Small rescue group, big impact for Wyoming's cats

When a ginger cat walked through a stranger’s dog door in Gillette, Wyoming, he was barely breathing. His body temperature was dangerously low, and he had a large wound that required immediate veterinary care. The cat, later named Spalding, was rushed to the local animal shelter, where they stabilized him. But his injury required advanced veterinary care, so he was transferred to Second Chance Sheridan Cat Rescue — a move that would ultimately save his life.

Stories like Spalding’s are one reason Wyoming is on the brink of something remarkable. The state is within reach of becoming no-kill — a milestone that means at least 90% of pets entering shelters are saved — and the small cat rescue group that helped to save Spalding is playing a giant role in making that possible.

Second Chance Sheridan Cat Rescue, a Best Friends Network Partner, is Wyoming’s only dedicated rescue group for cats with special needs and one of the few rural organizations in the region with advanced, in-house veterinary care. When shelters encounter cats like Spalding with complex veterinary needs, Second Chance becomes their safety net.  

“Our specialty has always been the cats other shelters don’t have the resources to help — seniors and cats with special needs,” says Rachel Kristiansen, director of Second Chance Sheridan Cat Rescue.  

With support from Best Friends, that safety net is growing stronger. Second Chance was recently awarded a Rachael Ray Save Them All Grant from Best Friends, allowing the group to expand its advanced veterinary care and mentorship program to multiple shelters across the state. Grants like these are just one of the ways Best Friends is helping shelters nationwide reach no-kill.

Second Chance was founded by Rachel and her family, who began rescuing cats out of a spare room in their home more than a decade ago. What started as a grassroots effort — fueled by determination and community support — quickly grew into something more. They now operate out of a 3,300-square-foot facility in Sheridan, Wyoming. It has quarantine and isolation spaces, an on-site surgery suite, and open rooms where cats can roam, play, and nap as they please. And as the rescue group expanded, so did its impact.

Inspired by what they learned after attending their first Best Friends National Conference, Second Chance launched a community spay/neuter program that dramatically reduced the number of kittens entering the local shelter. Over time, that work helped the city of Sheridan to become no-kill and laid the groundwork for Second Chance to support shelters beyond their own community.

[Cats in Wyoming get a lifesaving lift]

Second Chance supports other shelters by taking cats into their own program as well as sharing knowledge and tools, such as effective veterinary protocols, to help shelters save more animals themselves.

“Rural lifesaving isn’t about replicating urban success stories,” says Best Friends staff member Jessica Gutmann. “It’s about redesigning the system to fit the reality on the ground, where adoption demand is limited and access to specialized care can determine whether animals live or die.”

At Second Chance, Spalding received top-notch veterinary treatment, round-the-clock care, and plenty of TLC.

On the shelter’s Facebook page, they wrote: “Spalding arrived at Second Chance in rough shape. Our team immediately placed him in an incubator to raise his dangerously low body temperature and began pain management and supportive care. The next 24 hours were touch and go. We weren’t sure if he’d make it. But then … he purred. That quiet, rumbling sound told us everything we needed to know. Spalding was still fighting.”

[Grants for sustainable no-kill animal sheltering]

He made a full recovery and was adopted into a home full of snuggles and love. Without Second Chance, cats like Spalding might not get that chance. And as Wyoming moves closer to no-kill, it’s clear that big change doesn’t always come from big places. Sometimes, it starts in a spare room, grows through a community, and becomes a lifeline for an entire state.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.