by Franstj in Shelter Makeover
0 comments
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I love her goal ...that there not be a need for shelters. With this as the primary focus of an institution, it is no wonder that there is a decrease in stray dogs and cats in the area.

Second Chance truly deserves this makeover. They really have so little in the way of their facility, but still manage to make a huge difference with the work that they do. I have adopted 2 cats from Second Chance in the past 4 years and will continue to be loyal to the shelter even though I am now well over an hour ride away. Their volunteers are caring and inspiring and they deserve a facility that can help further the wonderful work they do. Thanks SCAS for all that you do!! Thank you ZooToo for allowing them this wonderful opportunity.

I just wanted to thank Zootoo for the great video. You really did capture the spirit of the people in it and Second Chance Shelter itself! Thanks. :) :) :)

Good luck guys! All of us in the top 20 have so much to be thankful for. All for the luv of the animals ! Janet (The Voorhees Animal Orphanage)

Wow. I am blown away by how far Second Chance has made it in zootoo's million dollar makeover contest. Last fall when Sheryl excitedly told staff and volunteers about zootoo, we all signed right up.
Having outgrown our shelter space before the dust had settled from its construction, we all knew how badly we needed this makeover and jumped right onto the zootoo bandwagon. The following months brought interest from local presses, tireless efforts reaching out to the community for help in our mission, and yes-long, late nights of Second Chancers typing away product and news reviews on topics near and dear to their hearts.
Here we are, in the final weeks, a finalist in a contest for a prize that could work miracles for the homeless animals in our community. It has been a rollercoaster ride ("We've slipped a notch overnight, come on everyone, get on zootoo!" sound familiar?) but has been an exciting race that has kept everyone involved with Second Chance inspired.
I have been a veterinary staff member at Second Chance for almost a year now and have never before worked in an environment with so many wonderful, giving, genuine people that TRULY have the animal's best interests at heart.
How many times have I seen Joe Craig with a look of worry on his face, rushing into the shelter with homemade hamburg and rice because a dog isn't feeling well from the stress of being surrendered by the only family its ever known? How many times have we stayed until after the sun sets to ensure that all the animals are comfortable in their beds for the night? And how many times have I heard junior volunteers laughing with delight at the shelter cats as I walked back and forth through the cat rooms during a busy day?
There is something special about Second Chance. The selfless dedication of the staff, volunteers, and fosters is a unifying force and it is what makes the shelter work, even having to endure obstacles such as a small facility or an unexpected surge in animals that need care. At the end of a long day, the love in the eyes of these animals make it all worth it, and we are reminded of why we are here doing what we do.
Thank you for a wonderful visit Mr. Thompson, and it was awesome to meet the person behind such a wonderful gift to the animal shelter mission. Please consider us for the million dollar makeover. Second Chance has the drive, we just need the vehicle.

I just watched the video of our shelter, and it brought back to mind and heart all the wonderful feelings of the day that Zootoo came to visit. It also reminded me of how this adventure has brought a shelter family even closer as well as a community that was always supportive, but showed just how much it cares about us and the animals we rescue. I know that all the shelters have people with amazing hearts and it would be wonderful if we all could have a million to enhance our facilities, or build new ones. Speaking for our shelter, I know that Sheryl's abilities to develop and maintain programs such as our low cost spay/neuter, shelter to shelter, and the relationships we have with so many organizations in our community would be enhanced tremedously if we were to win. She runs an amazing place, balancing medical needs with space issues, septic and water problems, funding and so many issues that all the shelters face but she never forgets why she started Second Chance, or what the true goals are which is to rescue, and to reduce the number of strays and surrenders. The work can be heartbreaking at times, and so unbelievably rewarding at others. Like so many of our volunteers and staff have said, I can't imagine my life without Second Chance and all the wonderful people and animals. My daughter, who always had a love for animals is growing up seeing what is done here, and is developing strong drive to continue the work. She has grown so close to so many of the volunteers, and has seen the compassion and committment they all share, they truly are like family to us.

