Michelle G.

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 Ric… Read More

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.


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