As I awoke and saw the blanket of snow this past week, I couldn't help but think of those individuals who take care of our shelter, knowing that they had a massive undertaking in, first of all, getting to the shelter, and then to remove all the snow out of the exercise pens so the dogs could get outside.

I felt blessed as I sat at my kitchen table, sipping my coffee as I read the newspaper, occasionally looking up to watch the birds and squirrels compete for the food on my feeders.

I didn't have to be anywhere. I could relax and just enjoy the day. I remember well those days of struggling with weather conditions and feeling the desperation of needing to get to the shelter to let the dogs out, knowing they depended on me.

I feel equally blessed knowing that Adopt a Pet is in such good hands, with dedicated people taking care of our precious residents.

I got a kick out of my dogs and my foster dogs when they first greeted the mounds of snow in my back yard.

The dogs that reside at my home are all senior dogs, and it made me laugh to watch them chase each other like puppies as they bounced through the deep drifts.

Mia, the 13-year-old Doberman, seemed to be having the most fun as she teased the other dogs into giving her chase and Ming, the Shar Pei, gave forth her best effort, despite the challenge of having deformed back legs, but that didn't keep her from having the time of her life!

Kunta, my African hairless, despite having melanoma, joined in, but only lasted a lap or two around the yard before he made his way through the pet door into the warm house.

As long as I stayed out with the others, they continued to play, putting on a show for me, and they would look back to make sure I was watching. Such hams! But old dogs wear out quickly and soon we were all back inside.

They spent most of the day on the couch, watching the squirrels when they weren't sleeping.

It disturbs me when we get found dogs at Adopt a Pet during these wintry days. I hate to think of them being out there on their own, but am thankful for the people who pick them up and bring them to us.

Too many of them are not wearing IDs and it is hard to get them back home again.

Getting lost during a Nebraska winter can be fatal to a dog or cat. They can lose their scent in the snow and easily get lost.

Some helpful ideas to remember are not to leave your dog unattended  when you let him outside. It also helps some dogs to let their hair grow long in the winter to ensure more warmth.

Don't leave a pet in a car for a long period of time. The vehicle can act like a refrigerator, holding in the cold and freezing your pet to death. Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep, away from drafts and if possible off the floor.

Outdoor cats and wildlife will often sleep under the hoods of cars and it is a good idea to bang on the hood before you start your vehicle to give them a chance to escape.

For the dog that has to be outside, they should have a draft free dog house, big enough for the dog to sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to hold its body heat.

The floor should be a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw.

It should face away from the north, the doorway covered with burlap or heavy plastic. Use plastic food and water dishes instead of metal because your pet's tongue can stick and freeze to metal.

Pets, like people, are vulnerable to hypothermia and frostbite. Get your pet to a vet if you see signs of this.

And remember, older or sick pets need to be monitored and will be much more sensitive to colder weather. There comes a time for the senior dog when he just cannot handle the Nebraska winters.

He has stiff joints, and is unable to keep warm like he used to. He deserves to live out his life comfortably.

I happen to know some senior dogs that would agree with me, if they would just take time out from watching the squirrels from their comfortable spot on the couch.

There are no age boundaries for the companionship of an animal. Both young and old benefit from the loyalty of a pet.

Nothing is more calming or soothing than to have a soft purring cat sitting on your lap.

I know that Shirley Doremus would agree. Last fall Charleen Kimberly and Diane Wolfe took time out of their busy schedules to take several cats to the Hearthstone.

I wish I could show you all of the pictures of the ladies taking turns holding and petting the friendly little felines.

Shirley and her late husband Don were long time neighbors of mine and for as long as I can remember they always had a family cat. Back when our children were young we were a “pet friendly” neighborhood.

It seems as if every family had either a dog or cat and no one minded when the neighbors’ pets ended up in each others yards.

There were dozens of kids in the neighborhood, at one time there were close to 40 kids that took turns playing in the neighbors’ front and back yards. Robbie and Ricky Doremus also had a little wiener dog named Sparky. I can still picture this little guy coming up the drive way for his daily visit.