I have been eagerly checking the Zootoo site each day to see when our video would be up! I am so excited and proud of Second Chance and what a wonderful video they made. Reading everyone's comments always make my eyes go moist with compassion and love for the animals. I truly believe God led me to Second Chance to become a volunteer and I cannot imagine my life without my friday night friends to care for! MEOW!!

Right Now, a staff member sits at Second Chance. Its a little after 5 and its the first time all day that its been quiet here at the shelter, actually its the first time its been quiet for the past few days...actually let's make that months. You see a little thing called Zootoo came into the shelter and the staff member's world and it has changed everything. In October a little orange box came to the shelter that invited us to join Zootoo to win a million Dollar makeover. Our shelter Director Sheryl (now known as the "Queen of Spay/Neuter") saw the box and was immediately excited. She quickly signed the shelter up and sent out an invitation to all our volunteers to join. She also started calling the News papers and began to get the community involved. IT wasn't long before we were in the Top 20...Our Volunteers (like Shelia N. also known as Halye's Mom) and community faught hard and were up long nights putting in thier product reviews to keep us in the top 20 and it payed off. The Staff Member also found herself reviewing products in her little bit of spare time and while waiting for cats to be picked up from the shelter's spay/Neuter Programs. The support and interst from the community in our shelter has grown and we now find ourselfs with stacks of adoption applications and will soon have an empty kennel and cat cages...which we will fill in no time with animals in that have been on a waiting list to come in. Our Spay/Neuter Program is going stronger than ever and we are getting more animals spay/Neutered, including today's clinic the shelter is now at 494 animals since January 1st, 2008. The shelter does so much but we are restricted by our size. We could do twice the amount of adoptions and twice the number of Spay/Neuters if only we had the space. We are limited by our size, only being able to take in 15 or so dogs and 20 or so cats at a time and only 1 small animal at a time. We need more space...desprately. If we won Zootoo we could have a Bigger Kennel to help more dogs...With Real Rooms to help those dogs that are too stressed to be in a kennel and a cat room with windows and a cumminty area so our cats can get more excersize and be able to watch all the beautiful birds we have in our area. A small animal room so we can help more rabbits and other small animals find homes. A larger Vet room so that we can spay and Neuter more animals. An Adoption room so we can do adoptions during more hours and not have to cram into our small office. Most of all we need a space as big as the amount of love this tiny shelter has. We are small but we have more heart than any other shelter I have seen. We aren't a shelter with a staff and volunteers that helps animals...or just a community... we are truely a family. And I want to thank Zootoo for helping to show the world our Family. So right now a staff member sits at the shelter, alone in the quiet, enjoying it and taking it all in, but who is even more thankful for how busy and crazy it has been here for the past few months...
~Kristen
The Girl who wears many Hats...

I just watched the wonderful video that Zootoo did of our shelter! Thank you Zootoo for a great job! It certainly did capture the feel of the shelter. Our ultimate goal IS to one day not to see the need for shelters. Wouldn't that be wonderful! We are truly dedicated to the spay/neuter programs and the fact that we are starting to see the fruits of our labor with a drop in unwanted litters is wonderful.
In addition, this has allowed us to help so many more pets and to help other shelters out more. The ripple effect of this program has been truly wonderful.
I also have to tell you Mr. Thompson that over the weekend since your visit, and all the media attention that came with it, we have been flooded with interest in the pets at our shelter! It has been overwhelming the response that we have received and I think it is safe to say that all the pets that you saw at the shelter will most likely be in new homes by the end of the week. We are workking hard to keep up with the sudden surge in interested adopters and applications for our pets. What a wonderful feeling.
I truly hope we are lucky enough to get the makeover so we can have more space to help more pets, and other shelters to help more pets. If this interest continues from this, what a wonderful thing to see our adoption numbers skyrocket!
Thank you Zootoo!

