SCARS (Second Chance Animal Refuge Society)

12/09/2024

Meet Winnie and Willow, two ten month old littermates who are Yorkie/min pin mix sisters. They are now spayed and current on shots and we would like to see them stay together.
Let's get the first and apparently, most important question out of the way before I tell you how darling they are. ARE THEY HOUSEBROKEN because as one woman wrote me, "I have a brand new pretty rug and I cannot tolerate any accidents." OK....moving on. Then get a stuffed animal. (I wonder if her kids ever wore diapers?)
They are smart....and use potty pads when I do not get them out on time. When I said I would take them, the only spot left was my guestroom. Have they had accidents...YES because I have so many dogs I cannot get them out in time. It bothers me that I have to spend so darn much time on this one subject thus diverting from these precious dogs personality. Remember, housetraining should be done in the new home where the dogs learn doors, signals and where the yard is located. So if your number one love is your pretty rug, please pass on these two cuties.
They are live wires!! These two have tons of personality and no aggression, no nipping. They run and play and are such a delight.
You will need a securely fenced yard with a decent sized fence. They are escape artists and I have zoomed out to catch them running in the pasture more than once. Will they run off? Nope..off for an adventure and run right back into your arms. If interested fill out an application at scarsusa.com!

12/08/2024

Update on JOE!

Since my cousin is visiting from Virginia, we headed to Valley Falls on Saturday to take cards to Joe and check on him. I had texted Joe all morning with no answer, which worried me, but I know he does not stay close to his phone.
Bo and I arrived at the tiny metropolis of Valley Falls, bumped down the red brick main road, and pulled into the parking lot of his little loft apartment. No answer after several knocks, so I put the cards in his mailbox and we headed home. I was worried.
Later that day Joe called and said he had been in the hospital, which is what I feared. He had not been feeling well but was now home and doing better. He kept saying he could not believe the wonderful cards and the kind notes. I promised I would tell everyone how touched he was. These cards meant the world to him. We agreed to touch base again and I hung up.
An hour later the phone rang. It was Joe and he said..
Do you live in Auburn?
Yes, I do.
Is there a long driveway with a pond on the right side.
Now I was really curious and said yes, of course.
He told me he and his now deceased wife were here almost twenty years ago and adopted a big, brown dog he named Jethro whom he lost years later to brain cancer. He said JT, as he called him, was his best friend for years.
I began putting the pieces together.
But the story does not end here.
Do you remember the huge prairie rattle snake coiled in your garden, he asked.
How could I forget that terrifying day.
The man visiting had spotted the snake and waved us all back and I ran to get a garden hoe, yelling at the dogs to get back. However, the snake attacked three of them in a split second. (all recovered)
With the skill of a Samurai warrior, Joe killed the snake.
Joe kept telling me he felt he had met me before when Lori and I drove to VF and picked up Domino. And he added that now he felt so good about letting me take Dom, as he knows I could be trusted with his friend.
I reflected on life and its many twists and turns. Years ago a stranger did two things....he gave a home to one of our dogs and he killed a dangerous rattle snake. And almost twenty years later I answered a call from a total stranger and rescued his dog so he could have his surgery.
Surely there is a plan far beyond our comprehension.

11/30/2024

These phone calls are killing me. This is Rico, he is a purebred Siberian Husky who is two years old. He is housebroken, good with kids and other dogs. He was rescued skin and bones, and covered in f***s but these wonderful people have brought him back to health but are losing their home. They said he is gentle and calm. I keep reminding everyone that the plight of animals is the underbelly of inflation and has created a national emergency. We are totally full but trying to help find a safe haven for this beautiful dog. Go to scarsusa.com and fill out an app or call me.785-221-6247

11/24/2024

Update on Domino and "Joe"
Domino has settled well into his new home and the pictures of him with the grandkids are heartwarming
I have been talked with Joe and my cousin and I were heading to Valley Falls today to touch base and see how he is doing and he said OK. But he called me this morning and said he was in too much pain for visitors.
My feeling is that it is so soon after surgery and he needs to get past the initial phase and will probably be much better after Thanksgiving
In the meantime, if you would like to send cards,etc, go ahead and mail them to me and I will get them to him.
I know he will appreciate every act of kindness and so do I!!!!
Thank you all for your compassion and generosity. It is indeed the the season of giving.
I will keep you posted.
SCARS
P.O. Box 22
Auburn, Ks. 66402

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11/24/2024

Please do not buy. Throw them away if your dog gets one as a gift. Giving rawhide to a dog is never a good idea.

Many of these so called treats end up with the dog “enjoying” some time in a veterinary surgery over Christmas. The vast majority of these rawhide products and treats come from China.

