Shelter Closing Due to Association with HSUS

Second Chance Rescue Center Closing Its Doors

Published: July 22, 2011, 6:08 AM

SIOUX FALLS, SD - A Sioux Falls animal shelter that recently fired its executive director and has faced financial troubles is closing. 

Second Chance Rescue Center announced Friday morning it could not overcome challenges it was up against and has decided to close its doors Sunday, July 24. 

In May, the organization announced it had fired its founder and executive director Rosey Quinn, but wouldn't say why, and that the shelter was going to head in a new direction. The organization's Board of Directors said that would involve a transition from a rescue center to an adoption center and a name change. 

The shelter also was involved in controversy over the past several years, including the large dog raid in 2009 where 172 dogs were taken from Turner County dog breeder Dan Christensen. The charges against Christensen were dropped when a judge decided Quinn acted illegally in obtaining a search warrant.    Link

Second Chance Rescue in Sioux Falls learned the unfortunate lesson of what happens when you work with a group like the HSUS that is more concerned with ending livestock and pet ownership rather than animal welfare.  As is the case in most animal welfare issues that HSUS is associated with, the animals end up suffering worse.  The HSUS convinced this shelter to lie to a judge in order to get a warrant to seize a group of dogs.  When the truth finally surfaced the judge order the dogs returned and now the Sioux Falls community has one less animal shelter.  

HSUS Now Denies Involvement in S.D. Raid

HSUS Reacts To Turner County Decision
Keloland.com
Turner Co, SD
Feb 2, 2010

The case against a Hurley dog breeder is in limbo now that the raid on his property was ruled illegal. A Yankton judge ruled that 172 dogs were taken illegally from Dan Christensen's property because Second Chance Rescue Center of Sioux Falls didn't tell the judge the dogs appeared to be okay just days earlier.

The Humane Society of the United States was also involved in seizing the dogs from Christensen's property. The HSUS was actually sitting at the Turner County Fairgrounds the day Rosey Quinn of Second Chance Rescue Center went to ask a judge to issue the warrant to raid Dan Christensen's property.

Ben Dunsmoor (reporter): Were you aware Second Chance didn't have a warrant when you showed up that day?

"The request that was made to us was specifically for handling animals and so that is what we come in under was that an actual request for physically handling those animals, and not developing the case," Senior Director of the HSUS Puppy Mills campaign Stephanie Shain said.

Tuesday, the HSUS told KELOLAND News it was simply asked by Second Chance to help with the removal of Christensen's 172 dogs and did not have any involvement in the case, obtaining the warrant or making sure what they were doing that day was legal. But back in September, they said they were playing a role in the case.

"We're collecting evidence; we're safely and humanely removing them. Some animals may be fractious. We're providing the animals with all the necessary medical care and the sheltering personnel. Sheltering personnel for 172 dogs is dozens and dozens of people scheduled on a regular daily basis," Scotlund Haisley of the HSUS said on September 3, 2009. Read More

It’s almost comical how HSUS is literally tripping over itself in an effort to distance their name from this fiasco. The fact that these perfectly healthy dogs were confiscated because of an over-zealous humane officer being backed by a publicity hungry animal rights group should be a warning to everyone owns an animal. In the eyes of HSUS and those who support it, if you own animals, you are guilty until proven innocent of somehow mistreating them. It’s unfortunate that this story will probably taint the good work that most of our local dog and cat shelters do, but that’s not really something that HSUS is concerned about.