Ashley Bradley

Board President

Ashley has a long history of helping those in need, with a particular soft spot for animals. Her passion started at an early age when Ashley found a badly neglected and abused dog cowering under a picnic table. The dog touched her heart in a profound way. After much work getting him to trust, he became a long-time loving family member.

Her work at Second Chance started in 2010 when she and her ten-year-old son started volunteering at the shelter in Ridgway and Telluride Farmers’ Market adoption events. Soon Ashley was asked to join the Board of Directors, a position she holds to this day.

Ashley’s other long-term community involvements include being an adaptive ski instructor with the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program. She feels blessed every day to be making a difference in the lives of others in a place as beautiful and special as southwest Colorado!

Chris Copeland

Secretary/Treasurer

Chris recently fulfilled a longtime dream of moving to the mountains of Colorado after he and his wife Kelli retired from careers in the veterinary field in Austin, Texas in 2022. Having served as General Counsel/Director of Government Relations and then Executive Director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association over the last two decades, Chris has a wealth of experience in animal-related issues and nonprofit organizations. He has a particular interest in animal and veterinary law, having served as president of the American Veterinary Medical Law Association.

Chris and Kelli enjoy spending time with their two French bulldog rescues, Kenzie and Squirrel, and exploring all that their new home in Colorado has to offer. They also devote a few hours each week to walking dogs at Second Chance in Ridgway and are perhaps lucky that their homeowner association limits the number of dogs to two per family, otherwise Chris would be bringing home a new dog on a weekly basis after becoming attached to so many.

Bob Hennessy

Member

Bob has owned and operated a number of successful businesses during his working career. One of the main reasons he started his first business was so he could take his dog to work. He has always been strongly in tune with dogs and has learned all he can about the human/dog connection. This led him to work with high level, working dogs such as German Shepherds and Malinois and was able to learn from some of the best dog trainers in the country.

Bob loves to share his knowledge and commitment to building a better relationship with our canine companions.

Dr. Mike Cavanaugh

Member

Dr. Michael Cavanaugh is a veterinarian who has owned his own animal hospital, worked in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry and served as CEO of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Mike is semi-retired now. During his practice years, he held numerous volunteer leadership and committee positions within AAHA. He became a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (canine and feline) in 1996 and was re-certified in 2006. Dr. Cavanaugh has been recognized by institutions such as Kansas State University and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association for his achievements in veterinary medicine. He formed Cavanaugh Veterinary Consulting, LLC in 2020, where he works with veterinary practices and companies in the animal health industry to help them achieve the greatest success possible.

Mike also works part-time at Second Chance Humane Society helping animals find forever homes.

Dr. Cavanaugh and his wife of 43 years, Beth, live in Montrose, CO. They share their home with two border collies, Holly and Seamus, and recently adopted a kitten named Mo. They have two adult children, Kevin who lives in Denver and Caitlyn and husband Andrew who live in Tacoma, WA. Mike is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying camping, rafting and kayaking in the summer and skiing, snow shoeing and ice climbing in the winter. He is passionate about the Human-Animal Bond and how it enhances the quality of life for both people and animals.