Friday, April 4, 2008
A "paws" for pets
By Gail Nordlund

This story unfolds in Tacoma, Washington, as a young couple, Ashley and Max Schmidt, stroll through a local Humane Society. looking for a dog to adopt. Walking from kennel to kennel, Max saw a seven month old German Shepherd/Husky sleeping, and he paused to look at her. She opened her big blue eyes and looked at Max and immediately came to him. They seemed to have made an instant connection and Ashley and Max agreed this was the dog they wanted to adopt. So, Kasey, as they named her, went home with them and it was the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

They eventually moved to York and were renting a townhouse. When they were gone during the day, they kenneled Kasey, but she did a lot of barking and there were complaints made from the neighbors. They made every effort to keep Kasey occupied while in her kennel and hoping for her to remain quiet, but it continued. They tried putting her outside on a leash, but she got away several times, so the landlord said she had to go.

Tearfully, in June of 2007, Ashley brought Kasey to Adopt a Pet. I could tell it was extremely difficult for Ashley to part with her and Kasey was upset as well, but the young couple had run out of options.

Eventually, the Schmidt's moved to Seward, where Max attended Concordia College. Ashley became pregnant and what they hoped would be a happy event, turned to concern, as the doctors told them she was having a high risk pregnancy. Her baby was diagnosed with a condition called gastroschesis, meaning her baby had a hole in his stomach. Ashley worried for the baby and after time, starting experiencing some depression. She longed for her dog now, to keep her company when her husband was gone, but their apartment allowed no pets. But, the landlord knew the problems they were having, so he granted them special permission to get a small dog. What a blessing for them, because a pet has been known to be a comfort to someone suffering from grief, loneliness, illness and of course depression. They purchased a mini beagle, named Bailey and he provided the comfort to Ashley that she needed.

Meanwhile, back at Adopt a Pet, Kasey was adopted and renamed Melody. She was not always the perfect pet as she shredded some of their furniture and got into a lot of things. But, she did prove to be a wonderful watchdog and spooked a would be burglar. But, her new owners were gone a lot and without a fenced in yard, Melody was kept inside and continued to be bored and mischievous. About a month ago, Melody's owner said that she was going to have to bring her back to us. So, Melody's picture was posted on our website and offered for adoption once again.

The Schmidt's have now made another change in their lives and moved back to York. They now have a house with a fenced in yard, which was perfect for little Bailey, their mini beagle. But Bailey is a needy dog and very dependant on them and they were becoming concerned how it would affect her when the baby was born, because they knew the baby would require a lot of their time. They made the decision to try and find another dog that could be a companion to Bailey. They had checked our website, but nothing really caught their eye. The following week, they looked again and there was a dog named Melody that looked just like their Kasey, only she was bigger. Ashley told me she got tears in her eyes looking at the picture, as she thought of Kasey, the dog they were forced to give up.

In the back of her mind, but afraid to hope too much,she decided to call me and inquire about Melody, wondering if it could possibly be Kasey.

"It is her,!" I told her and I explained the course of events that Melody's life had taken since she left her with us nine months ago. I could hear the excitement in Ashley's voice as she said she wanted to adopt her back as soon as possible.

I wasn't there when Max picked up Kasey, but I was told when she saw him, she recognized him right away and ran to him, showering him with lots of kisses. After they left the building, she led Max right to his car. She hadn't forgotten that either. How happy she must have been!

I spoke to Ashley recently and she tells me that the two dogs are getting along fine and it was the right decision to make. She is so happy to have Kasey home with her again. Their baby will be born on April 15 in Omaha, and immediately after, their baby boy will have surgery to close the opening in his stomach. They are confident now that everything will be okay and have put their trust in a higher power and their doctors.

Adopt a Pet wishes them the very best. We know Kasey loves them more than words can say, but I would guess if she could speak, she would say, "I never forgot you. Thank you for coming back for me."

A 'paws' for pets

By LaMoine Roth

Adopt a Pet was at Orscheln's Farm and Home store several weeks ago, showing off some of our puppies. A young boy was admiring them and as his mother joined him, we engaged in a conversation. She told me they had adopted a dog from us in 2000, and the conversation that followed, was one of delight and awe. This story will be broken up into two successive weeks to allow the space to tell it all, and it is worth telling.

