Second Chance - Fort Bragg, CA

18/07/2022

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25/06/2022

07/06/2022

Second Chance - Fort Bragg
Update for June, 2022

Spring must have sprung, judging not only from the abundance that has appeared but also from the many calls for puppy shots that we have received over the past couple of weeks. Also, at our visit to the Ft. Bragg Food Bank on June 3rd, we had the pleasure of signing up a bunch of cute puppies for their shots and also fitting them for their first collars and leashes and getting them toys and treats.

We did not have quite the turnout for our June flea/tick repellent plus clinic that we had for April and May, giving away just under 100 tubes of repellent, rather than just over that number. Still, it was a successful outing, especially when compared with the Covid doldrums of 2020 and 2021. The Glucosamine tablets we have recently added to the mix are getting progressively more popular, and we are signing up more and more dogs to get their nails clipped.

We were pleased on this month’s first Friday to welcome a new volunteer. Her name is Paige Sutton, and she has recently moved to Ft. Bragg from Forestville. She is a quick study, an engaging, energetic person, and eager to help animals and people in our coastal community. Sonoma’s loss is definitely Mendocino’s gain.

I am also pleased to announce that we have a new webmaster for our website. Brian Wethern will be managing the site from now on. Brian is from Minnesota but has been living in Ft. Bragg for several years now. He seems to know most everything about computers and websites and how to manage and fix problems with either. He has been taking care of and upgrading our computers for several years now. Brian and I are still working on updating the Second Chance website. So far, the HOME page has been updated; he will update the COMMENTS and THANK YOU sections as soon as I can get the new material to him. He will also have many new pictures and video to post. As with Paige, we are very lucky to be able to add them to our Second Chance family.

The first Friday of July will also be the first day of that month. So, Second Chance will be back at the Ft. Bragg Food Bank on Friday, July 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., handing out flea/tick repellent and much more for needy dogs on the Mendocino Coast.

- Steve Sapontzis

Photo courtesy of Jeff Lieb taken at the recent Second Chance Vaccination Clinic.

19/01/2022

Update for January, 2022:

2022 has gotten off to a great start for Second Chance. All week long, Friday, January 7th, was forecast to be a rainy day, but that morning the rain cleared out by 9:00 a.m. and except for a small squall around 1:30 p.m. stayed away for the entire time we were at the Food Bank. Consequently, we were busy from 10:45 a.m., while we were still setting up for our advertised 11:00 a.m. opening, until 2:15 p.m., a quarter hour after our intended closing. In addition to giving out several score of flea/tick repellent tubes, we also had a record number of sign-ups for nail clips, spay/neuters, rabies shots, and puppy shots. That we had half a dozen new puppies to sign up for their shots was particularly gratifying—not to mention enjoyable—because we hadn’t seen that many puppies for the entirety of the last half of 2021.

The dark cloud hanging over the pet-keeping community on the Mendocino Coast is the impending closure of the Detrick Veterinary Clinic at the end of January. For the past couple of years, securing a vet appointment has been getting increasingly difficult; now, with the drop from 4 to 3 vet clinics on the coast, it looks to get a lot more difficult. And of course , the greatest difficulty will fall on the shoulders of low-income pet owners, since the care of their pets represents a low profit part of the remaining vets’ practices.

The Mendocino Coast Animal Hospital is helping by increasing the hours they are open, in order to accommodate former Detrick clients. The Mendocino Coast Humane Society is also making more hours of vet care available for treating the public’s pets, to the extent that their facility and equipment can handle their diagnosis and treatment.

Second Chance will be helping out by bringing the Care-A-Van to the coast twice this year, both on the first Friday of April and of October, and by augmenting what we offer on those visits. We will now offer not only shots and microchips but also exams and treatment for skin and ear infections and for non-surgical intestinal problems.

Second chance will next be at the Fort Bragg Food Bank on Friday, February 4th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., handing out free Vectra 3D flea/tick repellent, leashes, collars, sweaters, etc., and signing dogs up for other free services and for financial assistance with vet visits.

10/10/2021

Second Chance - Fort Bragg
Update for October, 2021

Second Chance - Fort Bragg
Update for October, 2021:

October 3rd was not only a lovely, still-summer day on the north coast, it was also the busiest, most satisfying day for Second Chance at the Food Bank since Covid descended on the land. It was our first free shots clinic since July of 2020, and we had a very good turn-out, definitely the most dogs since pre-Covid days. Bliss Seifert, her daughter Sara, and additional helpers brought the Care-A-Van over from Ukiah; Barbara Weiss did her usual great job as voluntary veterinarian, and in addition to our regulars, Second Chance had two new volunteers from Inglenook, Andrea and Peggy. Except for one dog who was determined to show us all that he was not happy being there, all went smoothly, so much so that we have all agreed to do it again in six months, rather than waiting a full year. Hence, the next free shots and microchips clinic will be at the Fort Bragg Food Bank on the first Friday of April, 2022.

