Second Glances

Quarterly Newsletter 
Spring 2005 Issue Number 13
Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries
PO Box 293 Wellsboro, PA 16901
570-724-7919 
E-Mail : secondchanceas@yahoo.com  
On the Web :   www.secondchanceas.org

Ahhh Spring!

Let's see... taxes paid, dogs bathed, windows cleaned,  yard raked, winter clothing stored,  car washed, plants uncovered,  birdhouses checked, grill checked and tested, spring clothing repurchased due to apparent shrinkage from winter storage, kennel cleaned, dogs... Where are the dogs?

Let's see... pond explored, water quality checked, fresh mud rub, squirrels chased, back itched, mud run, tail chased, frog watched, stick pulled, flowers redug and watered, new "dead stuff" perfume tested, mud mask, tag and run, human... Where is the human?

Let's see... human licked, dog smelled, house tracked, water running, dogs bathed and dried, human dried, floor mopped, time.... to end the lists and check-offs. It is Spring!

Grab the leash, ball, walking shoes, treats and snack, and GO!

It always seems, season after season, that we become wrapped up in the lists and routines and miss the moments we dream of. With me it's the explore trips with my dogs, discoveries yet undiscovered, laughs and stories yet to be experienced, that easily fall by the wayside. To others it can be tipping back in a rocker on the porch with a feline friend purring on their lap soaking the sounds and breezes. Still others find a ride in the car with the window cracked, to snatch the array of passing fragrances or a flock of geese honking it up, tips their fancy. What matters is that you put this time on your side...and theirs.

            There's another joy of spring often missed...and that's a visit to a local shelter or even a neighborhood farm. The life there will touch your heart-- the touch from you will add joy to theirs. The "Ahhh Spring!" fever will quicken your heart and lighten your step. Guaranteed!

Dear friends,

            Is it just me, or has Old Man Winter been more persistent this year in ‘hanging onto the last drop’ than usual? Regardless, spring is finally here (I think!) and if you look very carefully you may even see the beginnings of a daffodil or two sprouting out and about! 

            As usual, the winter months were our somewhat dormant months as a ‘visible’ organization, but we have nevertheless been busy relocating animals, fostering dogs/cats, assisting individuals and their pets with vet bills, distributing donated pet food to those in need, and continuing to foster a knowledge and awareness of proper pet care and compassion through our continuing “Paw Prints” column in the local Wellsboro Star Gazette. As we gear up toward the summer months ahead, we expect to be deluged with calls about kitten and puppy litters, stray cats that have wandered onto a compassionate soul’s yard, etc. It saddens our hearts when we receive these desperate calls from people who genuinely care and have nowhere to turn. We help as many as we can, but we can only do as much as is humanly possible. However, whenever even one animal is saved, we know that all of this is worthwhile and that we are making a difference, one day at a time.

Perhaps this is the glue that has held Second Chance together---the perseverance of our board members and supporters that will not allow us to give up, but keeps us striving toward our goal of a facility in which these countless animals can find peace, nurturing and, if necessary, a haven of lifetime care.

            Recently we have had inquiries regarding designating Second Chance as a charitable interest in a will. As we are a recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, any and all donations/bequests are fully deductible. Please contact us via email or phone if you wish to acquire more information on this issue. We can also suggest several lawyers who serve in an advisory capacity to Second Chance

            Have a warm, sunny spring and a memorable summer with your furry loved ones!

“No act of kindness is ever wasted. And no thought of ‘Love’ is ever in vain”

Best Friends

Sue Cook, President

Kasey’s Kat Kolony

…. A continuing diary of a feral cat colony that Second Chance is managing

In the fall of 2003, Molly, a beautiful black and white hair kitty, had one kitten that survived.  Every morning she and her lonely kitten would sleep on the hay bale near the food waiting for me.  The poor kitten’s eyes were all crusted over and his nose was running.  I put some ointment in his eyes and tried to clean him up the best I could.  I could get a hold of him when he was little critter, but when he got bigger and faster he was harder to catch.

I soon trapped Molly to get her fixed.  The kitten was alone for a day or two and when his mother was returned she went into hiding for a few days.  The kitten was old enough to be on his own, but he was still lonely.  I began to coax him towards me each morning by dragging a stick in front of me.  He would chase the stick but as I went to pet him he would scoot back under the back porch.  I soon enlisted my husband to try and pet the kitten.  He would patiently play with him each morning and would sneak in a pet when he would get close enough.  This little kitten also loved to eat canned food.  When I would put out the canned food he would dive right in and start eating. It was when I could manage a few pets he realized what was going on.  I knew I needed to name the little guy and the more we played with him, the more we tried to pet him, I knew the proper name would be Rascal.  Rascal loved to let me get one or two pets before he would dart under the area that they slept in and then peek his head out at me with a mischievous little cat grin saying, “You can’t catch me.” 