Thank you zootoo for your creativity and dedication to this important cause. It was a wonderful experience having you come to East Brookfield to see what Second Chance Animal Shelter is all about. I was especially impressed with Richard's greater vision for Zootoo, to get the word out to as many animal lovers and caretakers as possible. To connect the dots and make an all encompassing net that will reach all the animals that need us and leave no animal behind. It is true the more people that we infuse with this message the greater the work we animal lovers can do. Thank you Richard and the Zootoo staff!!
My mother volunteers for Second Chance Animal Shelter in MA. Even before zootoo started she was always talking about "her" dogs and "her" shelter. She has always felt that the people at Second Chance were so special because of the passion and dedication they felt for the animals they were caring for and finding homes for. I think she felt she had found "her kind of people". She has always had a deep passion and concern for this earths animals and she found like minded people at Second Chance. Second Chance offers so much to the animals that come through their doors. It is a No kill shelter. I think everyone would agree that is so very important. The love and attention the dogs and cats recieve at Second Chance is so strong it exudes off of the volunteers. I think the volunteers receive just as much back from the animals. Second Chance is in great need of some major improvements. This make over would make a huge impact on their ability to help the animals that need them. They deserve to win this makeover because of the spirit of dedication, passion, and community that they inspire in all of those who experience Second Chance.

Thank you Mr. Thompson for visiting our shelter! We were very impressed with you and your crew. Everyone was wonderful to talk to and to show you our little shelter. We were very pleased to hear that Zootoo has big plans for the future to expand your role in getting the word out about shelters everywhere. Shelters need an outlet like Zootoo to get the messages out there.

I don’t know where to begin or where to end in telling you about all the wonderful things that Second Chance Animal Shelter has done and hopes to do. They use every available resource they can find to do the most for the animals. Every square inch of the shelter is used to it’s fullest extent. They are only limited by the space that they have. To give them this makeover, you would be a HUGE HUGE asset to this shelter and your gift would reach out well beyond those 4 walls for many years to come. You would give them the one thing that they cannot attain on their own - a larger facility so that they can make a much larger impact in the community.

The community of supporters that Second Chance has is not only large but their dedication to the shelter is strong and unwavering. They stand behind the shelter and have every step of the way. The difference that Second Chance has made already in the community is nothing short of phenomenal. I can only imagine what they could do with a makeover. Your money would be well spent on this group of dedicated individuals and the shelter that has been a beacon of light for so many homeless pets.

They have found the answer to homelessness and suffering in animals by being aggressive with their spay/neuter programs. They don’t turn anyone away and make sure that they get the word out to the community that they do have this option to do the right thing, and at a reasonable cost.
Sheryl has been able to get veterinarians to come on board and get involved. This has had a tremendous impact. To take this to the next step with a makeover and get more veterinarians involved would really change things for animals. Even more, it would allow the programs to expand and get more shelters involved. This shelter helps so many other animal shelters, rescues and animal control officers. It is not just about Second Chance, it is about bringing the community of animal care people together. It would be wonderful if Zootoo and Second Chance could connect together with this makeover. This would allow even more outreach and the best possible team that I can think of to really make a difference for everyone.

Thank you Mr. Thompson for the creation of Zootoo. It has brought forth a new dimension and excitement in sheltering. I am very proud of being a part of this and look forward to what the future might hold.

I have helped out at Second Chance for over a year now with my 9 year old daughter and it has been an amazing experience. It has taught her so much about the importance of being a responsible pet owner and playing with the cats has been such fun for both of us. Second Chance does so much for the community even though it is a very small facility so just imagine what we could do with a fabulous makeover! Congrats to everyone who worked so hard to bring Second Chance this far - the animals in this area are lucky ones indeed!

I have previously commented on Mr. Thompson's visit to Second Chance Animal Shelter's Zootoo visit. However I feel compelled to add more and focus on why I know Second Chance is so deserving of this makeover and WHAT MAKES THIS SHELTER REALLY WORK!

The staff that spends countless hours on the day to day running of the Shelter. Who always greet the volunteers with their warm smiles and "hello's" and words of thanks when we leave.

The veterinarians and vet technicians who work together to ensure the health of each and every animal that passes through the doors of Second Chance.