The James Hood family had moved to Gresham from Colorado, and were looking to add another pet to their family, and since they already had a cat, they decided on a dog. In Karri's words, she relayed the following, "As my son, Colton, and I headed to Adopt a Pet, I had in my mind to look for a cute puppy for him to grow up with. Gail greeted us at Adopt a Pet and I explained we wanted something that would be good with small children. She did not suggest a puppy, but rather a 15 month old black lab that had been relinquished by a couple that was getting divorced. They had two toddlers, so she felt Bubba would do well with Colton. Bubba was brought to the office and he sat very still while I gently tugged his ears and his tail and tried to do things that a toddler might possibly do. He did not react at all. We then took him for a walk and he was so calm and good that it only took a short time to realize this was the dog for us. He was already neutered and housebroken, so what bad things could possibly happen?

"Bubba came home with us that day and has been a part of our family ever since. He took an immediate interest in our toddler, Colton, and they became best friends. He made himself right at home, and one morning, after my husband had gone to work, he crawled into bed with me. I thought it was my husband and I reached over to give him a hug and was greeted by a sigh and a cold nose.

"As time went on, we sometimes wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. The first time we left Bubba home alone, we returned to find an eight ounce skein of yarn wrapped around every possible piece of furniture in the house, starting with the island in the kitchen to the table, the living room chair, all the way down the hall to the bedroom and wrapped around the bed multiple times. I could just imagine the look of joy plastered all over his face as he raced through the house, taking pride with every maneuver around the furniture as the skein shrunk in size.

"The next time he was left alone, the yarn was put away, but he ate the remote control to the television. We waited to see if the television would change channels each time he moved, but of course, it didn't.

"After consulting a vet about his antics when we leave, he gave us some suggestions and with hard work, he soon adjusted to being left alone.

"Bubba wasn't good at staying in the yard and once outside he would take off for a run. He would glance back at us as he ran down the street. We soon figured out that he ran away so he could get a ride back home in the car. On the ride home, his tongue would be hanging out and he had the happiest look on his face!

"Bubba has been such a large part of our family that words cannot describe how we feel about him. He is like another child to my husband and me. He is our son's brother and my mother's other grandchild. He has helped our son to "not " eat his veggies and when Colton dropped a chicken leg on the floor, Bubba vacuumed it up with no complaints, but causing us to consult a vet to see if he would be alright. He has protected us from wayward door to door salesmen, with his size and deep bark. He listens to us when we are sad, and most of all, he has been, in one very special way, our hero."

Next week, I am going to tell you why Bubba is, indeed, a hero. This is a fascinating story of a shelter dog, a victim of divorce, that is now worth more than what money can buy. Watch for the amazing conclusion of the story next Friday.

The story continues of Bubba, the black lab, that was adopted eight years ago, from Adopt a Pet, by the James Hood family and how he has turned out to be the family hero.

In Karri Hood's words: "Toward the end of October last year, we noticed a change in Bubba's normal behavior. It was a Sunday evening and we were watching television. Usually, Bubba lies on the floor by me, but something was different. He sat very close to our son Colton, who at the time, was eight years old. Bubba would nudge Colton and he stayed close beside him. When Colton would lay on the floor to watch television, Bubba would get behind him, lie on the floor and place his legs over Colton's body as though he was trying to protect him. He continued this strange behavior for the next several days. Wherever Colton was, Bubba was close by, still nudging him with his nose. I kept commenting to my husband about this strange new behavior of his and we wondered what was going on.

"On October 24, 2007, we had our answer. We had gone out of town and on the way home we thought Colton was messing around in the back seat of the car. I turned around and saw he was having a seizure. He was not able to respond and his body was twisting back and forth. My husband pulled the car to a stop and the seizure ended.

