It's hard to have an uninterrupted conversation with Lynn Leach-Yates. There's always a furry head to pat, a chin to scratch or a belly to rub. And of course, there's the barking - lots and lots of barking. And Leach-Yates wouldn't have it any other way.

She's the founder of 2nd Chance 4 Life Rescue, 737 Taylor Road, Windsor. The nonprofit provides homes for cats and dogs looking to be fostered or adopted. The Rescue Ranch on the property is a sanctuary for senior and medically needy dogs and cats that can live out their lives under the love and care of Leach-Yates and volunteers.

Leach-Yates didn't start out wanting to own and operate a rescue. An Elizabethtown-based real estate agent, she saw firsthand the positive effects pets can bring to people's lives. When Leach-Yates' brother died suddenly 15 years ago, it was a puppy that saved his wife's life, Leach-Yates said. She noticed an immediate transformation when she introduced her sister-in-law to the dog. "It was really an 'aha' moment for me about how much animals can change our lives," she said.

About the same time, a friend invited her to volunteer with the Humane League. Soon, she found herself fostering a mother pug and her seven puppies, and she noticed something else - a transformation in her three children, who were teenagers at the time. "Animals really help us to communicate," she said.

She began working with another animal rescue before branching out on her own to focus on animals that needed special attention. She established the Rescue Ranch in 2018.

"We have 12 acres here, 10 of which are fenced in," she stated. She originally traveled back and forth from her home in Elizabethtown to the ranch, but recovering from a 2019 car accident made the trip difficult. Now, she lives at the ranch, while her husband lives in their Elizabethtown home. Ideally, she said, she'd like someone to take over day-to-day operations at the ranch, but for now, she spends her days among 40 to 60 dogs, eight therapy cats and about 20 kittens looking for homes. She's joined by volunteer Cheryl Davis, who also lives at the ranch,

The ranch relies on donations from community members and organizations and has thrived mostly due to Leach-Yates' determination. She oversaw renovations to an outdoor shed to transform it into the Meow-Wow House and Catio, and work is underway to turn downstairs rooms at the ranch into a surgical center, groom room, exam room and quarantine rooms for animals when they first arrive.

The dogs at the ranch vary in size and breed, and they average 13 years in age. Many are blind. Some are deaf, and some use carts to get around. Davis prepares a special mixture of hamburger and rice for their food since most of them no longer have teeth. Still, they have plenty of love to give, and that's what Leach-Yates loves most about 2nd Chance 4 Life.

"Every time I say, 'I'm done. It's enough,' something happens to keep me going," she stated. "Animals are healing. They don't judge you. ... I believe everybody has a calling, and this is mine. I have seen the miracles animals can work."

For more information, search for "2nd Chance 4 Life Rescue" on Facebook.