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Second Chance Pet Adoptions - Giving homeless pets a second chance at life

Second Chance Pet Adoptions Blog Announcement

Look who's back for a fourth year at Spring Fling! Second Chance Pet Adoptions is the oldest no-kill animal rescue organization in Raleigh serving Wake County and the surrounding areas. Since their inception in 1987, Second Chance Pet Adoptions has helped nearly 23,000 dogs and cats find their forever homes.


Second Chance's mission is to champion homeless cats and dogs that are healthy and treatable in the quest to find their forever home, and to engage with other organizations and communities to promote responsible pet ownership with the goal of reducing future generations of homeless animals.

Second Chance Pet Adoptions Adopt Becky & Buckley
Adopt Suzy!

Second Chance started like most rescues do, with a small group that wanted to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets in their community. In the beginning, they were completely foster based but in 2004 the program and support had grown so much, they were able to open a cageless, no-kill facility to house cats. They became of the few rescues in the area that has a place you can go to visit adoptable cats.


Second Chance had a great year in 2025! They expanded their footprint by 40%, adding additional square footage to expand their dog program and give valuable space back to the cats in their program (who didn't love having to share space with the dogs!). They added several staff members and increased the number of dog and cat adoptions over 2024 too.


They also worked to reduce the heartbreaking animal homelessness problem in our state by dedicating funds to provide 1,650 spay/neuter surgeries to residents in rural communities in our state for whom access to these procedures is difficult due to access and/or prohibitive cost.


We are thrilled to have Second Chance Pet Adoptions joining us again this year! When asked what they love about Spring Fling this is what they said:


"We LOVE this event! It's such a great way to bring together the community - rescue organizations, small businesses, animal lovers. There is something for everyone!"

You can learn more about Second Chance, the work they do, and see all their adoptable animals on their website. Make sure to follow them on their socials, Facebook and Instagram, to keep up with their activities, events, and all their adorable adoptable dogs and cats!





More Second Chance Adoptables!

(available as of 4/7/26)



You can vote for Goosey, the stunning 40-lb Siberian Husky full of energy, love, and personality seen above, in the Spring Fling Rescue Photo Contest going on now! Click like/love on his photo in the contest photo album on Facebook before 10pm on Monday, April 27th to help Second Chance win 500lbs of VICTOR Super Premium Pet Food! Click here to vote for Goosey and Second Chance: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18YEHmnnMX/


Visit Second Chance Pet Adoptions at

Unleashed's 13th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser

Sunday, April 26, 2026

12-6 pm

Koka Booth Amphitheatre


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2026:

 
 
 

Wake County Animal Center: The County's only Open-Admission Shelter

Wake County Animal Center will be at Spring Fling!

Wake County residents will surely recognize this next non-profit attendee! The Wake County Animal Center has been joining since the beginning of Spring Fling, and we are thrilled to welcome them back again! We asked their team why the love Spring Fling and this is what they said:

"As far as I'm concerned, this is the biggest animal event of the year!"
WCAC Adopt Capone

Wake County Animal Center is our open admission (the only one in Wake County), county shelter that receives all the stray and abandoned pets in Wake County. They also take owner surrendered pets and as an open admission shelter, they have to take any animal that comes through the doors. This means that sometimes they end up with animals other than dogs and cats, like chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even birds or reptiles on occasion!


WCAC work with fosters, volunteers and rescues to re-home thousands of pets each year. They also have an adoption center, which welcomes visitors to come and look at the pets on their adoption floor (during adoption floor hours.)


The Wake County Animal Center has operated out of their current facility off New Bern Avenue in Raleigh since 1996. Prior to that, the Animal Center was located on Rogers Lane in Raleigh. By 2029, WCAC hopes to move into a brand-new facility off Auburn Knightdale Road.


They recently received approval from the County Manager's Office and the County Commissioners for their new building. In 2025, they grew their Volunteer Program from ~16,000 hours per year to over 28,000 hours. WCAC continues their lifesaving efforts with help from their fosters, volunteers, donors, and community members.


Meet Capone!

(Professional Goofball & Boss of Good Boys)


Fuhgeddaboudit-Capone is here, and he's running this operation with charm, snacks, and a whole lot of love. Don't let his name fool you-this guy isn't looking to run the streets; he's

looking to run your sofa!

WCAC Adoptable Capone
Adopt Capone!

This lovely gentleman is equal parts couch potato and adventure buddy. He loves long walks around the neighborhood to "check his territory", followed by extended naps where he supervises the household from the couch. Occasionally, he gets so pumped to go out on a walk that he will take matters into his own paws and pick up his leash to remind you that it's time to go!


Capone is extremely loving and will happily soak up all the pets, cuddles, and praise you're willing to give. He's a total foodie and firmly believes snacks are a basic human right (and should be shared). He can be a tiny bit stubborn when he's decided his way is the better way. But honestly, it just adds to his charm. Learn more on Capone's adoptable profile!



WCAC offers tours of the Animal Center for anyone interested in learning more about who they are, where they are, and what they do. They also cannot save the lives they save without fosters, volunteers, and donations - thank you for your support! Learn more about tours, fostering, and volunteering on their website!


You can also follow along on WCAC's Facebook and Instagram!


Visit the Wake County Animal Center team in-person at

Unleashed's 13th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser

Sunday, April 26, 2026

12-6 pm

Koka Booth Amphitheatre


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2026:


 
 
 

Wake County's only Open-Admission Shelter: Wake County Animal Center

Wake County Animal Center will be at Spring Fling!
Wake County Animal Center will be at Spring Fling!

If you live in Wake County, you’ll want to know about our next organization! The Wake County Animal Center has been joining us for Spring Fling for years now and we are happy to have them join us again! As regulars to the event, they had this to say about it:

"Spring Fling is the biggest animal event of the year - filled with fantastic vendors, animal welfare organizations, food trucks, and more! It's a great way for shelters and rescues to market for adopters, volunteers, or foster homes while also promoting adoptable animals and other programs. Personally, I love shopping at all the local vendors that support the local animal community."

Wake County Animal Center is our open admission (the only one in Wake County), county shelter that receives all the stray and abandoned pets in Wake County. They also take owner surrendered pets and as an open admission shelter, they have to take any animal that comes through the doors. This means that sometimes they end up with animals other than dogs and cats, like chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even birds or reptiles on occasion! They work with fosters, volunteers and rescues to re-home thousands of pets each year. They also have an adoption center, which welcomes visitors to come and look at the pets on their adoption floor (during adoption floor hours.)


wake.gov/pets

Open admission shelters, like Wake County, need so much community support. When they have to take in every animal that comes in, there’s always a risk that tough decisions have to be made because of space limitations. This is where the community can make a huge impact! Rescues can pull animals into their programs, individuals can foster for the shelter or for a partner rescue group, share adoptable animals to help them find homes, donate supplies to help care for the pets there and make their stay more comfortable, or volunteer their time to help pets in the shelter destress and get some extra attention.


You can follow them and keep up with their adoptable pets on their website, and on Facebook and Instagram!


Don't miss visiting the Wake County Animal Center team at Unleashed's 12th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser on Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 12-6 pm at Koka Booth Amphitheatre!!


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2025:



 
 
 
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