We are Here to Help.

Updates on our Programs & Services in Response to COVID-19:

Our pets are more important to our health right now than ever before. They are helping us get through the overwhelming daily changes to our lives. Second Chance is here to help keep our community's pets together with their families. We are working to stock our Pet Food Bank and to safely provide wellness care and foster care, when needed.

We appreciate the many offers we have received for support in getting our shelter ready for the anticipated increase in relinquished and abandoned pets. Currently our greatest needs are for:

• adopters
• foster home applications
• donations to our Pet Food Bank for low income community members (see note below)
• general donations to help us keep doing what we are doing.

Those interested in adopting or fostering pets please email animalcare@adoptmountainpets.org to learn more. We are anticipating an increase of pets needing care in the coming weeks and, as the Montrose Shelter is unable to receive stray pets at this time, we are working toward supporting a community foster care network for our tri-county region.

For those unsure on adopting at this time, this is actually an ideal time to adopt a pet. Pets are experts on caring for humans during times of self-isolation and social distancing and provide us with much needed emotional support. Our adoptions are taking place by appointment only with very minimal time and interaction at the shelter. Email us to set an appointment to meet your Covid Companion today!

Due to a shortage of personal protection equipment for our medical community all elective veterinary procedures, such as spay/neuter have been suspended in Colorado. We will be providing updates on how we will be setting up protocols to reduce a pet population boom this spring.

As for our Thrift Shops, currently they are both fully closed. We are cleaning and designing new safety protocols for our donation center at our Ridgway Thrift Shop and will be receiving donations by appointment only sometime next week at our Ridgway donation center. 

With our main revenue source suspended right now any donation you can provide will make a difference to allow us to keep doing this critical work.

Lastly, we appreciate the many offers for volunteers at the shelter but we are currently limiting volunteers to the minimal necessary and utilizing our longer term trained volunteers who can perform volunteer routines without interacting with staff.

Thank you all for your support – please join us on our social media platforms and send us photos of you and your pets at home together – it cheers us on and shows others how important our pets are!

Wishing you all health & strength during these challenging times...

UPDATE ON OUR PET FOOD BANK:

As some continue to purchase more pet food than they need right now, the pet food listed on our Pet Food Bank Wish list is out of stock. Thus, please buy pet food from any source that has it available and drop at our Second Chance Shelter gate, at 177 Cty Rd 10 in Ridgway. Although we are closed to the public you can call us at 970.626.2273 when dropping off food at the gate. Second Chance will distribute the food directly to community members in need.  You can also make a direct donation online. Thank you for caring for our community pets!

Events & Media

Our newest community resources program!

Living Better Together

To support families in keeping their pets happy and healthy for their lifetime we are offering wellness clinics for pets of low-income families. 

• Free Wellness Exams
• Spay/Neuter - starting at $40
• Vaccinations - $8
• De-worming - $10
• FELV testing - $15
• Heartworm testing - $3
• Flea & tick prevention - $10
• Micro-chipping - $15

NEW: Now offering Dental Cleaning starting at $150!

Second Chance Shelter - 177 County Rd 10, Ridgway

Call 970.626.2273 for eligibility requirements and an appointment

We are not providing emergency care at this time.

Honoring the Everlasting Bond

Angels Wings Memorial Garden

Promoting the human-animal bond is one of the most important things we do here at Second Chance. We believe in the power of unconditional love we share with our pets, and are forever grateful for each one of these furry family members who enrich our lives, even long after they are gone.

Purchase a Memorial Gift

In the Media

Check us Out on Animal Planet's Dr. Jeff!

1.3 million people across the nation were able to take a look at some of Second Chance Humane Society’s outreach services. The most watched series on the Animal Planet Channel, Dr. Jeff Rocky Mountain Vet, partnered with Second Chance to provide free spay-neuter and medical clinics in Nucla and Ridgway. 

Watch our Ridgway Shelter episode

Watch our Nucla outreach episode (about 22 minutes in)

In the media

Second Chance In the News

Second Chance received some great media coverage of our programs and services.

