About Second Chances Wildlife Center

Second Chances Wildlife Center is dedicated to the conservation of our wildlife through rehabilitation and education. Whether the animal is orphaned, injured, or displaced, Second Chances gives that animal a “second chance” at life.

Second Chances is located on 10 acres in the Eastern area of Louisville and serves the surrounding counties.

Our animals are cared for until they are ready to be released back into their natural environment. They may start off in an incubator being fed around the clock with lots of love and attention and graduate to a large pre release enclosure with minimal contact. All pre release enclosures are designed to simulate their individual habitat. These animals are taught survival skills they will need to be successful in the wild. The animals are released in protected areas with a food and water source.

Second Chances specializes in opossum babies but is able to accept several other mammal species. Bats are one very important species that is cared for at Second Chances. Bats are a keystone species to our environment and without them, our entire ecosystem would change...for the worse. The agricultural impact of bats is amazing. Bats save farmers billions of dollars each year! With the previlence of white nose syndrome, rehabilitators play a crucial role of this species' survival and therefore, our ecosystem.

Brigette Williams is the founder of Second Chances and is a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and Federal Fish and Wildlife. Second Chances is also licensed by the USDA.

Brigette is a full time Junior Kindergarten teacher at a local private school. She serves as a volunteer educator at The Louisville Zoo where she also helps take care of the birds of prey.

Brigette feels that it is important to understand our wildlife so we may help protect it and co exist with it. Besides the actual rehabilitation and release of animals, providing knowledge to our community, with non releasable animal ambassadors, is an important mission of Second Chances. In fact, in 2010, she was awarded the Kentucky Conservation Teacher of the Year.

Please call 502-228-NEED (6333) or e-mail brigette@secondchanceswildlife.org with a wildlife emergency or to schedule an education program.