Rescue Stories

The animals of SCARS have many stories to tell. Here are just a few of them.

Before proceeding please understand that some of these stories may be disturbing to some readers. Although some do not have a happy ending, many of these animals are now in loving forever-homes.

Burned dogs recover thanks to SCARS and Guardian On March 6, 2013, SCARS rushed three badly burned dogs to the Guardian Veterinary Centre in Edmonton. The dogs had been injured as long as two weeks earlier in the rural community south of Edmonton where they lived. It is not clear who owned them but they were roaming an area where many dogs struggle for survival as strays. Nothing had... Read Full Story

Rescuing Strays January 2013 - With recent stray rescues such as Ricky and Van Gogh, a lot of discussion has come up regarding strays. This seems like the perfect opportunity to provide some information regarding SCARS efforts to curb stray populations and mention the many people and groups who assist in the rescue of strays in the remote areas and First Nations c... Read Full Story

Van Gogh The pictures taken of me on the January 2013 day I rescued are quite shocking. They were taken while I was in a volunteer’s truck on my way to a veterinary clinic. It was a very cold day in a northern Alberta community and I got myself into some trouble. I was probably just looking for food but a puppy cannot compete with the bigger, older dogs tha... Read Full Story

Aaliyah January 2013 - My name is Aaliyah (ah-lee-ah) and my story is very sad. I was found, abandoned, starving, cold and alone. My foster mom says she has never seen such a bad flea infestation...it was so bad I had to have all my hair shaved off. I am completely blind, I was born that way, and I am going to have my left eye surgically removed so it... Read Full Story

Bodie In late 2012, I found my way to SCARS. I am the cutest little boy in the world, that's what my foster mom says. At only 12 weeks old, I was so lucky just to be alive. You see, I was attacked by a very large dog. My stomach was ripped open (as you can see in my pictures) and I was left to die. Thankfully SCARS found me and thanks... Read Full Story

For the love of puppies Tazer and Daytona and their 5 bothers and sisters came into SCARS care in mid November 2012. They came as surrenders from Hobbema. Sadly, unwanted litters are abundant in Alberta but it is especially sad to think about them during the coldest months of the year. The lucky ones make their way to rescue groups but we know tha... Read Full Story

Juno My name is Juno. I’m a Husky cross that is very lucky to be alive. In February 2011, a nice lady and her son noticed me limping along the Whitemud drive in Edmonton. They felt sorry for me so they stopped and coaxed me into their car. They took me to the emergency clinic where it was determined that I had a dislocated hip as well as some significan... Read Full Story

Cheeka - My tribute to a special girl By Deb Kardash   Meaningful gifts sometimes come in unusual ways and their impact might last a lifetime.   In October 2009, a Bylaw employee brought Cheeka, a purebred yellow lab, to the Westlock Veterinary Center as a stray. Cheeka had been owned by a breeder who bred her so often it was like sh... Read Full Story

Georgia and her puppies—more than a rescue story (ASNTF Hobbema clinic April 2012) My name is Georgia and this is my story. They say a great story should have a beginning, middle and an end. It should also have a strong protagonist and include an exciting incident. Well, my rescue story has all of that. They say I was a heroine. For me it was literally life or death, but it is the reason I was rescued that truly sets my stor... Read Full Story

Hope Hi, my name is Hope. I'm a young female Harrier Hound cross that became a local celebrity! The nice folks at the Edmonton Veterinarian's Emergency Clinic (EVEC) held a news conference in my honour on March 13, 2012. I greeted everyone with love and affection. Let me tell you, fame like this is great but it didn't come easy and it def... Read Full Story

Remembering Oscar In June of 2009, the former Prairie Animal Rescue Society (which has since merged with SCARS) got a call about 24 huskies that were slated for death (see Husky Rescue Mission). PARS called SCARS and one of the largest rescues we had ever done was underway. What is important to know is that sled dogs are like livestock to many — not all, but ma... Read Full Story

Bindi - a parvo survival story In early March 2011, a Shepherd cross puppy came to SCARS from a northern pound. Being rescued from the pound should have been the end of her suffering, but she was about to face a second fight for her life - a battle to overcome Canine Parvovirus. Here is her story:   It has been a lonely, painful week for me in isol... Read Full Story