"After a trip to the emergency room, we still didn't have any answers and were told he could possibly have another one. Bubba kept his vigil over Colton and the next morning he had another seizure. A MRI and EEG were done and the MRI results were normal. We found the EEG was showing signs of a type of epilepsy known as Benign Rolandic Epilepsy. Thankfully, it will not affect Colton's future and he should outgrow it in time. Bubba now did not seem to feel the need to remain close to Colton all of the time. But, that didn't mean he wasn't observant. He has, so far, "predicted" every time Colton was about to seizure. He will get close to him and nudge him, while getting our attention by whining or barking. We let Bubba know by saying, "Yes, it's okay", and he will quiet down, but continues to remain by his side. These warnings come hours in advance. We shared this with our doctor and he was not surprised. Out of the nine seizures that Colton has had, Bubba has let us know each time. There was only one time where it turned out to be a false

alarm, but nine out of 10 is pretty good! We are hoping that Colton's medication will get everything under control so Bubba will not have to keep track of his "little brother."

" Bubba has never had any formal training. I believe that any dog that is part of your family can be in tune with it's owners and sense changes in their normal

behavior. Maybe you wouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars to train one to do this very thing. However, I am not advocating getting a dog just for

this reason. It may work and it may not, but a dog that loves his family can do wondrous things.

"Who would have known that the dog picked up from a shelter could make such an impact on our lives. He has been with us for eight years and despite having some arthritis and showing some grey, he is still a puppy at heart that loves his toys, still gets presents from Santa and makes us smile every day. Bubba has proven that because he was given up by his owner doesn't make him a "throw away" dog. In fact, if his former owner is reading this, THANK YOU for giving him another chance.

"We know that he is not getting any younger and some day he will not be with us. When that time comes, we already know that the next member of our family will, like Bubba, come from a shelter. Bubba thanks you Gail, and everyone at Adopt a Pet, for all of the hard work you do in giving dogs like him another chance at life."

We thank you Karri, for sharing your story with us and for your family giving Bubba such a wonderful, forever home. It proves that you do not have to start with a puppy to develop a bond between child and dog. Show love and kindness to your dog and he will return it ten times over. You can't put a price on a dog like Bubba, yet the shelters are full of dogs just like him. The sad thing is, in many shelters, they will never get the chance to express this kind of love and devotion. All of our dogs will get that chance, but please, spay and neuter your pets to help curtail the shelter overpopulation. That way, dogs like Bubba , will have a better chance of adoption into a forever home.

A 'paws' for pets

Back in December of 2006, most people were busy getting ready for Christmas but one family in McCool noticed a beautiful long hair buff and white male cat was doing everything in his power to get into their front door.

They called and said they had cats of their own and could not take in a stray. No one had claimed him; they asked to bring him to the Cat Sanctuary. It was too cold to leave him outside, and he was desperately trying to get into their house. The family arrived at the Sanctuary and handed him over to me. I immediately named him Jimmy Joe partly because Jim was the name of his rescuer from McCool. And to me, he just looked like a Jimmy Joe. He settled into the sanctuary and I immediately bonded with him. It would be hard not to. He was such a lovable affectionate guy. He was neutered and brought up current on his vaccinations. I watched him gain weight and his coat becoming soft and silky. He was always the first to greet me in the morning with his purring voice as if to saying "good morning to you too." 

On Feb. 13, one day before Valentine's Day a couple drove to York from Lincoln. They were interested in adopting a cat and wanted to come to see what cats were available. Jimmy Joe immediately caught their attention but that was a no brainier. He was by far the most affectionate and outgoing cat living here at that time. Papers were filled out, Jimmy Joe was secured in his new cat carrier and he was off to his new home. Several days went by and the new owners called saying that Jimmy Joe was not eating and could keep nothing down. He was fine when they left and this condition had started the second day he was at their home. They had immediately taken him to their vet and he was baffled as well. He had been tested here at the Sanctuary for several diseases including Felv. He had been vaccinated for all diseases and had a current rabies shot and his blood work was fine, but still Jimmy Joe refused to eat. They were so afraid that he would not make it and they couldn't deal with the trauma of a terminally ill cat. They tentatively asked if they could return Jimmy Joe and I said of course bring him "home" to me. That evening they arrived and Jimmy Joe was left with me and a healthy new cat, Gypsy returned home with the adoptive couple.  They were so concerned about Jimmy Joe but said they just didn't know what to do since there was nothing medically wrong with him and still; he refused to eat.

