The mission of Second Chance is to provide - free of charge - care and rehabilitation to ill, injured, and/or orphaned wildlife - especially those that have been negatively affected by human activities - with the goal of returning them to the wild; to educate the public about the importance of wildlife and help them live in closer harmony with them; to function as a wildlife referral and information resource for local residents, local, state, and federal agencies, and businesses, students, and educators.

Each year, concerned citizens bring in thousands of native wildlife for medical treatment, attentive care, and release. Second Chance rehabilitates orphaned, injured and ill songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, squirrels, groundhogs, chipmunks, bats, rabbits, turtles, and a host of other native species. A special permit allows treatment of rabies vector species (i.e., raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats). Our volunteer staff veterinarian performs surgical procedures on site as needed.

We thoroughly test the animals before they are released, to ensure that they have sufficient skills to survive in the wild. As a relatively new science, wildlife rehabilitation is a growing field. Innovations and advancements in care and treatment are constantly being made, and the staff and volunteers of SCWC keep abreast of these developments through networking with other rehabilitators, membership in state, national and international wildlife rehabilitation organizations, and attending conferences and training seminars.

The Center accepts admissions from 9:00AM to 5:00PM every day of the year. Staff, interns, and volunteers work 12 to 14 hours per day caring for patients during the busy spring and summer months. Second Chance Wildlife Center was accredited by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council in 1997 and was awarded the Governor's Citation in October 1998.

SCWC is a 501(c) non-profit organization and relies on public donations to continue its work. The average cost to rehabilitate a single wild animal is $44.00. Take some time to explore our web site to learn about what we do and how you can help us make a difference.

To see the Center at work, visit our Patient Gallery. You can also read stories of those patients we've treated over the years in our Wild Tales section.