The volunteers that do the "behind the scene" things such as following up on recently adopted animals, writing for the newsletter, reviewing adoption applications, posting pictures on the shelter website of the cats and dogs that are available for adoption, writing stories describing each animal. Volunteers who work on fundraisers or drive an animal to a veterinary appointment. The foster parent who is taking care of what was once a stray mother to be - as she prepares to give birth to her litter of kittens. The foster parent of a dog who spends hours working with it so it will be deemed "adoptable."

Petco, who so graciously allows Second Chance to set up in their store so volunteers may go there and spread the word about Second Chance and the importance of adopting an animal from a shelter. At the same time bringing awareness to the public that may not have known about the shelter or the spay/neuter programs that Second Chance offers.

The volunteers that work at the shelter taking care of the cats, dogs and other small animals that are brought to the shelter. Cleaning up a litter box, scratching the head of a cat until it purrs with happiness. Walking a dog so he can get his exercise and gently letting a frightened, nervous dog that he is going to be just fine while at the shelter awaiting his forever home.

The concerned members of the community, who may not volunteer on a daily basis but help with monetary donations or supplies of much needed cat/dog food, kitty litter, toys, bedding and office supplies. The kind people who donate items for the annual fundraiser auction, or spending hours making a blanket, wall hanging or a coat to be auctioned off.

The loving people who have adopted from Second Chance. Giving our homeless friends what they need most - A FOREVER HOME!

The animals at the shelter that have enriched my life, and the lives of countless others. I often have noticed when I begin my shift at the shelter the dogs want nothing to do with anything else after first being left out of their cage in the morning, the first thing they want is a hug and a pat down. The look in their eyes speaks volumes and is all the thanks I will ever need.

ZOOTOO and it's quest to bring awareness to animal shelters across America, products and news stories that make us laugh and cry. Through this website we are able to meet other shelter volunteers and animal lovers from around the country.

These are all things that make this shelter work. Mr. Thompson you could not have said it better when you said in your tour journal entry that Second Chance is an example of "people helping people, helping animals."

This shelter, the staff, volunteers and the community have helped so many animals over the years. We are focussed, we are ready, we will never waiver in our mission to help animals. Zootoo, A MUCH NEEDED makeover would only help us in our journey to "reach for the stars" to continue to help more homeless animals, and that is truly what this is all about!

WOW!!!! What more can I say that my fellow volunteers haven't. We had a lovely comment from DAWS...if that doesn't bring home what this is all about I don't know what does. Even the rain shower we had on Friday as Richard and his team viewed our shelter didn't dampen our spirits. We are a small shelter but we do big things. A small 140 plus volunteer group but we all have a talent that is shared for the overall good of the animals. Caring, supporting, teaching, sharing joys and sorrows and the greatest of all is the love of the animals. The makeover will live for future generations and won't it be grand to say, "We had a small part of that made possible by Zoo Too's generous donation." We will be serving the communities and the animals for many years to come. We appreciate all that Zoo Too is and all that could come from the makeover. Thank you Richard, thank you to your wonderful team for all the hard work, it was our pleasure to meet you.

I became a volunteer at Second Chance after I adopted my dog, Cleo, from the shelter. I had been in contact with my friend Joann Kady who also volunteers there and Joe Blancato in the weeks following Cleo's adoption - letting them know how much I had fallen in love with this little dog and how well she was adjusting to her new home and our existing animal family of another dog and cat. When I told them that I was interested in volunteering at the shelter they both encouraged me to do so and Joe offered to train me with the dogs. And so it began...I went to the volunteer orientation which was run by a very nice lady, Maryann Gallo. During the orientation Maryann talked about the shelter and Sheryl's STRONG commitment to the spay/neuter program. I thought to myself, they know what this is what it is all about. Getting a grasp on the root of the problem of over population so that NO animal has to be homeless, or spend a night out in the cold fending for food. I also learned was that Second Chance takes dogs from other shelters that are kill shelters. While these shelters do their best to try to find these animals homes, in some cases they are forced to euthanize for space due to the over population. As a result some of these animals are brought to Second Chance and other shelters so that they will be adopted into a forever family and can live out their life.