Some of the best memories of the years in our neighborhood include the neighbors’ pets. There were other “pets” that showed up that weren't so well received. Anyone knowing me knows that I am deathly afraid of snakes.

I wouldn't harm one; I just don't want them in my neighborhood much less in my yard. I know that my dislike was known by most everyone including Larry Lind, my next door neighbor, but that is a snake story for another time.

On this particular hot summer day I was trimming my ivy on the front of my house with some new electric shears. I was suddenly surprised when it seemed to jam.

When I looked down I almost had a stroke. Caught in the blade was a VERY long garter snake. As would be expected my first reaction was to scream bloody murder.

What wouldn't be expected was that rather than dropping the shears, I held on for dear life as I ran backwards trying to get away from the shears and the snake. Now that is a feat more difficult than what you would think. Ever try running backwards, while holding an obstacle that had a writhing snake trying to wrap around your wrist?

Robbie and Ricky had run across the street hearing me screaming like a banshee and they were yelling at me to “drop the shears.”

They finally managed to yell louder than I was yelling and as soon as I dropped the shears, the snake made a quick exit, probably thinking “now there is one crazy woman.”

 I swear it took five years off my life. And to this day, it is not my fondest neighborhood memory but a memory that certainly stands out.

Better memories are of seeing their cat Smokey sitting in their picture window waiting to be let inside. Smokey lying under their tree in the shade of a hot summer day.

Smokey sitting on the inside picture window waiting to be let back outside. Just watching Smokey enjoy being a cat is a good memory. Smokey was a beautiful long-haired tabby and I remember when you petted her back she would arch it asking for more attention.

Visiting with Shirley recently, we talked about our years as neighbors. We reminisced about Smokey, Sparky and the “snake caper.”

She said she enjoyed the visit from Charleen and Diane and the cats from York Adopt a Pet. And when speaking of Sparky she told me, “I miss Sparky, I miss having a cat.”

Hopefully we can return to the Hearthstone to once again give Shirley and others the opportunity to enjoy holding and petting a soft purring cat.

Back in the summer of last year, I received a call from a dog breeder that was anxious to get out of the business as soon as possible and needed someone to take her remaining dogs.

I offered to help find rescue groups for all of them, but that meant all. I told her if we helped her, that we did not want her selling any of them to other breeders and that we also wanted any that might be pregnant.

She agreed to my terms, however, she did not hold up her end of the bargain. She did, in fact, do the unthinkable, and sold a number of them to other breeders and I felt a terrible sadness for them.

She also conveniently left home the pregnant ones and admitted to me that she wanted to sell the puppies.

I can't blame her for wanting to make money, but that was not the deal. At our shelter, we make every effort to adopt our dogs and puppies to good homes that are pre-approved.

When you are selling them, often the money takes precedence and going to a good home becomes secondary. She ended up bringing us only two little Bichons.

One was a shy 2-year-old male named Reggie and the other was a puppy with skin and hair problems that died shortly after of parvo. The dogs were afraid of everyone, even her, and she had trouble catching them for us when we put them in the exercise pen.

I had been hoping for a breeder that treated her dogs as her own pets, but sadly, these were like many of the other innocents that are in a pen, void of any interaction with human beings.

For her puppy to die of parvo told me that she had not been diligent in giving her the proper vaccinations, and the ones we gave her on her arrival were not able to protect her. That left Reggie and he had a long road ahead of him to prepare him for adoption.

 But Reggie's new life at our shelter brought many changes for him. He started receiving walks and had daily playtime with other dogs.

He now had volunteers who would hold and cuddle him and call him affectionately by name. He was something special now … much different from his previous life of isolation and indifference that he had to live every day.

To get the showering of affection was new to him and he didn't know how to accept it at first, but Adopt a Pet volunteers don't give up and soon Reggie was learning the meaning of love.