Read "On the Way to a Forever Home" in Shelter Magazine

And "Must Love Dogs" in Telluride Style Magazine

Power of the Human - Animal Bond

Equine Assisted Therapy Program

We are excited about expanding our equine assisted therapy program for the 2020 season!

Stay tuned for details...

Seeking New Venue - Contact us!

Paws for Art

Paws for Art is a touring sale of the best artwork donations to our Thrift Shops.  This allows art collectors, or those just looking for something new for their homes, a better opportunity to view these amazing pieces.  It also allows us to get better prices for these donations - which go directly toward our life saving animal welfare programs and services. 

Contact us if you are interested in hosting an event at your business or home...

 Giving Great Art & Homeless Pets a Second Chance!

We regret to announce:

Notice of Postponement: Furry Flicks & Fashion

In response to  the heightened public concerns regarding the evolution of the Coronavirus in our region and in respect of the guidelines being put forth by the medical community and government, Second Chance Humane Society has made the difficult decision to postpone Furry Flicks & Fashion, scheduled for this coming Saturday, March 14^th at the 4H Center in Ridgway.

We do intend to present the wonderful live and silent auction items in an online format that will still enable our supporters to benefit from the exciting items that were so generously donated to our auction.

Please consider continuing your support of Second Chance Humane Society and our mission of “Connecting Pets, People and Community While Saving Lives”, by participating in our online auction or, alternatively, sponsoring an animal’s care for a period of time or making a donation en lieu of attending our fundraiser.

While this remains a challenging time for us all, please know that the animals we take in and care for still require every bit of love, nurturing and care as we have always prided ourselves on giving them. Your support during this difficult time is more valuable than ever.

We will be providing updates shortly on the status of our online auction. Wishing everyone in our community health & strength during these challenging times.

In Gratitude,

The Staff and Board of Second Chance Humane Society

Returns to Telluride - July 25, 2020

Save the Date: 6th Annual Bow Wow Film Festival!

We will once again be kicking off the nationwide Bow Wow Film Festival tour from Telluride. 

• Bow Wow Film Festival - which celebrates, educates & inspires all things doggie via the art of short film! 
• Stellar silent & live auctions
• Yappy Hour with Nibbles & Cash Bar

If you missed Bow Wow 2019 you can still catch it at our Furry Flicks & Fashion fun-raiser: March 14, 2020 in Ridgway (see above)!

The Pet Column

Second Chance Updates and Adoptables

Second Chance Humane Society wants to thank the publishers of our weekly Pet Column for continuing to give us the opportunity to connect with our pet loving communities during these challenging times. We know that platforms for disseminating information are more important than ever right now. As such today’s column is geared to educate and support pet parents but we tossed in an uplifting tale of two of our adorable adoptable dogs.

Read more

Best Dog on the Catwalk

Doesn’t the name Topaz just have that Super Model ring to it? Yeah, I thought so too. Which is why I am anticipating great things for myself at this weekend’s doggie fashion show (part of Furry Flicks & Fashion event this Saturday March 14^th at the Ouray County Event Center in Ridgway). I am excited as it is my big chance to finally get noticed for my beauty, talent and grace plus get adopted.

Read more

Be an Advocat!

As a shelter cat here at Second Chance Humane Society I have been witness to what I believe is a growing disparity between the feline versus canine connection with humans. There are some strong indicators in shelters nationwide. For example, stray dogs are far more often reclaimed by their owners than stray cats and there always more cats in the shelter than dogs. This is not the cat’s fault and it needs to change.

Read more

Mr. Microchip is Your Friend

Jelly Bean here, a homeless kitty at the Second Chance Humane Society Shelter. I am one of many pets at Second Chance who arrived without any identification, making it rather difficult for me to be returned to my family. So today’s Pet Column lesson is one word. Microchip. And for y’all that spell it as two words…well you are wrong.

Read more

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