SCARS (Second Chance Animal Refuge Society)

08/23/2025

With adoptions being slow for all rescues and shelters, good news is always welcomed! Koda is off to her new home...30 acres with woods to play in and the rest of the time she will be inside hanging out with her new peeps!

08/16/2025

I was scrolling through some old pictures today and happened upon the newspaper article on a little girl and her dog. It is a rescue story for both of them. Eden was left behind in China and Marvin was left to die on a porch in Topeka. We rescued him just before it was too late and then later, when he had finally pulled ahead, a phone call came in. "My daughter cannot sleep at night for bad dreams, we are all exhausted, "the caller told me.
Mom said her friend suggested she get a dog, and I just knew the one who might work. We loaded the now healthy mastiff mix brindle dog into the car and off we went. When we arrived and Marvin jumped out, mom had a funny look on her face. They were expecting something smaller, a dog she could dress up, but peeking behind mom was a little girl with a light in her eyes and her arms outstretched. Marvin was home.
These two captured all of our hearts. She and Marvin were written up in Dog Fancy magazine, on the cover of the newspaper and a chapter in my first book, UNDER A KANSAS SKY. This story reminds us that there is a plan far beyond our understanding and that there are forces beyond our control guiding us.
Eleven years later that little girl is all grown up, beautiful and married. There is no explaining love , no definition. She loved him and he loved her. A fairytale at its finest.

08/16/2025

This gal is a purebred Frenchie, 3 1/2 yrs old, spayed and housebroken. Good with cats and kids but needs to be an only dog. She gets into it with the other female Frenchie thinks she is an Alpha!!!! If interested go to scarsusa.com and just fill in name, Frenchie!

08/11/2025

Skye's owner feels he is too energetic for her! She and her husband live in a townhouse and have a TINY yard. so he gets little to no exercise. We all know he is a breed that will not work. Skye appears to be a Husky/Aussie mix and weighs 38 lbs. and is a year old. He is housebroken and does well with kids, but no exposure to cats. If interested go to scarsusa.com and fill out an application

08/09/2025

Tony is now officially up for adoption to a lucky family. He is 22 lbs, 2 yrs old,neutered, current on vaccines and heartworm negative.
Tony is shy at first and barks at strangers, has absolutely zero aggression and he warms up quickly. He loves the other dogs and cats and good with the grandchild
Don't ask about housebroken...first owner said he was, Lori has so many dogs she cannot be sure but we feel it is the new family's responsibility to train them in their new location.
Tony is a jewel and we are so happy to be part of his rescue,
Go to scarsusa.com if interested

08/06/2025

Week before last I was scrolling on facebook, and a post caught my eye. if I see one that really upsets me, I follow up. Such was the case with Tony, a sweet looking little wirehaired terrier whose life was about to be ended.
Tony had a perfect track record for two years in a family with five children. According to family members, one of the children provoked him and he bit her on the lip. It didn’t look too serious to me, but then I grew up with a killer poodle that my parents adored, so my perspective is somewhat different. Plus I have had some nasty bites, one requiring 20 stitches in my hand.
There is a difference in “bites,” a term people use too freely , thus endangering the life of a dog. I do not take aggressive dogs as it is a liability for our shelter, and there are too many nice dogs out there needing homes. But something spoke to me on a different level and I found I was angry. They wanted to “unalive him” and this was stated on the post so I am not divulging any secrets.
Unalive? What a ridiculous word. I looked it up and found it to be a euphemism used during covid when one was censored for using the real word, killed. Whatever.
I sent a PM to the person sharing the post, and I knew her to be a wonderful animal advocate, and told her we would take the dog if no other rescue stepped up. No one did as the reference to the “’bite” scared everyone. But I saw his eyes….so gentle and sweet, and I knew he would be fine here or with my foster. Someone needed to believe in him and I was the only one to volunteer.
Thinking she was in a suburb of Kansas City was my first mistake. Yes it was Missouri but turned out to be four hours from here. I contacted the owner and said it was too far for me to drive considering my demanding schedule and could she bring him here. The answer was NO, she did not have a driver’s license and if her husband drove with the five children, there was no room for a kennel. Well.. so much for that and I contacted my friend who went into action. She was frightened for the dog and lo and behold, she got in touch with a woman who set up transports. The next day I opened my phone to an itinerary that would have impressed an army…..and that is what we had….any army of women who signed up for three legs of the trip ending in Ks. City at my daughter’s house where Lori and I picked him up. The wheel was turning in his favor.
When we lifted the tailgate of the last car on the relay, what I saw was a scared little dog with a very heavy harness that said “DO NOT PET.” He looked around at all of us in confusion, jumped at sudden noises and we transferred the kennel to my car. I closed the door, climbed in, opened his kennel door and took off the harness. He visibly relaxed and we headed for Topeka where he was to land at Lori’s house and meet her dogs, cats and soon her 4 year old grandson.
Would you like to guess the outcome? He has never shown the slightest hint of aggression, is fine with the dogs , cats and the grandson and he sleeps in bed with Lori and her menagerie.
Tony had been adopted from a shelter two years ago so he was neutered which was a plus, but he had never seen a vet since so we got his shots and a checkup. He is slightly underweight and had a flea infestation (now gone) leaving his coat thin and unhealthy, but it is looking better and has been groomed.
In the scheme of things, Tony is one small speck in the universe. But his life matters, and it is the only one he has. When I look into his eyes, I am grateful that I listened to the quiet voice that whispered…..save him. He was worth it.