The chews are made from cattle or horse hides and their journey starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulfide to remove the hair and fat. More chemicals are used in order to split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white “pure” look and remove the rancid smell.

Now comes the pretty festive colors and the glue to form cute shapes. On testing, these chews have shown traces of arsenic, mercury, chromium and formaldehyde.

If that wasn’t bad enough, they regularly cause intestinal blockages, poisoning from chemical residue and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near impossible to get hold of to save a choking dog.

11/21/2024

Update on Domino!!
First of all I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for all of your kind words and your concern for Domino and his owner. I am reminded that there are so many caring people in our world, and that there is more that unites us than divides us.
There were a couple of perfect homes offered for this dog, so I actually went with the person who contacted me last night. She is a friend of a friend and, although she decided not to get another dog after her last one died, she changed her mind when she saw his picture.
I spoke with "Joe" today and told him Dom had a new family. There was a long silence and I waited..I heard a small sob, but he rallied and said he was so grateful for our help and the new home. Joe is now back from the hospital, but struggling. His foot will take weeks to heal, and his doctors discovered he has a heart problem. We both agreed this is the time for him to focus on himself and get well and strong. As for the kind offers from people to bring Dom to see him, Joe says he feels it would be too hard. Perhaps he will change his mind as he gets better. I promised to stay in touch (and I will as I do not think he has any family.) I told him to call if he needs anything, but to rest and get well.
And so it is for all of us with the holidays approaching, we seem to feel things more deeply and care more passionately. I know I felt this in your responses and I passed it on to Joe.
Surely he feels comforted knowing people care and want his dog to be safe, and for him to get well. And I am reminded of a favorite quote.
In a world where you can be anything, Be kind. Thank you for that.

11/20/2024

When my phone rang, I just knew it would be an owner surrender and sure enough……a man began talking I noticed he choked for a moment, clearly beginning to cry, but I listened until he regained his composure. Joe said he had an 8 yr old Jack Russell terrier mix, housebroken and a wonderful companion. Well darn, he wasn’t fixed which meant SCARS would have to take care of that, and I knew most people do not want an 8 yr old dog, even though he had many more good years ahead. Besides, we were plum full.
In the meantime, Lori was in the car with me as we had been delivering dog food to east Topeka and he was on speaker phone. I looked at her and grimaced. Another dilemma and one I was facing numerous times a day.
Joe was having part of his foot amputated and lived in a loft apartment and would not be able to walk Domino, maybe ever again.
In truth, he sounded so upset and desperate that both Lori and I were caving. She piped up with “I will take Domino!” Even though she is a foster and full, she nevertheless felt like I did. Not only did the dog need help, so did his owner.
The next day we headed for Valley Falls, tried to follow GPS in the little town when my phone rang….”Are you in a blue Jeep? You just passed me!” Turning around, we saw a man waving his arms and hobbling toward us with a bandaged foot. Guess that is Domino’s owner!
He took us into his small, loft apartment and we were greeted by a fiercely wagging tail as Domino twirled in delight with his new company. What a precious dog.
“Joe” told us that he had Dom since he was a puppy and he began quietly crying, tears running down his face. But he felt he would never be able to take care of him again, and I admit, the future looked a bit grim. He was in his 70's and had some other health problems. We laughed when he told us he was an old surfer.
With that, we loaded Dom into the car carrying his “overnight” bag in which he had packed his favorite toys and blanket., We left assuring Joe that his dog would be safe and loved.
Animal rescue is not easy. It often involves irresponsible owners but sometimes one meets people who have come up against a wall. This man had no family, no one to turn to, and aren’t we supposed to help each other. The shelter was full and had turned him away, and I almost did the same. I asked him when he called the next day what would he have done if we had not taken Domino. He said he would have cancelled the surgery. And by the way, he has called to check on him every day from the hospital. That is love.
I visited Domino today and reminded him that Christmas is just around the corner, and I bet Santa has a wonderful family just waiting for him. Come on Santa, there is a wonderful black and white fluffy pup just waiting so read your list and check it twice….just in case you missed it the first time. And please add children as Domino adores kids.
As I left I reminded Domino to wish upon a star for his new home to find him. And I just bet it will.

11/20/2024

Rugby has been adopted and is fitting in just fine with their other dogs! I am getting a lot of fun pictures...thank you all for sharing!

11/08/2024

Gizmo is a five year old neutered, 10 lb, Pomeranian mix. He is good with dogs, cats and kids. His owners gave him up as they are not home enough and he is said to have accidents in the house when they are gone. So far, he is doing great in his foster home but I guess anyone adopting him will have to accept the fact he may not be perfect, he just looks it!! If interested go to scarsusa.com and fill out an app

11/05/2024

Sadie needs our help.She is a gentle, two year old, spayed and housebroken, pit mix. Her current owner rescued her from a homeless man who was giving her away, but her other female dog hates Sadie and has sent her to the emergency room twice. Please consider this sweet dog....I know she is a pit mix, but they are wonderful dogs. Contact me at 785-221-6247 if interested.PLEASE do not post..".I would take her but my husband,,,my other dogs.." .just wish her well.