The next monthly flea/tick repellent and so much more give-away at the Food Bank will be on the first Friday of November, which is November 5th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

10/10/2021

Second Chance - Fort Bragg
Update for October, 2021:

October 3rd was not only a lovely, still-summer day on the north coast, it was also the busiest, most satisfying day for Second Chance at the Food Bank since Covid descended on the land. It was our first free shots clinic since July of 2020, and we had a very good turn-out, definitely the most dogs since pre-Covid days. Bliss Seifert, her daughter Sara, and additional helpers brought the Care-A-Van over from Ukiah; Barbara Weiss did her usual great job as voluntary veterinarian, and in addition to our regulars, Second Chance had two new volunteers from Inglenook, Andrea and Peggy. Except for one dog who was determined to show us all that he was not happy being there, all went smoothly, so much so that we have all agreed to do it again in six months, rather than waiting a full year. Hence, the next free shots and microchips clinic will be at the Fort Bragg Food Bank on the first Friday of April, 2022.

The next monthly flea/tick repellent and so much more give-away at the Food Bank will be on the first Friday of November, which is November 5th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

10/07/2021

Second Chance - Fort Bragg - Update for July, 2021:

July 2nd was definitely our most active visit to the Food Bank in the last several months. We handed out flea/tick treatment tubes for 65 dogs, had 4 dogs signed up for spay or neuter, and had another half dozen signed up for shots, nail clips, or visits to a vet to check on growths or treat other minor problems. Pre-pandemic, we used to get a rush of folks about 5 minutes before closing time, but that hadn’t happened in many months. On July 2nd, so many showed up just before and just after closing time that we stayed an extra 45 minutes to help them all. A highly gratifying day!
The supply of the new flea/tick treatment we had ordered—60 tubes of Vectra 3D—arrived at the end of June. However, we wanted to finish up the supply of Frontline+ tubes that we had on hand before turning to the new product, since the expiration dates on the Vectra were further out than those on the Frontline. Consequently, we handed out only Frontline tubes this month, and will start dispensing Vectra 3D in August.

I am happy to report that the Mendocino Coast Humane Society has decided to reduce their charge to us for microchip identifications. Consequently, we are once again offering free microchips as well as free shots when dogs are brought to us for free spay or neuter.

Our next first Friday visit to the Fort Bragg Food Bank will be on August 6th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We are still planning on having a free shots clinic at the Food Bank on Friday, October 1st.

If you'd like to learn more about Second Chance - Fort Bragg, volunteer or donate to this program, please visit our website:
http://www.secondchancefortbragg.org

Photo courtesy of Robin Nellist.

P.O. Box 2622, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 707/964-7770

10/07/2021

Second Chance - Fort Bragg - Update for July, 2021:

July 2nd was definitely our most active visit to the Food Bank in the last several months. We handed out flea/tick treatment tubes for 65 dogs, had 4 dogs signed up for spay or neuter, and had another half dozen signed up for shots, nail clips, or visits to a vet to check on growths or treat other minor problems. Pre-pandemic, we used to get a rush of folks about 5 minutes before closing time, but that hadn’t happened in many months. On July 2nd, so many showed up just before and just after closing time that we stayed an extra 45 minutes to help them all. A highly gratifying day!

The supply of the new flea/tick treatment we had ordered—60 tubes of Vectra 3D—arrived at the end of June. However, we wanted to finish up the supply of Frontline+ tubes that we had on hand before turning to the new product, since the expiration dates on the Vectra were further out than those on the Frontline. Consequently, we handed out only Frontline tubes this month, and will start dispensing Vectra 3D in August.

I am happy to report that the Mendocino Coast Humane Society has decided to reduce their charge to us for microchip identifications. Consequently, we are once again offering free microchips as well as free shots when dogs are brought to us for free spay or neuter.

Our next first Friday visit to the Fort Bragg Food Bank will be on August 6th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We are still planning on having a free shots clinic at the Food Bank on Friday, October 1st.

If you'd like to learn more about Second Chance - Fort Bragg, volunteer or donate to this program, please visit our website:
http://www.secondchancefortbragg.org

Photo courtesy of Robin Nellist.