Our Mission

  • To provide humane, no-kill sanctuaries for the care and rehabilitation of abandoned and at-risk animals. 
  • To provide compassionate, animal-friendly environments that respect the dignity and total needs of all animals under our care and protection. 
  • To provide outreach programs and networks for animal adoptions, public respect and appreciation of animals, and  awareness of animal needs as well as human responsibilities. 

Our vision is, through example, advocacy, and outreach, to make a real difference in not only the animals we help but in future treatment and respect for all life, great or small.

Our Story

Look into the eyes of a homeless dog or cat and you will find the essence of Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries, a nonprofit charity serving Tioga County, Pennsylvania, and surrounding communities. Second Chance was formed in 2001, when after a visit to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, Sue Cook of Wellsboro unveiled a dream of compassion to help our area’s animals. She spoke of healthy domestic animals being euthanized at the local state-run shelter. She spoke of animals being abused, neglected or abandoned right in our communities. She spoke of elderly or lower income families lacking the assistance to continue caring for the pets they loved so dearly. Most importantly, Sue spoke of the compassion for animals witnessed throughout Tioga County and beyond and the lack of assistance for caring people trying to help animals in need. 

Today, Second Chance is a life-saving, ever-evolving community resource, with various programs to enrich the lives of animals in need and assist the guardians responsible for their care. Programs to assist with basic or emergency veterinary care, humane education program for our youth, providing food for community cat colonies, and assistance for animals in crisis situations start the list. When animals can no longer stay in their homes, the Perfect Match program seeks to find new homes based on the animal’s needs and personality. Since our formation in 2001, we have adopted out more than 2,000 cats and dogs into forever homes and have reunited over 200 stray dogs with their owners. 

Second Chance started as home foster-based organization, but was the fortunate recipient of 10 acres of beautiful land, donated by Dorothy Condict of Tioga County. On this land, Second Chance’s Heading Home Center was opened in 2016 to house stray, abandoned and homeless animals. As of 2025, Second Chance is now the only animal welfare organization in Tioga County with a facility open to the public for visiting, volunteering, donating and adopting. 

Second Chance completed construction on its Mione Outreach Center in 2022. This new venture made possible by the Mione Family Animal Care Fund, established by the family of Flavio R. Mione, a resident of Osceola and lifelong animal-lover. The center currently serves as an outreach center for learning, meeting and inspiring ways to further help dogs and cats of Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Long-term goals are for the building to serve as a low-cost veterinary clinic for Second Chance animals and local pets as soon as a veterinarian is secured. 

Being a nonprofit 501c3 organization, Second Chance is funded entirely by individual and business donations, grants we apply for, and fundraisers. We are a local-based organization that is not affiliated with any larger organizations, nor are we contracted by the state, county or any municipalities. With the exception of a few key positions, nearly all animal care and fundraising is performed by dedicated volunteers, with the board of directors also being entirely voluntary. Valuing compassion and integrity, Second Chance hopes to serve as a role model for other organizations and as a beacon of community hope for animals in need.