11/02/2024

10/20/2024

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10/19/2024

BLUEBELLE
Four years ago I got a call from a former student who was sitting on his porch one hot summer night, when he heard a car door slam in the parking lot across the street and leave. Then he heard a whimper in the quiet of the night, got off the porch and followed the sound until he discovered a tiny pit bull puppy crying on the pavement.
He called me and said something was wrong as she was running in circles, and I told him to bring her the next morning. When he held her over the fence, I knew immediately she had hydrocephalus, water on the brain, a death sentence. But we took her in, fed and loved her, and against all odds, she continued to grow and thrive. Our vet said to just watch her, particularly for seizures but she exhibited nothing too unusual other than her circling and peripheral vision. She came to be known as Blubelle, our precious blue pit bull.
She is now four and a half years old and I began thinking about making an appointment with K State to have her spayed. The mere thought of anesthesia terrified me, and I chickened out repeatedly about even making an appointment for an evaluation. Finally, I went ahead and it was scheduled for Oct. 14…I dreaded the date but she was having “girl problems” and I knew she would be healthier if the surgery could be done.
I took her in on Monday and, of course, all the vet students adored her and the presiding doctor examined her and said she really wondered if she was indeed hydrochephalic since she had no symptoms and was not “clinical” although she presented with the enlarged head. The only way to know was an MRI under sedation. She felt it would be safe but she could not make a determination for surgery until it was done first. I could bring her the next day. I left saying I would call her and I was shaking so badly, I could barely drive the car. What if I lost her, it would be unbearable. It could not happen.
I called our vet and she said if it could be done, do it while she is healthy, which was good advice. The threat of pyometra for unspayed females is serious and they often die from sepsis. I knew she would not survive. I needed Terry to help me make this decision, but I was alone and it was a heavy burden.
I went ahead with the promise that if the MRI showed it would be too dangerous, we would stop there. The next day was frightening and the procedure was put off for several hours due to emergencies. I found myself pacing in fear, unable to eat, and at one point collapsing on the living room floor, sobbing. I was in agony.
Finally the phone rang and the doctor said they had completed the MRI and the results were unbelievable. She said no one there had ever seen anything like it. She was a severe case of hydrocephalus. It was a miracle Bluebelle was alive as 95% of her brain was fluid, and she was operating on only 5% brain tissue. However, she still felt the surgery needed to be done and that because she was not symptomatic, they would proceed cautiously with my permission. I steeled myself and said to go ahead. The next several hours were endless and I felt like I had entered into an alien world where nothing seemed familiar and I could not breathe.
Three hours later the phone lit up and I saw “K State vet hospital” and my hands were shaking so much I hit the wrong button and hung up. She called me back. Bluebelle had come through the surgery, was starting to breathe on her own, and in ICU. The outlook was good. These people were saints.
I did not sleep…..I prayed all night. All I could see was her innocent face looking at me in confusion when I left her. Her funny eyes so wide set and her way of looking at me out of the corner of her eye. She was precious beyond words. I adored her.
At 7 AM the phone rang, and I feared the worst, but the news was good. She was doing fine and I could pick her up that afternoon. Few things bring me joy since losing Terry, but this made my heart soar and Lori offered to ride with me and we headed for Manhattan.
Before they brought her out, they showed me the brain images on the computer and said this dog was a miracle. In fact the student was from Puerto Rico where I lived for several years and learned to speak broken Spanish. She said….Ella es un Milagro….un MILAGRO!!!!! ( a miracle) The image showed her brain, all fluid with a tiny wisp of white at the bottom, her only brain tissue. She was indeed a miracle, a text book case. One in a million.
She has been home for three days and is back to “normal.” I was told no stairs, no exercise with sheets of instructions. Upon arrival she ran up our flight of stairs and plopped on her favorite sofa, looking at me sideways. Today she barked at the vacuum and tried to bite the trash bag. And every time she did, I leaned down and kissed her.
There is no measuring stick for love, for if there were, it would be infinite. And I knew this week, in my deep and unrelenting anguish, how much I loved and needed her, how much she means to me. And I will never forget, as long as I live, seeing her coming down the hall, hesitating behind her plastic neck cone, and realizing it was me, her tail beginning to wag in recognition. There could never be an honor bestowed on me greater than this. Never.