Slave Lake Rescue May 2011 - The Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS) extends its sympathy to the people affected by the fires that have devastated the Town of Slave Lake and surrounding area. It’s difficult to imagine the shock and hardship that so many people faced. Our hearts also go out to the animals impacted by this terrible disaster and we are working ... Read Full Story

Etta Etta is a beautiful female border collie who made quite a journey to get to SCARS care.  In early October 2010, Etta was found on a roadside in Southern Alberta. She was picked up by another rescue group and it was discovered she had a badly broken leg. The rescue group could not afford the surgery to repair Etta, so they put out a call f... Read Full Story

Fionn MacCool Hi, my name is Fionn. My SCARS foster mom named me after Fionn MacCool, a famous man from Irish mythology. She says he should be my namesake because, like me, he was very strong, brave, handsome, generous of spirit and very wise. I was born and bred to be a sled dog, but I ended up spending my life on a five foot chain. I am a very quiet and gentle... Read Full Story

Hera - Missing since August 20, 2009 Hera is a 38 pound, approximately three-year-old female husky with striking baby blue eyes. She escaped from her foster home through a small space under a gate on August 20, 2009. Hera is a dog that was rescued from certain death. Her original owner was intending to shoot her and 23 other huskies (see Husky Rescue Mission). She was never&... Read Full Story

Maliha Where to begin my story? It starts off with a kind lady passing by that notices me. She then calls the nice lady with Prairie Animal Rescue Society (PARS) who in turn calls SCARS. The PARS lady, whose name is Terra, drives out to catch me. Terra wants to help me but she leaves on holidays the following day so the lady who originally found... Read Full Story

General My name is General and I am a German Shepherd cross with a very sad story. In June 2010, a nice lady spotted me resting under a picnic table in a community west of Edmonton. When she took a closer look, she was horrified by what she saw. I had a serious injury to my leg. She tried to help me but I ran away. That’s when she decided to cont... Read Full Story

Kiara, Soleila and Oliver (and the tragedy of distemper) In late May, SCARS volunteers took action when they were contacted about five abandoned puppies that needed help. They travelled to a location where these puppies were attempting to live under a rotting building. With a lot of patience and a bit of digging, the volunteers were able to retrieve them. These very scared and hungry puppies we... Read Full Story

Kinzley and her puppies, Chloe and Kaley On June 9, 2010, SCARS took in a sweet tempered German Shepherd/Collie cross and her two adorable eight-week-old puppies. This family of dogs had been abandoned at a northern Alberta dog pound. These dogs, and many others like them, would be euthanized (by bullet) if not for the relationship that SCARS has developed with the municipality. SCARS was... Read Full Story

Pompey Hi, my name is Pompey. I am a sweet little pug/terrier mix that came to SCARS in desperate need of help. I was rescued by Prairie Animal Rescue Society in late February 2010 after being hit by a car and left to die. It’s hard to imagine why a little dog like me was left alone to wander on a busy road. Who could be so cruel? PARS took me fo... Read Full Story

Lia Hi, I'm Lia. I'm not a very big girl. I’m about 35 pounds and only about seven months old. Can you spot me in the picture? This is not the normal place you should expect to find a companion animal living. Sadly, there are hundreds and hundreds of dogs like me that try to survive by looking for food at rural garbage dumps. You get pretty desperat... Read Full Story

Duncan - happy ending but some pictures may be disturbing March 5, 2010 was the luckiest day of my life and I can’t wait to tell you why. On that day, I was walking down the middle of a busy road and it so happens that a SCARS volunteer—who was on her way to pick up some other needy dogs at the pound—happened to spot me. At first she did not know what I was, only that I was sure to get hit by a car if she... Read Full Story

Aasha Hello, my name is Aasha - it means 'Hope' and that is a good word to describe my life the last while. My foster Mom hoped for my rescue and I hoped for a better life for myself and my pup. I am a two to three-year-old Border Collie cross and one heck of a lucky dog. My puppy and I were lost in the country. We settled in at an abandoned far... Read Full Story

Higgins Higgins is a young Husky cross who had what was likely his first lucky day on February 16, 2010, when a SCARS volunteer who was travelling to a northern Alberta pound to pick up some dogs noticed him in the ditch. She could see all of his ribs as she drove by so she stopped to pick him up. He ran over to her and eagerly got into her vehicle. His fa... Read Full Story

