Dogs and Shelter Personnel arrive at Second Chance Animal Shelter as part of a mission to save lives

Second Chance Animal Shelter welcomed personnel from their “sister shelter” to provide mentorship, support and hands-on problem solving and skill sharing. In an effort to assist overwhelmed animal shelters of Puerto Rico, The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund® established the Sister Shelter Project to pair each shelter with a thriving shelter in stateside U.S. This is the first time a program like the Sister Shelter Project will be carried out on this scale. It will set a precedent where rural and underserved communities in all states have resources and support from strong, knowledgeable animal shelters and animal welfare professionals.

Second Chance named this project “Operation H.O.P.E.”. The project is part of a larger program of The HSUS called Humane Puerto Rico. With an estimated 300,000 street dogs and an estimated 1 million cats, this is a vital mission.

“We are excited to welcome our sister shelter personnel here for a visit so we can work with them to help solve this overwhelming issue” stated Sheryl Blancato, Executive Director of Second Chance Animal Shelter. “We are equally excited to have received the first transport of pets from this shelter to help with their overwhelming number of pets in their shelter. Transport is just one part of this multi-faceted mission. They are here to watch our veterinarians in cutting edge techniques for spay/neuter, learn our protocols for care of pets in the shelter, and find ways to work together to help solve the daunting task they have of caring for over 12,000 pets a year there. This is a long term partnership and we look forward to one day being able to say that thinks are remarkably better. It will take time and we are happy to help. The people at this shelter are amazing and work so hard to do the best for the pets in their shelter. We want to help them in any way we can”.

“We received 9 dogs from them late last week” stated Mrs. Blancato. “They are beautiful and have completed their medical evaluation and are ready for adoption. Helping these little dogs to get a second chance at life is what it is all about”.

About Second Chance Animal Shelter:

Second Chance is a nonprofit 501c3 tax exempt organization that began in 1999 in East Brookfield and relies solely on donations and grants to operate. The Shelter operates an adoption center in East Brookfield, a Pet Wellness and Veterinary Center in North Brookfield, as well as a Community Veterinary Clinic in Springfield. Second Chance helps over 26,000 pets a year through adoption, spay/neuter, veterinary care, community outreach, educational outreach programs, training, and a pet food pantry. For more information, visit Second Chance’s website at www.secondchanceanimals.org.