I too was concerned as I had never seen a "healthy" cat refuse to eat. He didn't have an upper respiratory infection, and although he was lethargic, he would rise up to greet me no matter how many times day or night I would check on him. He would nuzzle my hand and his endearing purr was forever running. I took him to Gloystein's and he was given an injection to stimulate his appetite, we gave him rebound and AD canned food which is a food stimulate. This went on for approximately two weeks, he drank a little water and I gave him rebound and AD in an oral syringe forcing a little nourishment. I just knew that I would check on him one day and find that he had slipped away. Finally one evening I put every different kind of cat food that I had on hand in little piles all over his kennel. I took his head between my hands and said Jimmy Joe you MUST EAT!!! Now I know that cats do not understand human language but I do know this ... the next morning, ever single morsel of food from every single pile was gone. He had eaten everything in sight. It was one of those "unexplained" things. But I am certain I know what happened. I just won't put it down on paper.  

 Approximately a month later Diane Brune and her daughter Sara from Bradshaw adopted Jimmy Joe. Mother and daughter visited the sanctuary and Sara and Jimmy Joe had an instant connection. I have been fortunate to keep in touch and get periodic updates on Jimmy Joe. This Valentine's Day I received a very special Valentine from none other than Jimmy Joe himself. One of several pictures on his valentine showed him curled up sound asleep with the caption below saying, " Ah!!! Life is good!!"

Yes Life is Good.......and Jimmy Joe made me "believe" that special things happen in our lifetime that can not always be explained. 

It can be disheartening to pick up lost dogs and not have them claimed by their owners. Adopt-A- Pet has been over capacity all winter and things just seem to be getting worse. Everyone thinks they have to have a dog, but they aren't willing to make a lifelong commitment to it. I got an email this week that I am trying hard to put out of my mind. The lady seemed nice and stated that they needed to find a new home for their nine year old neutered male Dalmatian. I emailed her back, inquiring as to the reason they needed to part with him. She responded by saying they were moving into their new home in March and she doesn't want any pet hair in the house. She described her dog as being loving and loyal, housetrained and in good health. WHAT? And this family member of nine years cannot move with you? I wanted to take him so badly, but sadly, there is just not any kennel space. My email back to her offered some solutions, plus my feelings as to what they were doing to their long time ," loyal and loving" pet. I don't expect to get a response from her.

In June of 2007, we got in another relinquished dog at the shelter named Toby. He, too, had been an indoor, family pet and was six years old. Toby was a mixture of beagle and lab. For some reason, the owners felt they could not keep him anymore and he arrived with a large box of toys, so I was confident he had been treated well, despite the fact that they were giving him up.

"Okay, Toby, it's not like home, but we will give you a big soft blanket to cuddle in, plenty of food and a trip to the dog park three times a day," I thought. "And hopefully, find you a nice forever home soon."

The volunteers loved Toby. There was something about his personality that endeared him to you. He soon became a major player in the kennel. He was the one who got let out first. The first to be fed. The first to go to the dog park. He would surely be the first to get adopted. Oh, he had lots of people looking at him, but passed him by when they saw he was six years old. Six is a great age! All of the bad habits are behind you.

June turned into July, then August and we could not believe that we still had Toby. But, by then he was commander of the kennel -- everyone's favorite. We had him so long that we were now a little over protective of who would be allowed to get the privilege of adopting him. September came and then October. Leaves were falling and it was getting cold outside. November rolled around. Then one day, two women came into the shelter that I had never seen before. They had just moved here from the northwest. They had been hired to run a

motel on I-80 at a nearby town. The younger lady wanted a dog that would help her feel secure and safe, since she knew she would be dealing with a lot of different people coming to the motel at all times of the night.

The moment she saw Toby, she said, "This could be the one." She took Toby for a walk and he seemed to take to her right away. It was

clearly a perfect match. It was hard to say goodbye to our old friend, but this is what our ultimate goal was and we needed to be happy for him. He had been very patient waiting for this day. So don't mess it up for him by being sad. A dog can sense that.

