NSC is holding its 3rd Annual Garage Sale on Sunday, July 12th (8am - 2pm) - and this time we will be featuring a Dog Wash! All proceeds from the sale and the wash will go towards helping offset medical costs and routine care of our many shelter animals (some of whom will be on site and would love to get adopted).
At this time we are collecting donations; please contact Ginger or Gina for information about where to drop off and about getting a tax receipt. We would also love volunteers to help with the event (both as garage sale workers and as dog washers). If you would have any interest, please contact Georgia about getting on the schedule.
Thanks and we look forward to seeing you there!!!
Recent Events
With October sweeping to a close we want to thank everyone that helped at Clearwater's 13th Annual Halloween Party. It is our 2nd largest fundraiser of the year, and we're happy to say that it was the best we've ever done. Thanks to participants, vendors, volunteers, and not to mention the NSC alumni who were able to make it. Photos of the party can be found here. To view pictures of the Halloween Party please check out the photo album.
Special Announcement
We received in a purebred Akita female, Gracie, who gave birth to three puppies three days after we picked her up. These pups were born on October 20th and will be available for adoption December 14th when they are eight weeks old. Please check back for more information, and if you would be interested in adopting either Gracie or one of her puppies, please contact Gina. We are hopeful we can move them into new homes just in time for the holidays!
Who We Are
Nikeno's Second Chances started as a response to the unfulfilled need for professional assistance during the dog adoption process. While numerous people are willing to adopt shelter animals - many times the combination of untrained dogs and unknowledgeable owners leads to returned or unwanted pets. The dogs in our program come with an additional four weeks of integration training after adoption. Integration training is one-on-one training with you, your new pet and a trainer. At Nikeno's Second Chances, we believe the key to successful placement is proper training. By giving the dogs structured training before, during and after home placement - their chances of success more than quadruples.
Adopting A Friend
The dogs in our program are altered before being placed. They are microchipped, vaccinated and come with an additional four weeks of integration training after adoption. The adoption fee for our animals is $205 for dogs over 6-months of age and $235 for puppies 6-months or younger; cats are a flat fee of $75 regardless of age. This is to cover medical care, food and housing while we have the animal, as well as the training that sets our organization apart. To start the adopoption process, you will need to fill out an adoption application. To receive a copy of our adoption application you may download it from our website at
www.NikenosSecondChances.com, call us at 720-514-2537 or e-mail us at ginger@nikenossecondchances.com.
Our Training Program
The training process begins with our professional trainers evaluating the animal. We gather as much information on the dog by observation, interviews with past owners/shelter staff, and by trying out a few behavioral commands. Next we work out a strategy to achieve main objectives for each canine: overcoming separation anxiety, discouraging dog aggression, basic manners, etc. Each plan of action includes determining where the dog would best be served as far as living situation. If foster families are available (and are thought to be appropriate) we will arrange for them to work on their behavior while in a home environment. Some dogs need the consistency of living at the training facility to overcome initial problem behavior.
Those animals that live at the facility receive thorough behavioral modification from the trainers and from volunteers during their everyday care. Dogs learn to walk on a leash properly, to submit to human intervention, to refrain from problem behavior (such as jumping), and know the basics like ‘come’, ‘sit’, and ‘down’. Animals that have separation anxiety or aggression are given more professional attention to help with these behaviors. When possible, our dogs are exposed to small animals and children to determine if they would be suitable for living in such an environment. They are also evaluated for their reactions to other dogs, both as living companions and in public situations.
When the dogs are placed in a foster home, the trainers work with the foster parents to establish a training regiment that best suites each dog. Some come to training classes; others have behavioral modification at home. Foster parents are instructed on the proper way to handle dogs as well as training methods to use at home to sustain consistency.
When an animal gets adopted there is an additional 4 weeks of training with the new owner. This is done with a professional trainer that is familiar with the dog in question. Our one-on-one sessions help the new owner understand the expected behavior of each dog as well as their specific needs. They learn to stop problems before they start, and how to control the dog in a way that the dog understands. Our program provides a better understanding of how to live with a pet and keep them obedient. The individual sessions help educate the owners and dogs alike while addressing the needs of both.
Come Visit Us!
Keep up-to-date on dogs we have available for adoption by checking back here or at our website often. If you would like to meet a dog, please call to schedule an appointment.
Nikenos Second Chances PO Box 1505
Wheat Ridge, CO 80034
Phone: 720-514-2543
www.nikenossecondchances.com