He soon became aware that it was kind of fun to get kisses and have his body rubbed and a pleasant voice telling him what a good dog he is. Reggie just got a new haircut and he is so handsome.

He is one of the lucky ones plucked out of an existence that no dog would want to be part of if given the choice.

We feel Reggie is ready to take the next step and get adopted. He needs an experienced dog owner with patience ... probably a home that does not have small children as he would do best in a quieter environment.

If you would like to visit Reggie, call Kim at 402-710-2788. He will steal your heart.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bob Hose for his service as a long time board member of York Adopt a Pet.

Bob recently resigned, but still plans on volunteering, keeping our grounds beautiful as he has done for the last 10 years.

He is a multi tasker and has been so valuable to us. Hopefully we will continue to see his smiling face at our shelter.

Bob was instrumental in the building of our dog park and was a driving force in our quest for a new shelter. Thank you Bob, for your service and leadership. You will always be a best friend of YAAP.

Charleen received a call from Gloysteins Thursday December 15th at 5 PM. Two men had found a cat and were bringing her in to be checked.

She met them at the clinic and saw little Nadia for the first time. She was being carried by Casey Kinnison from York who along with his friend Nathan Towell had found her in a field south of Benedict.

 They had found some paper towels in their truck and were holding them to Nadia’s bleeding wound.

Casey talked softly to Nadia while he held her as she looked up at him with her trusting eyes, like she knew that she was going to be okay, that she could depend on us to take care of her.

As I later spoke to Casey he said that after hearing a rustling in some tall weeds out came this little cat limping up to him, rubbing against his leg.

He saw immediately that she had a sever wound on her front leg but she continued to rub against his leg as she was purring non stop.

When Dr. Epp examined her he found that she had a massive wound to her front left leg. The bone was exposed and had probably happened days before. She is young, probably 5-6 months old.

There were two choices for Nadia—euthanasia or amputation. As Charleen looked at Nadia she knew in her heart that we needed to try to help her.

We don’t know what her story is, where she came from or how she ended up in the field, but we do know that this little girl deserved a second chance , just like all the other cats who have lived or still currently live at the Cat Sanctuary

Nadia’s surgery was scheduled for the next day. She is now at the shelter, walking on her three legs, adjusting to her new life.

She loves attention, loves to cuddle and be held.

Nadia means “hope”. We have hope for her, that she will find the perfect home with someone who will love and care for her and give her the life she deserves.

Nadia also gives us hope , that there are good people in this world, like Casey and Nathan who took the time to care for her and those that have donated to our fund to help Nadia and other cats with special surgery needs.

If you are able to make a donation to help cover Nadia’s medical expenses, it is greatly appreciated. If you are interested in adopting Nadia, please contact LaMoine or Charleen.

All of the residents of York Adopt A Pet wish you the very best  and thank you for all your love and support!

Update!

Nadia has been adopted!!! Before this story could go to print, little Nadia was adopted into her “forever” home on December 31st.

What a great way to end 2011! Heather Thompson was browsing our web site when she spotted Nadia's picture and read her sad plight. She immediately drove to York hoping that she could see Nadia.

York Adopt a Pet was in fact closed for the holiday but I happened to be in the lobby when she came to the front door. Opening the front door to see if I could help her, she said “ I just took a chance hoping that I could see Nadia”.

I invited her in, and when she met Nadia it was an immediate decision. Nadia had her “forever” home!

It was meant to be. Nadia being found, rescued and brought into Gloystein's Clinic by two very kind and compassionate young men, Casey & Nathan.

How easy it would have been for them to have gotten into their vehicle and simply returned to York, leaving this small injured cat.

That was her first good fortune. Her second being the successful surgery preformed by Dr. Epp and her quick recovery.

Her third good fortune is that she had a shelter to recover in, and volunteers who are compassionate and caring.

York Adopt a Pet is a success because of those volunteers and a community that supports and encourages the efforts to save one small injured stray cat found in the middle of a field.

