Second Chance expands to better serve animals and the community
Keriana Gamboa
Columbia Mo. (KMIZ)
On Saturday, Second Chance celebrated the opening of its new clinic building at an open house event where the public got their first look inside, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony two days ago.
Second Chance unveiled a climate-controlled storage building for pet food and opened an in-house clinic for spay and neuter procedures. They also renovated their adoption building to include emergency dog rooms for dogs not in foster care.
Second Chance executive director, Giulia Hall, says looking ahead, Second Chance plans to use the new building as a food pantry to support community members in need.
“What we would like to do is just to be able to offer supplies and food and you know, even beyond food, if people need things for the community, especially on towards Booneville, because there isn’t a lot out this way,” Hall said.
They have not finalized a timeline for its opening.
“That being available to people who possibly need food for their dogs because they don’t have a home at the moment or they’re just, you know, struggling between paycheck to paycheck, because dog food can get pretty pricey,” Foster Employee, Veronica Buman said.
Second Chance also recently broke ground on a new memorial garden and is still in the early stages of development. They completed the walking path last week, and the next phase will involve adding paw print designs made from river rocks for community members to paint.
Susan Groshong, a foster parent for over a decade, said having an animal rescue nearby matters, especially in communities with limited resources.
“I know I’ve had dogs that were from Eldon or other communities that don’t have shelters, so being here in Boonville makes it easier for people to come here to meet the dogs,” Groshong said.
Since 2022, Second Chance has facilitated more than a thousand adoptions each year. Currently, they have over 200 animals placed in foster homes.