Ember and her puppies (Lexus, Mercedes, James, Isabelle, Louise and, in loving memory of Jordon) On January 17, 2010, SCARS got a call about a female dog with six puppies that had been dropped off at a northern Alberta pound by their previous owners. This mother dog, which SCARS named Ember, was in terrible condition and so were her babies. Ember, a mild mannered Shepherd Cross, was very thin. She also had a horrible, open ... Read Full Story

Sarge (AKA, dog) Wanna know my story? Well, my foster mom says you won't like it but here goes. I was a loyal and gentle companion for 14 years, but suddenly I found myself at the Wabasca pound, all alone, in October 2009. My owners surrendered me because I was old, and apparently they had no more use for me. My name was Weiner, but my foster says she just couldn’t... Read Full Story

Rufus Rufus is a sweet natured Shepherd/Husky cross that came to SCARS in late January 2010. Until then, it had been a hard knocks life for him. SCARS can't even begin to guess what he had been through in his eight long years of life. They do know that he was a dog living in less than desirable conditions, and somehow he survived. When he was brough... Read Full Story

Libby On January 17, 2010, Libby came into SCARS care from a northern pound. She was an approximately four-month-old, Corgi cross with her short legs and long body. She was a very sweet and adorable puppy that followed her foster mom everywhere. All SCARS dogs receive an initial veterinary assessment to ensure they are healthy and to provide vaccinat... Read Full Story

Den puppies Two SCARS volunteers visited a remote northern Alberta municipal dump during October 2009 in hopes of helping stray/abandoned dogs. As they arrived they saw lots of dogs, but the dogs were fearful and quickly ran away. The presumption is that most of them have likely been shot at, yelled at, or chased off during previous encounters so the... Read Full Story

Digger's Story Digger came into SCARS care in November 2008 when volunteers, who were in northern Alberta collecting other animals, noticed Digger limping down the road towards them. One of the local residents, who knew Digger well, told us he had been attacked by a bear. As it turned out, he had also been hit by a car at some point in his life as his front left ... Read Full Story

Husky Rescue Mission In late July 2009, Terra Maclean, President of Prairie Animal Rescue in High Prairie Society put out an urgent request for assistance. She needed help placing 24 huskies that were in desperate need of new homes. The dogs belonged to a man, a recreational dog sledder, that would no longer care for them. The bottom line was collect them soon or ... Read Full Story

Robin On July 20, 2009 SCARS was asked to take six puppies that had been found beside their dead mother in the ditch along a highway near Hobbema. Then, on July 21, SCARS was contacted again because it had been discovered that the mother dog was, in fact, not dead. When Robin arrived at SCARS she had a broken pelvis, br... Read Full Story

Teri and the blue baby blanket Teri’s story is so cliché that it almost sounds made up. It’s the classic tale of a dog that was, for reasons we will never know or understand, left abandoned on a lonely Alberta highway on a cold winter day. The twist that makes this particular story even more heart wrenching is the fact that she was found with eight newborn puppies. This has come... Read Full Story

Mortimer Morty was rescued from the Wabasca Pound in September of 2008. Here is his story: Mortimer here. I am a two-year-old border collie cross. When SCARS re... Read Full Story

Jerry This is the story of a young red dog, who in a short time, came to be lovingly known as Jerry. Jerry's time with SCARS was brief, but he made a lasting impression. Dogs like Jerry are the reason SCARS exists. Sadly, his story doesn't have a happy ending, but it deserves to be told. Dogs like Jerry who have suffered terribly at the hands of humans c... Read Full Story

Peanut When SCARS first heard about Peanut, they were responding to a call from a Northern Alberta Community. We were informed that an unwanted dog and her pups had moved into a local resident's doghouse. When the volunteers arrived, they found two adult females and some puppies. These unwanted adult dogs were later named Pumpkin and Peanut. The volunteer... Read Full Story

Rosie's Story One of the most important lessons a dog can teach us is that we should never give up hope. Take the example of Rosie, a young, mixed breed dog whose battered body was found abandoned in a ditch during the coldest part of winter two years ago. We'll never know how many days she laid in that ditch near the town of Westlock, but Rosie was in desper... Read Full Story