So, there he went, riding off in the front seat with his new owner; me wildly waving a goodbye he never saw.

Several days ago, I received a call from Toby's owner. She wanted to tell me how much she cared for him and how happy she was that he had come into her life. He sleeps on her bed, and goes to the front desk with her each time a new arrival comes to the motel. There have been several instances where Toby did not approve of the travelers and his reasons were usually valid. One night, he growled when two men came late in the night. They had been drinking. Toby's growl was a warning to keep their distance. These same men were arrested later that night by the police for driving a stolen vehicle. Toby wasn't fooled. He knew these were not good people for his master to be around. She told me having Toby by her side makes her feel safe. I felt so good after we ended our conversation. This was the perfect adoption -- for both of them.

Thank goodness for happy endings like this. It is what helps us to keep our sanity when we have to deal with people wanting to give up their dog because he sheds.

I can also report a happy ending for Randy, the little black puppy that was abandoned on I-80. This week he went to his new forever home. They didn't seem to care that he may shed a little. They actually expect it. After all, that's what dogs do!

A 'paws' for pets

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Gus the gray cat that I trapped during a snow storm. I wrote that I had decided to give him a chance regardless if he was feral. Well I am happy to report that Gus is definitely not a wild and crazy cat. But he instead, is a purring machine and loves to have his head scratched. He has been neutered, was brought up current on his shots and he is now residing here at the Cat Sanctuary. It always amazes me how a cat can be so elusive, seemingly wild with a hostile attitude, but once they are in a safe environment it is like they are finally at ease and their true personalities come out. I would never have dreamed that today Gus will arch up for his head scratches as I remember on that snowy Tuesday he was crouched under a carÊ and no matter how quietly I would try to sneak up on him, he would sense my presence and bolt away. Gus is a very loving mellow guy who is very vocal when not getting the attention that he has come to expect.

He reminds me so much of another elusive gray cat, so let me tell you the story of Hobo the I-80 cat. Early last fall, I received a call from a lady working the Tourism Office in the rest area west of York.ÊShe was concerned; there was the young grey cat that had been hanging around the rest area for several days. No one could get close to him. She was concerned that soon it would be turning cold and she was afraid that he would either become prey from a larger animal or would be hit by all the traffic coming and going in the parking lot. I always approach these types of calls with dread as so many times you just can't temp a cat to trust you enough to remove them from danger. 

I brought a live trap along, but after viewing the area was afraid that if the trap was left at night that not only would I trap something other than a gray cat, but someone might steal the trap and cat during the night hours. Instead, I tried approaching Hobo as I immediately named him. He would trot off several feet, sitting down and watching me with those big gold eyes. No amount of coaxing would change the distrust in his eyes. I decided to leave a tempting can of wet food where the lady said they had been leaving scraps of food. The next day the rest area called. The food was gone, and Hobo was spotted next to the corn field sitting directly south of the rest area site. I loaded up the live trap; more cat food in hand and again drove to Bradshaw. I again, tried to coax him closer to me but he was much too wise to trust just anyone. Several tourists were curious to see what I was trying to catch in the live trap. Some offered their advice, others looked in disbelief that one would try to rescue a cat from a busy rest area. Why bother, it's only a cat one said, only to be answered by a rough and tough looking truck driver who in no uncertain terms said it was obvious they had never owned a cat. I had to smile thinking its true those who have never been "owned" by a cat cannot understand one's loyalty to this aloof creature.

I set the trap, put the food inside, covered the trap with a large towel and decided to sit in my car to see if Hobo take the tuna flavored bait. He poked his head from the corn field and very slowly made his way across the grass, looking both ways but never taking his eyes from the trap. I knew I couldn't be lucky enough to actually catch him this easy, but to my surprise he steadily inched his way up to the cage, took a tentative step and actually went right into the trap. I knew he was hungry because he ate as fast as he could, even when the door slammed behind him. I gathered him up and headed back to York. It was too late to take him to the vet so I put him in a large kennel and thought I would evaluate him before taking him in to be checked over. He sat in the corner only coming out when fresh food was put in his kennel.

