The story and the people behind Second Chance Ranch Rescue

Second Chance Ranch Rescue NH (SCRR) began in 2017 when a family of like minded volunteers came together with the goal of filling gaps in the rescue process for both dogs and the human adopters.

Through over 15 years of experience with both large and small scale rescue formats, the SCRR team has seen many sides of the rescue industry. While each format has its strengths, there remains some key gaps in the assessment, rehabilitation and adoption processes that put many dogs at a disadvantage and create difficult, if not questionable, futures. As a small, volunteer based operation, SCRR will raise the bar and compliment the overall rescue industry through hands-on, individualistic dog assessment and care targeted specifically at helping dogs who fail in larger format rescue organizations. Our simulated home kennel experience and one-on-one rehabilitation plans, will help prepare these dogs for a future adoption and integration. A philosophy of matchmaking dogs to adopters will ensure that each dog is appropriately placed into a well-suited home and adopter boot camps will prepare the new families for what to expect and how to navigate integrations with their new family member; thus reducing the adoption return rate.

As a non profit dog rescue, our focus is rehabilitation and successful integration. We believe in extensive decompression, evaluation and training before starting the adoption process to ensure we can fully assess the dog to understand the best fit home. Through this holistic approach, Second Chance Ranch Rescue NH will help the lost, forgotten, or misunderstood dogs that slip through the cracks in large format rescue organizations.

The following people help make all of this possible.

Kristin
Founder, President, Director

Kristin Morrissey Jordan is the founder of Second Chance Ranch Rescue and brings a rare blend of nonprofit rescue experience and corporate technology expertise to the organization. With a background in design, psychology, and human-centered design, Kristin built SCRR with a clear goal: to create a more thoughtful, humane experience for both dogs and the people who love them.

After volunteering with other rescues, Kristin recognized an opportunity to reimagine how a nonprofit rescue could better support dogs through the most critical stages of the adoption journey—meeting people, transitioning into a home, and building lasting bonds. She believes rescue dogs thrive best in a home environment with dedicated one-on-one care and attributes SCRR’s success to its commitment to deeply understanding each dog as an individual.

Kristin has developed intentional, structured processes around adoption matchmaking, dog socialization, and adopter education to give every placement the highest chance of long-term success. Her approach supports both dogs and adopters, whether navigating complex behavioral needs or welcoming a rescue dog for the first time.

With experience rehabbing dogs and creating integration plans for both the toughest and easiest adoptions, Kristin has grown Second Chance Ranch Rescue from a two-person effort into a team of more than 50 dedicated volunteers and staff. Together, they have helped nearly 1,000 dogs and supported over 2,000 people in the community.

Kristin holds a Master of Science in Human-Centered Design and a Bachelor’s degree in Design and Psychology. She currently works at GE Vernova, where she has spent nine years designing interfaces used by people around the world, and she also teaches at UMass Lowell. Kristin and her husband, Cam, remain deeply committed to rescue work, inspired by the community and extended family built through SCRR and by the deep love they share for their own rescue animals: Zoey, Robyn, Zeus, Buster, Tom, Alfredo, Beetle, Bellatrix, Beau, and Dolli.

Cam
Ranch Development Manager

Cam supported the daily operations of Second Chance Ranch Rescue for nearly a decade, playing an integral role in the growth and development of the organization. During that time, he led numerous Ranch renovation projects, including building doggy tiny houses, renovating dog guest rooms, and creating outdoor pens used for temperament testing and socialization work.

Today, Cam has transitioned into a supportive role, where he continues to contribute by assisting with the fosters Kristin takes in and volunteering his time on renovation projects at the new facility.

Cam spent years providing dedicated one-on-one care for each dog, helping assess individual needs and supporting dogs as they rebuilt trust or acclimated to a home environment. An engineer by trade, he brings structure, problem-solving, and stability to the rescue. Cam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from UMass Lowell and works as an Automation Engineer at Hitchner.

Cam’s favorite part of rescue is seeing dogs land in their forever homes with the families who will love them.