One day I was playing stick with him when I started to pet him.  He didn’t move.  As I petted his poor skinny little body I heard a rumble start way down within.  Rascal was purring!  I think it surprised him that he could even make such a happy noise.

It soon came time that Rascal was old enough to get fixed.  He was not happy in the trap or when I returned him.  Dr. Kreger found that he was very sick and had to give him an antibiotic shot.  I was never again able to pet him, although I did become his buddy once again.

Through the cold winter of 2004, Rascal met me every morning to get a drink before his water would freeze.  I never knew that a cat could tiptoe, but when the temperature in the morning wouldn’t even hit 20° I swear it looked like he tiptoed.  Sometimes he would even venture to my house, a quarter mile down the road, and would peek in my sliding glass door until I yelled at him for traveling so far away from home.

In the mornings before I would tromp up the road in my farmer’s boots I would often see him and his mother along the side of the road or crossing the road to go hunting in the cornfield.  I worried about him getting hit in the road or getting caught in the farmer’s machinery. 

Rascal grew to be a very interesting looking cat and would often talk to me in the mornings while he anxiously awaited his food.  The soft cat food was still his favorite and he would be especially talkative those mornings.  He befriended any kitten that was born and still loved to hangout with his mother. 

Unfortunately, Rascal was hit in the road on August 15, 2004.  Rascal was my favorite little feral and will be greatly missed.  I gave him a proper burial in back of my house and hope that he is now in a better place where he will never be hungry or cold again. 

…to be continued, with happier ‘happenings’, in the next issue

Read the entire diary on our website!

   Actions taken to cause smiles in the lives of others are returned.

Is a Dog Right for You?

            You might think you want a dog, and with little more consideration than that go out and purchase or adopt one. Many people jump into dog ownership without any more thought than that. People who would spend days or weeks researching and picking out just the right automobile, computer or big screen TV can be walking by the mall pet shop or visiting the local SPCA and within the hour they have a new pet. It would be good to remember that when getting a puppy you’re committing to a possible fifteen-year relationship. Yup…. fifteen years—probably three times longer than that car, computer or TV will last. So please, before getting a dog, take some time and give some thought to the reasons you want a dog, the type of dog, the time required to care for it, etc.

            Why do you want a dog? Is it for hunting, protection, companionship, etc.? Persons buying a dog for hunting have usually done their homework as to the type of dog they want; but remember that in this day and age most hunting dogs usually become a companion/house pet as well, so sometimes it is better to compromise on the breed type so that you get a dog that will fit in as a family pet as well. Before getting a dog for protection you definitely want to get as much specialized input from handlers, breeders, and other owners as you can get.

Most dogs, of course, are acquired for companionship. One of the primary considerations should be: Will you have enough time to properly care for the dog? A dog needs the owner to spend quality time with it. Time is required for training as well as proper care. Time is required for feeding, watering, and bathroom breaks. Time is necessary for exercising the dog. The larger the dog, of course, the more exercise it requires. To deny a larger dog proper exercise can make it overly aggressive. All dogs benefit from daily exercise. Most of the problems of owner/dog incompatibility can be corrected when enough time is spent working with the pet.

            Do you have proper space to keep a pet? Consider the size of your house or apartment and backyard. A dog that has to be kept “tied” outdoors probably shouldn’t have been purchased n the first place.

            Will the dog “fit in” with the rest of your family and household? Consider small children, other pets, etc.

            Do you have enough money to properly care for a pet? Vet care today isn’t cheap! Vets are expensive, and your pet is going to need regular checkups, shots, and maybe costly surgeries. Dog food is relatively expensive also. Chances are your pet can’t go on vacation with you either and that may require money for a kennel stay or to have someone care for it at your home.

            If you can’t answer yes to all of the above considerations, maybe you should postpone getting a dog until your circumstances change. There are other pets that require somewhat less care.

When getting a dog you are accepting the responsibility to care for it, even when it is no longer the cute, cuddly puppy you first brought home. You can’t discard it in its old age like you could the car, computer or TV. It’s tried its best to be your lifelong friend and now you need to return its love and friendship by staying its friend for life also.

For more information, email :  secondchanceas@yahoo.com

“Sharing Our World”

Nestled around us are snapshots of the good and wonders of life. From spring peepers to children or from pets to petunias, spring unleashes our senses and sensitivities. Take care, dear friends, to find the moments you will long remember.

Dear Mom,

Thank you for giving me a new loving home to live in.  I know you had a long trip to bring me to my new special friends but I am doing fine.  I am loving up my new special friends and being a very good kitty. Thought I would send a picture along with this letter to show you that I even get to hog part of the couch whenever I want to.    Love, Luna

Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries welcomes your suggestions and involvement. Please contact us!