On the third day when I inched the door open to put his food in, he leaned into my hand and started to purr like we were long lost friends. I picked him up and he snuggled in like we were fast buddies. From that time on he became my friendliest and sweetest cat amongst all the others living here at that time. He filled out, he was neutered, vaccinated and was just waiting for someone to adopt him. He wasn't here long when a woman from Lincoln called. She saw Hobo's picture on our website and was interested in adopting him for her mother who was lonely since her father had passed away. Her mother had never owned a cat so she said "I need to adopt one that I like as well just in case it doesn't work out with my mother."

She has emailed me several times since she adopted Hobo.Ê She said that it was instant bonding with her mother. She said there would be no chance of her ever getting Hobo away from her mom. We'll never know how Hobo ended up at a rest area along I-80. But we do know that a woman has found a companion, and a cat has found a new home and the Cat Sanctuary has had another successful adoption.

Several weeks ago, I received a call of a small black puppy standing at the Milford exit on I-80, but the motorist was unable to stop. It was late in the afternoon and would be dark soon, so I made a call to one of our contacts in the area to see if they could help locate it. I appreciated their efforts, but, sadly, by then, it was no where to be found.

However, the following day a good citizen brought in a black puppy that he found at the Waco exit. I started to get a bad feeling. A little puppy could not have traveled that distance and I began to suspect that someone may be abandoning puppies at various exits on I-80. It certainly would not be the first time.

On Jan. 28, two more black puppies were spotted at the Crete exit and the caller said they were close to the highway and cars were swerving to avoid them. Now it became a safety issue and it gave me the opportunity to call the State Patrol. To my delight, two troopers responded to the call and stayed in touch with me by phone. They were unable to locate the puppies, but continued to scan the area hoping maybe they had wandered to a safer spot. Anxiously waiting by my phone, I finally received a call, but not one that I expected. Trooper Russ Dostal said, as he was looking around, something by the fence line caught his eye. He was surprised to see a yellow lab, leaning against the fence, obviously injured and in pain, but staring back, never taking his eyes off of the trooper as he approached him. Trooper Dostal later said that the dog looked at him as if to say, "I've been waiting for you." He generously agreed to transport the dog to us because, not only is he a real animal lover, but he knew the dog was in need of medical attention. My sister, Judi, met him and quickly took him to Gloystein Veterinarian Clinic.

By the time I arrived at the clinic, the dog was already in surgery. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but he had abrasions and lacerations that needed suturing. It was their opinion that the dog's injuries most likely were caused from falling out of a pickup. How lucky he was to have survived.

Checking on him later in the day, I observed a handsome, gentle dog with a kind face and beautiful eyes. It only seemed appropriate to name him "Trooper." No one has called to claim him and probably never will. He will soon go up for adoption, but one of the requirements will be that he will never be allowed to ride in the bed of a pickup.

It is one thing to let your dog ride in a pickup around the farm, but it is not fair to put your dog in jeopardy by taking him out on the highway, let alone the interstate. It is equally unfair for other motorists who can become distracted by the sight of it and they should never have to witness the horror of one falling out on the highway before their eyes.

It is too late for the little puppies left out on the interstate, but not for Randy, the one that was rescued. He, also, is now available for adoption. Hopefully, it is not too late for some other pets.

I received six calls, in 24 hours, of lost dogs during the snowstorm. Keep a watchful eye. There may be a dog out there that is need of your help that might be trying to say, " I was waiting for you."

Sometimes it feels as if I take three steps forward and four back. Adoptions are up for awhile and then the new cat and kittens begin to filter into the shelter. A cat here, three cats there, and before I know it the numbers are up again. But each cat that comes into the Cat Sanctuary is one less cat living on the streets.