Harrison's Story Each week, SCARS visits the Calling Lake pound to collect the dogs and cats that are brought down from the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17. We are grateful the Municipality collects these animals so we can give them a second chance. When we first saw Harrison in September of 2005 or for that matter smelled Harrison, we felt terribly sad... Read Full Story

Ingrid and Greta's Story When four-month-old sisters, Ingrid and Greta, were taken into SCARS care on September 19, 2008 Ingrid weighed 20 pounds and Greta 24.4 pounds. (Their foster dad had named them after the movie beauties Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo.) They both were severely emaciated and suffering from demodex. This mite infestation occurs in dogs that are malnour... Read Full Story

Lilly's Story On Saturday May 24, 2008 SCARS received a call from a rural community about a small dog that had been spotted with what appeared to be a neck wound. Although we were initially unable to find the dog, SCARS was thrilled to receive a second call on May 25 saying the dog had been located. SCARS volunteers rushed out to the location and what they found... Read Full Story

Cindy's Story Cindy came to SCARS in July 2007. A SCARS volunteer was driving through a rural area in northern Alberta when she noticed a dog in the ditch. She stopped to see if the dog was all right and the little dog ran into a culvert, too scared to come out. With the enticement of food, the volunteer eventually coaxed the little dog out. What she saw was ... Read Full Story

Wallace's Story When Wallace arrived at SCARS, he was a mere 55 pounds! He was emaciated, had many broken teeth, and had a blind and sunken eye. He was also suffering from a severe skin condition and was missing most of the fur from his back end and tail. In addition to all the injuries we could see, we also found out through x-rays that he was riddled with gunsho... Read Full Story

Faith, Kasper and Molly's Story Faith and her sisters Kasper and Molly came to SCARS from a pound. Second Chance Animal Rescue Society often takes in dogs from the pound when their “time is up” and they are slated for euthanasia. Within the cities, many of these dogs are held for a week and then, if deemed adoptable, brought to the Humane Society or to rescue groups. Dogs found i... Read Full Story

Benji's Story Benji arrived at Second Chance Animal Rescue Society after living as a stray. He was severely matted and covered in dog bites and other war wounds. Once groomed, we realized the true extent of the damage suffered: he had abrasions and rashes all over his little 5-pound body. Sadly, soon after his intake, Benji quickly fell very ill. He became le... Read Full Story

Wink, Baby and Bell’s Story Wink, Baby and Bell’s story is tragic. Their mother, another poor soul who had been abandoned, had been mistaken for a coyote and, subsequently, was shot and killed. A farmer, realizing that these pups could not survive by themselves brought them to Second Chance Animal Rescue. Right away we realized that these puppies were in serious distress: one... Read Full Story

Spunky and Kya's Story It was a miscommunication that brought Spunky and Kya to Second Chance Animal Rescue Society. SCARS was full! We did not have the resources or space to take in any more dogs. Sadly, we were forced to let everyone know we could not take any more animals until some of the dogs currently in care had been adopted. Luckily for Kya and Spunky this me... Read Full Story

Lady's Story Lady was found on a cold winter day tied to a generator at an abandoned farm. A potential renter came along and found what she thought was a deceased dog. As she approached, Lady lifted her head just barely as if to say "thank goodness you found me." As a Great Pyrenees cross, she should have weighed closed to 90 pounds, but she tipped the scale at... Read Full Story

Rufus' Story It was a Saturday night when a lady called very concerned about a dog that was left tied to a fence. The concern was the dog had been shot in the face a month prior, had never received medical attention, and it seemed no one had any intention of treating him. At this point we were unsure of the dog's condition. On Sunday morning, we made the two-ho... Read Full Story

Tiny's Story Just when you think you have seen all that you can stand to see for a week, Tiny comes in. Tiny could fit in the palm of your hand and loved to cuddle. Tiny’s one front paw was severed and both her back legs were badly damaged. We were unsure if this was a birth defect or if something had been tied around her legs. She had no bone left in her p... Read Full Story

Alberta's Story Alberta came to us from a pound because her time was up. We were horrified to see what this small girl had endured for an unknown period of time. When we first met her she was depressed, very thin and covered in her own feces. When we took a closer look we noticed she had a very large tumor, which was later determined to be a mammary tumor. It was ... Read Full Story