After I began training with Joe (who is now one of my most favorite people) and his crew, Jackie and Joan, two of the nicest ladies on the planet, I quickly learned that Second Chance was a family, with the goal of helping each and every animal that came to the shelter. Not just cleaning up after them or walking them, but by showing them so much love and compassion while at the shelter. I now work on Mondays with a great girl name Margaret, aka, Maggie, who has such a love for animals. Who was an inspiration to me during the Zootoo contest. Showing up with her camera and working so hard for our shelter to reach it's goal to be in the top 20.

When our shelter held it's annual fundraiser dinner auction I just couldn't wait to go. Joe Craig, another volunteer with a great big heart, had such a look of pride on his face as he auctioned off the items. As I looked around the room that was filled to capacity I knew each person there, had come to support the shelter and all of our homeless animals.

The ZOOTOO celebration was so exciting but also very emotional! Mr. Thompson, you and your crew could not have been nicer. Your messages came through LOAD and clear. Bringing community awareness to shelters across the nation. ZOOTOO you are well on your way and I commend you for this! You have also brought our shelter closer together. The volunteers all work different shifts but there were several that I met via ZOOTOO. I finally met them in person at the celebration! Thank you!

To Second Chance - I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a part of your family. I know that I will be around for a long time to come and that this is where I am supposed to be. You and our animal friends have filled a void in my life and I know that I have made many life long friends, all with the same goal; HELPING HOMELESS ANIMALS!

I worked today and the first thing I did, after feeding my three cats, was go onto zootoo to see what was up. It was very exciting to have Richard and the Zootoo team come see our shelter. I really like how he said just think of the power there is in different groups of animal lovers getting together to work for one cause, the animals. That is so true. He also mentioned teaching children to be kind to animals, another biggy. We have to start when they are young so we can get the message across early.I cannot express what I feel very well but Sheryl said it all, Joe said it all,you always make me cry Joe, and all the others with their wonderful heartfelt comments. I know exactly what they mean. Nothing has produced so much excitement for me in a long long time and all the possiblities of what we can and will do in the future for the animals.Spreading the spay and neuter message so we can continue to make a bigger and bigger dent in the euthinasia problem and pet over population. Breaks my heart to see so many beautiful animals killed just for the fact there are too many. The abuse and neglect stories were very painful to see and hear but it did serve a purpose. Can't hide your head in the sand about it, have to do something about it. Just to let you know I am a member of the bengal rescue message board and a vet who is the director of the purebreed cat rescue is involved in the rescue sweepstakes. I have told her how exciting and worthwhile this endeavor is and to go for it. This zootoo phenemenon has really created a ripple effect and its growing bigger by the day. Like I said before it was great to have Richard and the Zootoo gang come to our shelter. It was great to see the Senator and all the other community members and I know we at the shelter have all become alot closer because of this Zootoo craze.



non has really created a ripple effect and I think this is great! It just keeps getting bigger and bigger with more people getting excited.

