Second Chance Goes A New Direction

SIOUX FALLS, SD - Rosey Quinn, the embattled director of Second Chance Rescue Center, has been fired. 

A member of the board of directors tells KELOLAND News that the founder of Second Chance was released Friday because the organization is trying to move in a different direction.

Quinn founded Second Chance Rescue Center five years ago and has been the face of the organization ever since. 

She has also been involved in some controversy over the last few years, most notably the large dog raid in 2009 when she worked with the Humane Society of the United States to seize 172 dogs from Turner County dog breeder Dan Christensen. The case was dropped last year after the court ruled that Quinn obtained the search warrant illegally.

 But, the board of directors says it doesn't want to focus on the past but wants to focus on the future.

"The board decided we wanted to go in a new direction, so as I said Rosey Quinn is no longer associated with Second Chance," Second Chance Rescue Board of Directors Treasurer Kathy Holm said. 

Holm says it's a new board and many members have only been serving since March. And, while she wouldn't go into details about why Quinn was let go she says more changes are in the works, including the name.

"We want to transition from Second Chance Rescue Center to Second Chance Adoption Center and this will be a process. It's not going to happen overnight," Holm said.

Holm says right now the center is in need of donations, volunteers, and food.

"We will continue to honor our contracts with different counties for rescue. We are full right now so we cannot take anymore animals in, but in the future what we're hoping is we can grow and we will be able to take more animals in and find them perfect homes," Holm said.

And while major changes are happening right now the board hopes the community will help give Second Chance another chance. 

"We're hoping that the public and everyone will get behind us and help us out with this," Holm said.

Holm says eventually they will be looking for a new executive director, but right now the board will continue to operate Second Chance as normal.

Quinn couldn't be reached for comment Friday night.