SCARS (Second Chance Animal Refuge Society)

09/02/2026

Mabel's Journey>..
On July 31, a Friday night, my phone rang. I was from a friend working at a vet clinic who had taken a call from someone in a neighboring county....in the middle of nowhere! Well, of course, it was not good news. A family found a collapsed and dying dog in their garage behind the lawnmower. Its neck was torn open and they had no idea what to do. "Becky" called us and fortunately Kelli was working here that night and we got into the car and headed out as the sun was setting.
We pulled into the driveway with several family members standing around and they led us into their garage where we saw a collapsed and immobile hound of some sort. Kelli gently leaned over, examined her, and lifted her and carried the dog to our van with the concerned family thanking us immensely.
When we got back Kelli gave her a bag of sub q fluids which she badly needed. Initially the family thought someone had beaten her almost to death, but in closer examination, she was either attacked by coyotes or a pack of dogs as her throat was torn open and she had multiple punctures around her head and body. This dog would not have survived the night without immediate intervention.
Of course, it is always a weekend but we made her comfortable and she ate a little which I laced with strong antibiotics. She made it through the night and I took her to the vet as soon as they could see her
Mabel had pneumonia and the xrays revealed questionable areas in her abdomen, which on the following two xrays, appeared to be cancer.
Her story slowly unraveled as she was microchipped and 15 yrs old.The owner said she had been gone for a month and he assumed she was dead. He however could not take her back as he himself is battling cancer so Mabel has settled in at SCARS to live out what years she has left.
Mabel spends her day in air conditioning and has decided she has earned "the good life." She lounges on the sofa at night, and eats two large meals a day. She likes to bark at the squirrels in the trees who do not seem particularly intimidated by her, but she feels she is a force to be reckoned with .
Her neck has completely healed and the pneumonia is gone. It took time and carefully monitored days. She does not know she has a slowly spreading cancer, and she does not need to because she is safe and loved now and will remain so until her journey is over.

The first pic is now, the second she is peeking into the food bowl and the last two were taken the night she was rescued.

08/25/2026

Several months ago I had a call about a little Yorkie who had made the owners mad, so they put him in a carrier, matted and thin, and left him on the porch. No food, no water. The neighbor couldn’t stand it and left a note on the carrier saying she had taken the dog and if they didn’t like it, too bad. They never came for him.
She shaved his mats but had no money for shots or neutering and called me. I drove over and loaded him in my car and got him fattened up and up to date on everything at the vets.
Max went to a friend who said she had time to work on his potty and leash training in which he earned barely passing scores. In time a friend of hers adopted him but fell ill. However, the deal breaker was he nipped the grandkid for some reason. THE END! Off he went to the city shelter where his future was questionable.
Fortunately, I found out and messaged my friend at the shelter at eleven at night who immediately responded (animal rescuers never sleep) and promised me they would transfer him back to us . He was not being totally cooperative so she probably didn’t mind losing him as a customer.
So, today I drove to get him and the staff member brought him in with a warning about picking him up.
I leaned over and looked at his little face. Hi Max, we meet yet again. I gently picked him up and off we went to the car.
Tonight he is settled in a large pen with toys and several fluffy blankets. I cooked him ground beef which he ate with gusto and I said goodnight.
Max is around ten pounds, a year and three months, and not perfect. He still has accidents, should not be around small, scary children and needs patience and love. The right home is out there, but people do not realize the hours and hours spent on the phone, posting his story, going through applications…it is not a quick fix.
When I was in high school in Japan and my father was at sea, my mother bought a French Poodle from what I now know was a puppy mill. He was cute but poorly behaved. In fact we all wore bandaids from time to time and he hated children and strangers. When my daughter was a toddler he nipped her while he was eating. My father told me to teach her to respect animals….it was never Sukoshi’s fault. When people came to our house, he went to the bedroom. I asked my Mother years later why they never got rid of Sukoshi and she looked horrified. “He is our responsibility,” she said.
Where have we gone wrong in our society. Where have we lost our compassion. Whendid we become so arrogant and judgmental. How can one just discard a precious little dog like this without taking steps to keep him safe from situations he cannot handle. How did we become such a disposable society. And when did we demand perfection from animals, when we ourselves are imperfect.
I turned and looked at his little face in the back seat when I stopped at a light and my heart melted. He looked so timid and small. He is entirely at our mercy, he has no voice of his own to fight for his rights. No, he is not a straight A student, but most of my favorite students weren’t either.
I am too full here with far too many discarded dogs, and I am very tired ,but that is no excuse. His life is important and if I rescued him once, I can and will do it again
scarsusa.com

08/19/2026

Missy: Did anyone call about me yet?
Me: Not yet, but I can also post you on Petfinder for the perfect home that you deserve!
Missy: Maybe they will like me better in orange.
Me: You are darling regardless of the color of your flowers, you just need time and patience to calm down and you need a quieter surrounding.
Missy: It is kind of wild here with lots of big dogs, but I like to hold tight to Kelly's arm for security.
Me: The right person will come along who can run fast after you if you dodge them in the yard. Someone will adopt you who has "Yorkie experience." So, for now, you are safe and loved and someone will come meet you soon.
scarsusa.com