07/24/2025

Koda is a darling three year old St Bernard mix female. She LOVES kids and is spayed and housebroken. Mom has a new baby and feels she needs more attention and exercise. Contact me if interested scarsusa.com

07/23/2025

Remember the three little dogs who were homeless because their owners lost their home? When I got the call in the evening the dogs were in their truck with nowhere to go. SCARS took them in and Harley aka Jigs was adopted....remember the cute picture? Next was Sam who also needed to be fixed and get vaccines, etc, as they had never been to a vet. Once that was done, he too went up for adoption and his new family finalized his adoption today. Sam has a Chiweenie brother named Frankie and they are getting to be good friends.
In the picture he seems to have a faraway look in his eyes, but rest assured he has been doing just fine during his trial adoption.
A friend is keeping Norman, the Pom, at her house and we will be getting him a dental next week and all of his vaccines. Time for number three to find a home too!!!
scarsusa.com

07/22/2025

Anyone out there looking to rescue a senior citizen dog? If you want to give him some final years being in a family and loved, than Norman is the one for you! He is between ten and twelve and weighs 8 lbs , neutered, and a Pomeranian cutie. Norman is getting a full dental and vaccines next week and will be ready for a forever family. He was one of three who became homeless when his family was evicted, but the other two were younger and have been adopted.
Now it is Norman's turn!! Go to scarsusa.com if interested in adopting this sweetie pie.

07/19/2025

07/17/2025

When I received a text from an old friend…..about a dog, of course, I listened carefully. His owner died, and older gentleman, and the dog had nowhere to go. “Gus” ended up in a temporary home with lots of dogs, cats, kids and general chaos. He did not do well , as can be expected. His time there was going to be very short, so my friend began reaching out to as many people as she could, in an effort to save him from a crowded city pound. After coming up empty handed, she contacted me with both of us knowing how hard it is these days to find homes for big dogs. And Gus weighed 70 lbs. But my mother always said, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” so I posted him on Facebook.
Facebooks has its pros and cons, but I always try to remember how many homes I have found this way.
The phone rang shortly after I posted his picture. A woman said her Dad was retired and had suffered a loss, and he was lonesome. Gus had also suffered a loss, and he was lonely. Did they need each other. We were going to find out.
My friend from Junction City and her husband loaded Gus up, fingers crossed, and headed for a momentous meet and greet. Hopes always fly high when hoping for a successful adoption, but they do not always work . This one did.
His new Dad said he vowed to never have another dog, that is until he saw the picture of Gus. The wheels were beginning to turn.
So tonight Gus and his new Dad are together, and no longer alone. They already belong to one another, said one friend. Now Gus has an important job….he has a human to love and protect. Oh, and Gus has a message to all.
Do not worry about me anymore, I am home.

07/15/2025

Gus is heading to a pound in Junction City in a couple of days. His owner died and he is in a friend's house with multiple dogs and cats and he is stressed. They cannot keep him and he needs a quiet home where he can relax and grow old....
If you are interested call me at 785-221-6247
I am trying to help a friend in JC who reached out to me