09/29/2024

Skippy and Peanut are two adorable eight pound Chihuahua males. They are siblings, but not necessarily bonded and can be adopted separately. They are around four to five years old, now neutered and current on shots. They get along well with kids, cats and other dogs. If interested in adopting either one, fill out an app on scarsusa.com!!

09/24/2024

I opened my phone to see a picture of a dog, wirehaired and black, looking innocently at a camera. “She has been posted on marketplace for some time” my friend Amy wrote. Can I give the owner your phone number. Ugh..everyone has my number, so to speak, but I said “sure, go ahead.”
I put it on the back burner and forged ahead with my many demands until the phone rang a few days later. “I am calling you about my dog, Astra.” I drew a complete blank, started scrolling madly through the files in my already overloaded brain, and CLICK, I knew who she was. She went on to tell me Astra needed a new home due to the serious illness in her family, and we agreed to meet.
Astra came here and it was clear she had lived with an older couple in a quiet home, and she was overwhelmed at this place. She was gentle and sweet, but although this was a safe harbor, it was not the perfect environment. I called Lori and asked if she go to her house, plus we could find out the answer to a guaranteed question….how is she with cats.
Lori called the day after her arrival and said Astra stood up next to her bed until all hours of the morning until Lori gave up and fell asleep. In the morning Astra was asleep next to her bed. Oh, and by the way, she is terrified of cats and will not pass them in my hall. Question answered.
To my surprise I did not receive many calls but remember, it only takes one. And that one came through. His name was Jim and he told me he needed a companion, lived in the country and was in his eighties. When he heard my hesitation he said, “Now don’t sell me short, I just bought a new tractor.” I thought why not, and Lori and I headed up for a meet and greet a few days later.
We mapped out our day between chores with our own animals, and headed to a neighboring county, bumped up and down gravel roads, searching for the right number on a mailbox. Finally, we pulled into a driveway leading to a house nestled in the trees . I liked the look of his place, so we gathered up Astra’s belongings in case she might stay, and she hopped out of the car, tail wagging.
Jim came to greet us wearing denim overalls and a floppy hat. He and Astra spent time together as he introduced her to his yard, tomato plants and various possessions. Then we went inside and all sat down in his TV room so we could get acquainted. He was gentle with her, and she in turn, seemed to like him. I asked the usual questions, mainly concerning his age and he assured me his son and family lived next door and were dog lovers…..Astra would always have a place to go. Jim had lost his “lady friend” and dancing partner awhile back and was feeling the need of a dog for company. He was spry and sharp, a perfect owner.
We left with fingers crossed and told him we would return in a day or two with her medical papers which I had left behind on my kitchen table. As promised, Lori and I headed back up to the country today and pulled once again into his driveway. We got out to read a note on his door for the Meals on Wheels people….”Please leave my food in the cooler, do not be surprised if you hear barking…I have a new dog!”
Jim and Astra were surprised to see us, and we gathered once again in his cozy TV room and he told us all about her two days there.. She loves her toys, runs around the house and hides them in the bedroom. As for treats, she carries them around also and likes to take them into different rooms…oh, and he had bought her a new red halter that we put on her and it fitted perfectly. She has met his son’s two dogs and they got along famously. She sleeps through the night and lets me know when she needs to go outside.
I noticed a funny go cart near his door and Jim said he took her for a ride down the country road, but she hopped out, preferring to run alongside of him.
I couldn’t help but reflect on what a wonderful life lay ahead of this dog. I have grown to love the country having moved to Kansas a few decades ago….far from the city life. Being a native Easterner, born in Washington DC with a career Naval officer as a father, living in Europe, the Far East and the Caribbean, I had never even seen a farm.
Terry always teased me because I thought John Deere was movie star, and Dodge City was a made up town for TV. Lori pointed out a dump rake on the side of the road(???), but when I had never heard of it, I asked her if she knew the difference between a destroyer, carrier or cruiser. Oh, and he is naming her Allis and I learned yet another fascinating bit of information. Allis Chalmers is the name of a tractor company…how could I have not known that!!!
All in all, it was a good day, and a reminder that many of our stories have happy endings, and a lot of people are just doggone wonderful.
Tonight I will go to bed and remember a man in overalls, sitting in his easy chair, smiling down at a black dog at his feet, eyes growing heavy as she drifted off to sleep. She was tired from showing us around her new home and yard, and she stayed close to Jim’s chair. He put his hand on her head, looked at us and said he could not have asked for a more perfect dog.
Something wonderful happened here…something all the money in the world cannot not buy…. And this image will remain with me forever.

09/22/2024

Crystal is a 6 month old spayed female chihuahua. She weighs about 8 lbs, loves other dogs but chases cats! She is spayed and current on shots and is a total doll. If interested in adopting this cutie, go to scarsusa.com and fill out an app