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FEBRUARY, 2015
STURBRIDGETIMES
THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE AREA LIVING
MAGAZINE
Prsrt. Std
U.S. Postage
PAID
Worcester, MA
Permit No. 2
LEGAL
BRIEF
O NT H LY
F O R
H E
LEGA
REA D ERS
T URB RID GE
DVIC E
O F
IM ES
AGA Z INE
DEBT COLLECTORS
Second Chance
From page 17
happens in their life, and they become disabled, she said. Should
they have to give up the pets
theyve loved and cared for because they cant afford something
thats pretty simple to treat?
Second Chance began offering
subsidized care, allowing low-income or elderly pet owners to take
care of their beloved animals, in
October 2013 to respond to what
Blancato called an overwhelming
need. Staff and volunteers at the
shelter would see pets come in for
their low-cost rabies or spay and
neuter services that were in need
of medical care that owners couldnt afford.
Rather than take those pets in,
treat them and try to re-home
them, Blancato said it made more
sense to develop a clinic where
people could pay reduced fees for
the veterinary care, and the pets
could stay in their home. In the
last 15 months the subsidized
clinic has grown immensely, going
from just one vet to eight. The
care they provide helped Second
Chance serve more than 16,000
animals last year.
The clinic has state-of-the-art
equipment and a staff of talented
and certified veterinarians and vet
technicians. They Wellness Clinic
provides routine exams, vaccinations, micro-chipping, heartworm
treatment and preventative care,
mass removals, dental surgeries,
cleaning and extractions. Vets can
run diagnostic blood work on site,
which means pet owners can have
their animals tested and treated
usually in just one trip. They can
also treat ear, skin and urinary infections.
We pretty much see a little bit
of everything, and a lot times, we
find that something an owner is really worried about is a simple, easy
thing to fix, said Blancato.
Currently, they have to refer out
x-rays, but are hoping to find
In general,
if a person qualifies
for some sort of
government assistance,
they will qualify
for the subsidized
care here.
SHERYL BLANCATO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SECOND CHANCE ANIMAL SHELTER