4:38pm
Second Chance Needs a Makeover
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I have been a volunteer for Second Chance since the building opened in 2002. We were completely built by volunteers and donations. Since that time, we have definitely outgrown our physical space. We have an in-house clinic that operates two to three fully booked low-cost spay/neuter clinics each week out of a ONE-ROOM lab! We help other shelters and animal control officers spay and neuter pets in their care to make sure no animals are adopted who could add to the pet overpopulation problem. We have to clean and disinfect all pet bowls, litter pans, and toys outside, try this in our New England winters! We also have no means of cooling the shelter, which means fans going on those not New England summers. We have no way to groom animals and must rely on two area groomers to assist in the most needy cases. As the ONLY no-kill shelter in our area, we get calls to take in cats and dogs constantly and our waiting list tends to be long because of a lack of space. We have room for 14 dogs and about 14 cats as well. This is definitely not adequate for the needs of the community. I am always impressed by the vision of the director of our shelter who has seen beyond the immediate need of rehoming companion animals to institute the low-cost spay-neuter clinics and an eduction outreach program to attack the root cause of overpopulation. This vision is limited by our physical space but she continues to expand upon these programs and find a way to make it work. When we didn't have room for all the clinics, she got area veterinarians to accept our vouchers. When we had no space for educational and behavioral programs, she got local trainers to partner with us to provide behavior assistance to pet owners and the town library to host educational programs. She even has plans to educate other shelters on how to institute their own low-cost spay/neuter programs. I can only imagine where we can go and how many more animals and pet owners we will be able to assist if not limited by our space. "Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon."