I would like to thank Richard Thompson and the Zootoo crew for a wonderful day and for bringing together an already close knit family even closer. Zootoo has been wonderful for us all. It has helped us to learn more about products, news around the world, and about us. It has given us a new way to bring shelters together to battle euthanasia. I have a good feeling that Zootoo is going to be able to do something that no one else has yet achieved - to bring together a community of the hardest working, most passionate group of people in the world - animal shelter volunteers, under one collective roof. We all know of the wonderful work that all shelters do individually in their respective communities. But, think what we could do if we all joined together, putting aside any differences in our missions or visions, and work together as one.
We, at Second Chance, have formed many relationships with shelters, animal control officers, and veterinarians to attain things that were thought to be beyond our reach. We have done this in our community and beyond. So, with Zootoo as a guiding light, think of what we could all do as one.
Zootoo has given us a glimmer of this light with this contest. Although we were all competing against each other for the prize, we were also working as a community to improve the knowledge of pet owners about products and provide insight into news stories. What else could we achieve with this guidance? Mr. Thompson has some wonderful ideas in the making that could really unite the entire animal community.
Zootoo is not just about the makeover, but about coming together and I look forward to what will be next with Zootoo.
We, of course, are hoping that Zootoo will pick us for the $1 million makeover. We desperately need it. Without a septic system, we cannot do laundry on the premises, we only have a tight tank that is expensive to pump. We have no central air, heat or ventilation. A single fan is all we have, electric wall heaters, and no air conditioning. We don't have enough space for all the animals in need and our spay program is run out of a renovated storage room. We hold in storage supplies to help local animal control, share with other shelters and rescues and for our emergency management. We have to literally crawl over each other in our tiny office. We have no community cat room or area for our adopters to meet our dogs in bad weather other than the little office. We are hoping that we can get this makeover and do so much more. We have endured the cramped quarters and have been able to achieve great things. It is because we have one of the most dedicated group of volunteers that I have ever seen. I am not saying that just because they volunteer at our shelter but because there is no doubt that this group is something special. They are committed to anything that the animals need and have all made great personal sacrifices for the animals.
Some examples that stick out in my mind is the Christmas Eve that we had so many that did not have homes. A volunteer came in late at night and stayed until the early morning hours because he didn't want the animals to be alone for Christmas. It may seem corny to some but it was something special. He gave them his evening so the pets would not be alone for Christmas. The pets didn't know it was Christmas but they did know that someone cared and got a special treat.
There was Diane who fostered many cats and kittens. One kitten in particular took a turn for the worse during the night and she held it close so the kitten would know that it was loved as it passed on to the rainbow bridge.
There is Joe Craig and Joe Blancato who dropped everything when I called about a site that was trying to care for dogs and ran out of bedding. They made the 6 hour round trip with only a few hours notice. They didn't say they were busy, Joe's response to the call was "what do you need and how soon".
Beyond our volunteers is the dedication of the families that pitch in to help and to understand when the animals take precedence over other things in their life. I personally am thankful for the patience of my husband who from the day after our marriage was understanding. The day after we were married, we had to rush to the shelter for an emergency which resulted in a race to the vets with a dog in danger. He didn't give a second thought as we raced to the vets and helped to stabilize the dog on the way. We got the dog safely to the vets but by the end of the emergency, the day was gone but the dog was saved.
This is what our shelter, our volunteers, and their families are all about. It is about the animals, making a difference in the shelter, and in the community. One pet at a time, one program at a time. I am excited about Zootoo and adding another layer to this. I wish Zootoo well in bringing the community together and we look forward to being a part of this new family.

Kudos should go to this organization for their efforts and professionalism. Attacking the root cause of animal overpopulation through education is an important part of shelter work and it sounds as if they are getting their message across.

One of the great things about watching the video about this group is the ability for other shelters to get ideas on fundraising, public relations, and types of educational programs. I consider these videos as great learning experiences for all shelters, so in the long run, everyone turns out to be a winner.

It was so impressive to see all the people from the community who came to show their support for Second Chance Friday morning in the "Baby Town of Massachusetts." I always knew we had a special community, but seeing how many people were able to come out on a work day was inspiring. We used every chair in the town hall and people were still standing! I was also impressed with the signs made by students at various schools in the area - the road to the shelter looked wonderfully welcoming and it was nice to see that our efforts in education outreach so touched these kids that they were eager to help us in return. Second Chance programs are what I called a "triple threat" in our mission to end animals suffering and homelessness. We have an adoption program which is highly promoted at area businesses and on our website (www.secondchanceanimals.org) to ensure that animals who are in need of a new home are helped. We also have low-cost spay/neuter programs to ensure that owned animals are not contributing to the overpopulation problem and also that dogs and cats in the are of other shelters and rescues are not adopted unless they have been spayed or neutered as well. We have seen the decline in the number of unwanted pets, especially puppies, so we know it's working. But these two programs weren't enough. We have a clearly articulated education program that is offered free of charge to schools, scouting groups, and libraries to educate children and adults alike on what our shelter does, the responsibility of owning a pet and how to be safe around pets. Knowledge is the key to change - we are getting the message out there about how to help our shelter and how to help and care for pets. It can only result in better lives for animals in our area. We are an organization of highly passionate, dedicated people who truly love animals. We are very lucky to have the publicity that Zootoo has brought us as it will certainly increase the number of people who avail themselves of the services we offer or volunteer to help animals, too. Thank you, Zootoo, and thank you to everyone who supports Second Chance in a variety of ways every day!