Her good fortune continued when Heather saw her picture and adopted her into her home and family. It was the perfect ending to a very busy year.

This Holiday wish maybe a little late, sometimes we are so busy caring for the animals that time slips away but it is never too late to wish a belated greeting from all of the residents of York Adopt A Pet and the volunteers who work tirelessly.

We hope your holiday was the very best just as it was for Nadia from a cold harsh empty field into a warm and loving new home.

Thank you all for your continued love and support in our efforts to rescue and care for all the little “Nadia's” that come through our doors.

A month ago I told the story of Max, the Doberman that had been lost by a trucker at the I-80 Waco exit Nov. 20.

After finding some telephone numbers connected to York Adopt a Pet, the trucker, now in Pennsylvania, reached Judi Nordlund and inquired if anyone had found his dog of six years that traveled with him in his truck.

It brought him to tears when Judi told him that we did, indeed, have his dog at our shelter. He was so grateful and made arrangements with Kim Hart, our kennel manager, to pick Max up on Dec. 1 when he would be traveling back this way.

He was never heard from again and his phone is no longer in service. Efforts to find him were futile.

Finally, the agonizing decision had to be made to offer up Max for adoption.

It wasn't fair to Max to keep him confined in a kennel when there could be a good home out there waiting for him.

I happened to be at the shelter last week when Gary and Pam Lillich came in to look at him. They had owned Dobermans in the past and were familiar with Max's story.

Gary drives a truck, so on occasion he said Max could ride with him when he wasn't keeping Pam company at their home in the country. After listening to them, we all could sense that this would be the perfect home for Max.

The adoption went through and I waited a week before calling Pam to see how everything was going. She cheerfully told me that he was doing great. She said he gets along well with the neighbor's dog Bailey, who comes to visit them every day.

She indicated that Max loves to be outside, so with the recent warm weather we have been having, they have been spending a lot of time outdoors.

She allows Max to run free when she is with him and he is good about staying in the yard.

Pam said he has made himself at home in their house and has two dog beds to choose from.

At night he sleeps in the one beside her bed and she said she feels a great deal of comfort knowing he is there when she is home alone.

Pam shared a story with me about their German Shorthair, Beau, that they lost in November to a tumor on his spine.

She had to jog my memory, but it soon came back to me. Beau was found by Adopt a Pet in poor condition and was being cared for and fostered at Judi Nordlund's home.

We had recently lost our grandson, Nate, in a car accident and while the family was back in York, Nate's 10-year-old brother, Cody, seemed to have found comfort in Beau.

Beau helped to fill a void that Cody was feeling at that difficult and fragile time of his life and he spent a lot of time with him ... doing the things that boys and dogs do ... running, laughing and playing ball.

But Beau was promised to Pam and Gary and soon he was adopted by them.

Seeing how happy Cody was with Beau, his parents soon let him pick out a puppy to have as his very own and to be a companion to Nate's dog Libby.Nike took over where Beau left off and has been a part of Cody's life from the age of 10 until now, even though he is away at college. 

I was happy to hear that story from Pam, for I had forgotten it. Our life was in shambles at that time with the loss of Nate and I have forgotten many things during that period.

It was tucked away in my memory bank and once she started telling me the sequence of events, it all came back.

I am pleased that the Lillichs gave Beau such a wonderful home. You could tell Pam loved him very much as it was difficult for her to speak  when she told me of his illness.

As for Max, he is a very lucky dog. If Tom and Kim Hart hadn't rescued him from the interstate, he could be wandering in a field somewhere, starving and freezing or possibly dead.

And even though his master didn't return for him, I have no doubt in my mind that Max has found the perfect home and will be happy for many years to come. He is starting over, just as Pam and Gary are after the loss of Beau.

We at YAAP are mourning the loss of Kay Kahla, one of our board members.

Kay was a special person who strived to make a difference in the world, whether it be in government affairs, child and animal welfare and many other worthy causes.

You did make a difference Kay, and your smile and words of wisdom will be missed.