08/15/2026

So here I go again.....taking on yet another problem dog.
Enter Missy. I knew after the owner called me I should think twice, maybe ten times, before I agreed to take on another challenge. But instead of being a sensible grandmother and baking cookies , I decided to give this troubled little pup a chance.
She is 5 yrs old, now spayed, and has the "puppy mill syndrome." The world is a frightening place of ghosts and goblins , scary noises and things that go bump in the night. She jumps at sudden sounds, hides her face and yet, somewhere deep inside of this dog, is the desire to be loved and accepted. But it will take a special person to be her savior...one with unlimited patience and determination.
To her credit, Kelli has come over every day and worked with Missy.
She has tried her on a leash, carried her around while Missy desperately clings to Kelli's arms. But Kelli doesn't live here and this dog needs to be in a home with someone who is around most of the time.
The jury is out on how she would do with other dogs as the home she came from had six unspayed females and many confrontations.
So that is really not enough to make a determination. I can see her succeeding at first as an only dog with a wise owner.
Think about this beautiful little creature and remember, when we come to the end of our lives, it is the challenging things we have undertaken and the lives we have touched that will be remembered with joy and pride.. Maybe saving a ten pound Yorkie will qualify.
scarsusa.com

08/07/2026

Last summer I got a disturbing call about an elderly purebred English Setter chained in the dirt in insufferable heat. His water bowl was dry as was his filthy food bowl. To make matters worse, he was on a short chain which had wrapped around his ankle for so long, it is permanently scarred.
The fight to save him took almost two weeks ,too long in such crushing heat. The concerned neighbor who had discovered him behind a garage brought water every day to keep him alive until we finally got the uncaring owner to release him
I wrote his story entitled "Humphrey" in my latest book. He had not been neutered and when he went in for surgery, a large tumor was discovered which was removed. In essence, he had never had any medical care.
Humphrey is deaf and 15 yrs old and showing signs of dementia. For that reason, we keep him in a large room with a door to a big yard where he can run freely . However, now that Uncle Humphrey, or grandpa, is feeling more spry, he discovered the pond one day quite by accident.
Last week I happened to be talking to our helper , Keith, when I spotted a white dog streaking across the pasture like a bullet. How had Humphrey gotten out???
In minutes we all tore off in pursuit of the runaway grandpa.
Keith jumped on the Gator and I hopped on the Honda and Kelli ran on foot. Unbelievably he outran all of us and leaped into the big pond, disappearing behind the thick foliage., We were all desperately trying to find him and the only clues were ripples spreading out in concentric circles beyond the trees.
What seemed like hours later, Humphrey emerged from the trees, and appeared magically back on the grass, panting and soaking wet.
I threw a leash on him and marched him back to his room where he collapsed but clearly he had the time of his life.
So tonight I threw caution to the wind, and led him to the pond, took off his leash and watched him walk eagerly into the water and swim like the teenager he was never allowed to be thanks to a heavy chain that had imprisoned him for at least ten years.
I guess it is never too late to release your inner puppy and If I were to ask Humphrey he would say you are only as old as you feel, and he feels young at last.

07/27/2026

At the beginning of the summer I got a call from a young woman in a foster home, and it was clearly not a good place for her. She was ready to leave but had nowhere for her puppy to go so she called me.
Later that day she handed over a cute little Boxer mix puppy who came to be known as Quigley. In time, he won everyone's heart but we just couldn't seem to find the right home....until this weekend.
Quigley has now been adopted by a couple with two 16 yr old boys, and a Boxer named Ozzie who is 8 yrs old. It all depended on how Quigley and their dog got along! Needless to say, in the spirit of puppyhood, Q adored the dog and the people and got in all of their faces with wild licking and hugging. Ozzie tolerated it fairly well although he did set a few boundaries.
Quig is being introduced slowly to the chickens and he better behave himself! He has a huge yard and sounds like he is being very spoiled.
So, fingers crossed that all continues to go well and that he has found his home at last. (although Pinky really misses him and so do we!)

07/23/2026

Courtesy post!!!

Kristofferson aka Kris is a young (will find out exact age) Pyreneese mix male. Isn't he darling!!He is small weighing 60 lbs and landed in a shelter with no background info.
He walks great on a leash, is housebroken, loves kids, thinks he is a lap dog, and is neutered. He has his likes and dislikes when it comes to other dogs, but let's be fair, it is hard to make that decision at a hyper shelter environment. He would do great as an only dog but if not, I think a female would work best although I have not met him and better not because he is too cute for words and I am old and have too many dogs as it is!
If interested call me at 785-221-6247 and I will connect you with the person who has him!

07/20/2026

My friend has two little rat terrier females, spayed and sounds like they are housebroken. They weigh 10 lbs, are 7 yrs old, this one is Susie and the sister is short haired, Her mom died recently and the family is keeping two of the four but a home for the other two would be great and they can be separated. Great lapdogs but no cats
Call me if interested 785-221-6247

07/16/2026

Ben was one of 11 puppies born here about 10 years ago. His mom was a pitbull, his dad a German Shepherd. He has a story in my first book and the chapter is called "Apitbull, a raccoon and a commercial washing machine."
He had a failed adoption because he was so depressed away from here he refused to move or eat, and so back he came, and here he will stay with his sister Beatrice.
I looked at him today and realized he is getting old. The years have flown by so fast. He just wants to live out his life right here where he was born and he shall do that.

07/14/2026

I receive call after call from people with aggressive dogs who say SCARS was recommended. That is NOT CORRECT! The following paragraph is on our home page. Shelters have to pay for insurance that is very expensive and agree not to take dogs with a history of aggression or we can lose our insurance. I am not going to jeopardize the safety of our animals or the people who come here

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