I am so excited for Second Chance to be a finalist in this shelter makeover contest! I am a fairly new volunteer, I started in February but already feel as though I've been there forever and plan to do just that! I love volunteering and immediately noticed the community support and love for the Second Chance shelter. I was very sad to miss the Zootoo visit because of work but hope that the judging team saw how much in need the shelter is to continue it's amazing work on behalf of the animals. If they all can't come home with me ( Mr. Johnson says 'NO,NO,NO!!!... we already have 2 cats, a cockatiel and a mouse!) then I want to be there for the animals to help them find their forever homes with someone else. If you go to the Second Chance webpage under adoptable cats, you'll find an original poem I wrote called, "Shelter Kitty". I wish only the best for Second Chance!!!!

Hooray to Second Chance Animal Shelter! I wish I could have been at the Zootoo visit, but unfortunately I had to be at work, but my thoughts were with Sheryl and all the volunteers who were able to make it. Yea! to Senator Brewer for taking time out of his busy schedule to support the shelter as well. I wish there were some way to convey to Zootoo how many benefits would come out of awarding the makeover to the Second Chance Animal Shelter in E. Brookfield. Every day that I spend with my Lucy, who I brought home from Second Chance last August, is a day in heaven. She gives me so much joy and I just know that part of her wonderful personality came from being fostered at Second Chance.....they are such great people there, that it just rubs off! Lucy loves playing with other dogs and, as dogs will, she loves to chase Snicker (the cat (I consider her my cat) that I have been cat sitting for, for 3 years). With all the wonderful ideas that the volunteers and owner of Second Chance come up with (they continue to think outside the box to get the very most out of so little space) only a lot of good stuff can come out of a makeover. The folks from Zootoo that visited the site must have seen how small, small, small the shelter is, but it has a big, big, big heart!

Congratulations Second Chance on your good work! I was curious about your Pedigree rescue story commercial. Would somebody tell me which dog (cat?) it was? Those ads are so effective, they ALWAYS make me cry, no matter how many times I've seen them. Thanks and good luck to you all!

Richard and the Zoo Too Team... I want you to know that you will in all likelyhood continue to see Rescue Shelters that are all in desperate need of something. Whether it is a new roof, a new air-conditioner, even new litter scoops. That, unfortuneatly is the world we all live in. We are supported only by the generous donations of our community, friends of the animals, the tireless work of volunteers who expect nothing in return except a big wet kiss from the dogs and the fund raisers that we all put on every year to keep the shelters open and saving animals. For us, this is not about the physical things that are all obvious, it is about being able to go further, to do more, to educate more, to reach out further than our MA community and to one day, in our greatest dream, make the need for Rescue shelters non existant. But there is something here at Second Chance that you will not likely see in your other visits. That is the pure, heart driven passion with which every volunteer here feels for our animals, for those that we cannot reach, for those that we were too late for and for the endless our work. I, personally, retired from Corp. life two years ago to fullfill the deeply rooted calling in me to do something for the poor helpless creatures that cannot speak for themselves. Being at the shelter with the animlas and with the humans who have the same burning devotion to doing whatever it takes to save another animal from a life of deprivation, abuse, neglect, or abandonment is just the most rewarding experience one can imagine. There is no reward needed except the sight of seeing our "homeless" friends leave our shelter in the kind, caring and loving hands of their new forever families. I can not tell you how pervasive the passion and committment is here. I have volunteered at other shelters here in MA in my past, and it is a given that shelter volunteers feel strongly about their mission wherever they are. But the sense of love, careing and devotion at Second Chance goes infinitely beyond that. It is a deep and boundless motivation that comes from the deepest parts of our spirits that has allowed this tiny shelter to accomplish what it has accomplished since it's humble inception in 1999. If you had a way of seeing into our hearts and our souls your decision would be very clear. The animals are the reason that we loose sleep at night, the reason that we spend the countless hours doing what we do, the reason that we light up when see our successes and reason that we all shed tears when we see the never ending hardship that our animals have endured. We all wish that we could be like the animals and live only in the present, but our humanality doesn't allow for that. We feel their pain. I hope you had a chance to see what I am talking about in our eyes and our hearts and that it came through loud and clear in the words that we spoke to you. This type of genuine committment and passion and love for God's creatures is what sets this tiny shelter off of Podunk Road apart from the others.

