
Life took an unexpected turn for Frodo and Sam, a pair of adorable degus, when their family moved away, leaving...
Melissa’s Second Chances is a 501(c)3 non-profit animal rescue in Shawnee, KS. We find homes and safe refuge for animals in need of a second chance to be a beloved family pet.
On January 1, 2019, we rescued our first animal – a dog named George Jetson. Since then, we’ve worked our tails off to give as many animals as possible their Second Chance!
Second Cup Cat Café in Olathe is where some of our adoptable cats can be found. Melissa opened the cat café with the Olathe daycare location for small dogs and seniors. Make your reservation to have a coffee and pet some cats today!!
Spay/neuter, age appropriate vaccines, and microchip.
Dogs – A leash and collar, food and treats, bedding, and an appropriate sized kennel if one is planned for use. Cats – a pet carrier, food, bedding, litter box, and litter.
No, we are strongly opposed to declawing. More info
Read about the 3-3-3 rule and how to introduce dogs to your home or how to introduce cats to your home.
Yes, some of our animals are eligible for what we call foster to adopt. An adoption counselor can talk with you more about that. Apply to adopt here.
Yes, we have a save rate of 99%.
Melissa’s asks that you contact us for assistance to rehome the animal. We always take our animals back; however there may be a waiting period to ensure that we have the proper space to care for them.
Send an email to dogs@mscrescue.org, cats@mscrescue.org, or smallmammals@mscrescue.org with a picture, name, age, weight and breed and reason for surrender. Also include any other relevant info such as whether they are up to date on vaccinations, spayed/neutered, and known medical conditions.
Contact the Animal Control in the area where you found the animal using this list.
Find out about how to volunteer here!
Life took an unexpected turn for Frodo and Sam, a pair of adorable degus, when their family moved away, leaving...
Blog A Second Chance For Paris March 11, 2025 8:54 pm Paris came to Melissa’s as an owner surrender. Her...
Edith, a frail 20-year-old dachshund, was found wandering the streets, abandoned and alone. When she was brought to MSC, the...
Thanks so much for your interest in volunteering at Melissa’s Second Chances! There are many ways to get involved with our organization, some of which are listed below. To volunteer we require people to be at least 16 yrs of age to volunteer independently, anyone under age 16 can only volunteer if accompanied by a parent/guardian. Anyone younger than 18 needs a volunteer form signed by a parent/guardian.
Melissa’s Second Chances is largely a foster based rescue. That means we rely upon foster homes to help us care for the dogs, cats and small mammals in our program. Foster homes help save thousands of animals’ lives every year through rescues across the Kansas City metro area. You can make Second Chances happen by fostering!
We strive to build a welcoming and inclusive community to support our fosters and the rescue. Fosters of all experience levels are welcome and programs like foster mentoring help our fosters have the best possible experience.
Complete the form or reach out directly to foster@mscrescue.org to get started!
If you’ve found a specific animal you’d like to adopt: Use the “Apply for Adoption” button on their listing. If you’d like our help finding a great match for your home, click the button above to fill out a general application.
You must have an approved application on file before we can schedule a meet & greet! Once your application is approved, we will work with you to make sure the animal is a good fit for your home. If not, don’t worry! We will help you find another match!
11015 W. 75th Street
Shawnee, KS 66214
Mon – Sat – 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Closed Sundays
Hours subject to change based on staff availability and appointments.
We are taking adoption appointments! Appointments can be made to meet an adoptable animal either at our shelter building or off-site.
Phone: 913-364-1822
Email: shelter@mscrescue.org