Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries

Who we are

Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries is:

• A 501c3 nonprofit organization serving Tioga County, Pennsylvania, for 25 years. 

• A no-kill animal shelter, as designated by Best Friends Animal Society for having an annual save rate exceeding 90%.

• A nurturing environment for lost, abandoned or at-risk dogs and cats, operated by a team of dedicated and compassionate people, mostly volunteers. 

• An ever-evolving community resource assisting pet owners with veterinary expenses, pet food, care for outdoor cat colonies, humane education and more.

What we do

INTAKE/ADOPTION - We take in both stray and owner-surrendered dogs and cats from Tioga County and on certain occasions as able, from neighboring areas. We procure medical treatment, including spay/neuter, microchip and vaccines, and assess their personalities and behavior to match them to the right home. Adopters are vetted with a written application, conversations with our animal managers, and personal and veterinary reference checks.

TENTH LIFE - This program helps cats with chronic health issues, illness or injury by procuring the medical care they need, finding them special homes (foster, hospice or adoptive), and offering their caretakers individualized care packages that often assist the cat for the rest of its life. 

GREY WHISKERS - Grey Whiskers mainly helps senior dogs ages 7 and up, or the occasional younger dog with chronic health issues. The dog receives necessary medical care and is placed into a foster, hospice or adoptive home, with individualized plans that often include financial assistance for the dog's lifetime medical care. 

GUARDIAN HOMES - This program assists people caring for feral and/or stray cat colonies, with monthly cat food donations and some monetary assistance for spay/neuter and vaccines.

COMPASSION PROGRAM - Second Chance's Compassion Fund helps pet owners pay a portion of routine veterinary costs directly to the vet on a case-by-case basis.

HOPE (Helping Our Pets Eat) - We partner with local food pantries to offer dog and cat food to those in need, with some also available at the sanctuary monthly. 

PAW PAW'S PATCH COMMUNITY DOG PARK - Named for a beloved beagle who lived out his days at Second Chance, Paw Paw’s Patch is a dog park that provides a safe place for pet owners to enjoy, exercise, train and socialize their dogs. The park, located at 725 Gee Road, Tioga, PA, is free for the public.

ANNUAL EVENTS - Fundraisers like low-cost vaccine/microchip clinics, Pet Photos with Santa, and Chili & Chowder with a Chance for Chocolate help make our mission possible!

How your donations help:

How we got here

In 2001, after a visit to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, Sue Cook of Wellsboro unveiled a dream of compassion to help local animals who were being abused, abandoned and euthanized due to a lack of resources. 

Second Chance became the grateful recipient of 10 acres of land donated by the late Dorothy Condict, and in 2016, opened its Heading Home Center in Tioga. Since then, Second Chance has helped more than 2,500 animals find new homes and reunited more than 250 lost animals with their families.