It's been an amazing day for Second Chance - our small shelter, our small town have achieved something that 6 months ago we could only dream about - we have made it to the Top 20 in the contest (13th to be exact) and today we had the visit from Richard & the Zootoo Crew! So first, I would like to thank them - for the contest, for the opportunity to better our shelter in a way we never dreamed of before - for the chance to win a $1Million Dollar Makeover... this journey has been more than I ever imagined...
Second Chance has changed lives in our area and well beyond - and for now I am not talking the dogs, cats, ferrets and other much loved creatures - I am talking the people - I have belonged to the Second Chance family since the inception - since the day my Avon Lady/Dog Officer said "I'm thinking of starting a shelter - want to help" - my answer that day was "sure" and if she asked me again tomorrow my answer would be a resounding sure. Second Chance has given me much more than I have given back - animals to fall in love with - to hug, to cuddle, to clean up after - to say goodbye to with tears in my eyes but a smile on my face as I see them leave for a forever home. There was Napoleon - a brown tiger cat that stayed with us so long we finally moved his crate into our tiny office to be near a window -and he would spend hours on my lap while I made follow up calls - boy did I miss him when he was "suddenly" discovered by a loving family and adopted! There was Cary Grant - a gorgeous Siamese mix who stole my heart. Sam , a Chocolate Lab who could not find the right forever home - and came back to us for a 3rd time - then my brother and family adopted him - they have all lived happily ever after:) My Nikki - who we took in to foster 3 years ago - a Heartworm/ Lyme positive girl who had been abandoned at a campground - one look in those brown eyes and she was abandoned no more - and even more so - our family was complete once again...
So Richard & the Zootoo crew - this is what Second Chance has brought just to me - and there are countless more stories from the past that I wish you could hear... and there will be many more stories in the future as Second Chance goes on. With the help of a Million Dollar makeover more lives will be fulfilled, more paths will be completed, more love will be shown...

As a Second Chance supporter, I wanted to commend Zootoo for their innovative methods for spreading the news about earth's animals, specifically our faithful furry family members. What a wonderful opportunity for so many resource-sparse shelters to grow and expand necessary services. Your support has produced an excitement in the animal shelter community that is amazing... just the boost many shelters need.

I also wanted to thank the Second Chance Shelter for all of their caring and concern for the shelter animals, for the families who adopt them, and for the needs of the community. This shelter is a true asset to southern central Massachusetts, and East Brookfield is blessed to have them here. I could go on... and on... about their programs and subsequently about their increasing needs. This shelter is an excellent example of what a shelter should be...... though somewhat condensed into a very "tight" space. The drive and energy of the shelter staff & volunteers is rather deceiving for such a physically small facility.

I'm hoping that Zootoo will view the Second Chance Animal Shelter favorably down the stretch, as I cannot think of a more deserving organization. Thank you.

The turnout in East Brookfield for second chance animal shelter demonstrates the need for there expansion. This shelter covers a large area helping many animals find homes and excellent care while waiting they deserve recognition for there outstanding devotion to animals.
raccha