Rookie's Story Rookie was with us for such a short time, but touched our heart's deeply. While out rescuing another dog, Rookie wandered up looking for our help. Rookie was covered in his own urine and feces. He was also unable to walk on his back leg. Rookie readily agreed to being lifted into the vehicle and brought to his new foster home. After a huge meal ... Read Full Story

Normus' Story We had received a call about a injured Rotti puppy that was bleeding from the mouth and could not get up. When we arrived Normus was no puppy. We took him straight to the vet and it was discovered he had been shot in the face by a rifle. His jaw was fractured, which would explain why the poor guy was starving. The inside of his mouth was a mess and... Read Full Story

Tuff and Glory's Story Tuff and Glory, two puppies of a litter of five, had a horrific first four weeks of life. Their tails were docked as newborns and they were left under a trailer when their owners moved away. Three of their sibblings died of starvation after falling down an open pipe that was under the trailer. The real tragedy is the pipe was so shallow that if any... Read Full Story

Charlie's Story Charlie came to us when we received a call from the local vet clinic. His owners failed to contain him properly in their yard and, as a result, he had been caught many times by the local Bylaw Officer. Each time he was caught he seemed glad for the attention and was returned home, happy and healthy. But this time he was not so lucky. Charlie was hi... Read Full Story

Nova's Story Nova came from a reserve were she frequented the convenience store for scraps. The store owners felt she was in dire need of help. When we picked her up, she was nothing but skin and bones. You could see every curve in her spine, hips and ribs. She was frail but very co-operative. When we put her in the car, she seemed almost relieved. Never did sh... Read Full Story

Peg's Story Peg was discovered on the side of the highway on a hot summer day in July by a kind stranger. This little sweetie was moments away from being badly injured or even killed. She was brought to us covered head to toe in large tangled mats that were obviously causing her a lot of discomfort. She cooperated like an angel even though she had to be shaved... Read Full Story

Crispin's Story Crispin appears to be a purebred Landseer Newfoundland. She is a young dog with great courage. SCARS received a call on a Saturday night from a woman who was on her way home and saw a large black and white dog lying in a ditch. She pulled over and discovered Crispin, literally covered with quills. She tried to get Crispin into her car, but because ... Read Full Story

Hope, Sampson, Elsie and Peanut's Story Early in January, we received a call from a concerned individual about three dogs tied with nothing but a heavy chain around their necks and another dog that had been locked in a building. When we arrived, it was nothing less then horrifying. There were three dogs chained with no food, no water and no shelter from the blustery –35°C weather. Melted... Read Full Story

Faith's Story On November 30th , we received a call from a caring individual about a dog that had been lying at the side of the road. The individual had observed the dog lying in the same spot, both morning and night, for days. Concerned that the dog may have been injured, we immediately checked into it. We found the dog exactly where she had been reported. S... Read Full Story

Emma's Story “Emma” was found curled up in a ball in the middle of the road on a very cold, blustery winter day. She was freezing and starving to death. Emma’s ears and part of her tail were frostbitten so severely that they required amputation. She also had puncture wounds on her back, a bad eye infection and ear mites. After a few weeks of medical treatment a... Read Full Story

Crimson's Story "Crimson" was a four-month-old shepherd cross who came to us on a Thursday from the Lac La Biche area. He was found abandoned, along with his sister Cali and his brother Cleave. On the day they came to us, we fed them and they ate like they had never eaten before. They were playful and energetic. On Friday morning we noticed that Crimson was not... Read Full Story

Sandy's Story "Sandy” was very timid when she arrived at the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, and with good reason. She was so thin from starvation that her ribs and hip bones were very evident. Open sores caused by fleas and lice covered her tiny body. Upon examination by a veterinarian, it was discovered she also had a serious uterus infection and three pi... Read Full Story

Mattie's Story “Mattie” came to the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society as a thin, frail, broken soul. She is an older dog, and shows clear signs of living a hard life. She’s likely had numerous litters of puppies and, judging by the deep indented scar on her head, it is certain that she has suffered from unimaginable trauma. A kind stranger took an interest in M... Read Full Story