This is the story of Gus. Last Friday I was driving east on Highway 34 when I spotted a grey cat sitting in the south ditch. Typical of me, I slowed and pulled into the closest drive to observe this cat. It was a cold day and the landscape was windy and covered with snow. Why was this cat sitting in a ditch on such a cold day, far from any farm houses?Ê While sitting there I saw a semi traveling east and to my dismay, the grey cat decided at that moment to dash to the north side of the road to run toward the Pioneer International building.ÊHe actually ran between the back duals of the cab and the rear duals of the trailer. I don't know how he managed to make it clear but he did by a mere cat's whisker I am sure. I pulled into the parking lot but could not coax him to me. I just happened to have a cat carrier and a live trap in the van. But didn't have any food to entice him into the live trap, so I turned around drove back to York, picked up a can of tuna flavored cat food and returned to Pioneer.After checking with the receptionist I set the trap and asked them to call if he went into the trap.Ê

ÊSure enough they called and he had been enticed by the smell of tuna.ÊI picked up the trap up and put it in the van. I still don't know what happened, but suddenly the trap door flipped open and off he flew into the snow and around the corner.ÊThese types of live traps NEVER fail -- well almost never, this is a first and I hope a last.ÊI knew he wouldn't be back for awhile; he would be very leery of the smell of tuna especially in a metal box that went bang.

As you might recall, we all woke Tuesday morning to blowing snow, wind and very very cold temperatures. In the early afternoon the receptionist from Pioneer called and said "there is a grey cat sitting under a car in the parking lot and it is covered with snow and ice." I immediately drove back with trap and tuna in hand. Sure enough under a red truck sat this poor half frozen cat. I have never seen a cat that had frozen snow and ice all over its fur. Big chunks of ice was in his ears and he literally looked frozen. He had a pitiful meow but again I couldn't get very close. I set the trap and the receptionist told me she would call as soon as he ventured into the trap.ÊIt didn't take long, I had been home only minute when the phone rang. I had myself a grey cat. This time I checked the latch carefully before putting the cage into the van.ÊAs I drove to the vet, I noticed that some of the ice was melting on his coat but he had a ways to go before he thawed.

I left him in good hands with Beth and Mandy and asked them to give him extra food as I was sure he was near starvation.

Tomorrow I will go back and evaluate him, but in my mind I know what his evaluation will be. He is probably feral, and will never be a "lap" cat, but with a cat that I personally watched loose at least three of his nine lives by outrunning a semi-trailer truck, outsmarting a live trap, and living through a blizzard with sub zero weather -- he is going to find a home and a second chance.

Sometimes you just have to go with what you know is the right thing to do.ÊHe just a cat, he had no name and probably doesn't know how to purr but he is a survivor and I am going to assure him that you don't have to be the cutest or sweetest cat on the block to enter the Cat Sanctuary you just need to outrun a semi, outsmart the fool proof live trap, survive a mini blizzard and most important, be FIRST to know when and how to show up in a snowy ditch so that you can get the attention of a certain cat rescue person. Sometimes these cats work all the angles to assure a spot in the Cat Sanctuary. But to be given a second chance I think they will all agree, its worth all the effort ... just ask Gus.

We have all had "feel good" moments , but when you know it has made a difference in someone's life, then it is a moment to remember forever.

Let me back up to Dec. 9, when I received a call from the York police department. An elderly man was having medical problems and was being transported to the hospital. Left behind were his pets, a dog and cat, and Adopt a Pet was asked to pick them up.

The cat went to the Cat Sanctuary, and Casper, a 15 year old large black dog, was taken to our Adopt a Pet shelter. Casper was very upset having strangers

enter her home, taking away her master, leaving her with overwhelming feelings of sadness and confusion. She was now in a strange place and started the grieving process by not eating. She was also in need of a bath, so one was scheduled as soon as possible. After her grooming was completed, you could see the difference in her demeanor. She seemed to feel better. She looked beautiful and I think she knew it. We received information that the owner would not

be coming home, so we updated Casper's vaccinations. But, in the back of our minds was the troubling thought of who will ever adopt a large 15 year old dog?

I am certain that most shelters would have then made the decision to put her down because of her advanced age. Casper may be a senior dog, but she still has a sparkle in her eyes and she loves going runs in the dog park. We would never put a healthy, well mannered dog down, no matter what the age, so she was put on our website and the process began to find her a forever home. Unfortunately, or as it turned out, fortunately, she was not adopted.

On January 15, I received a call from the police department asking if we still had Casper. Saying we did, they turned the phone over to her former owner. I was really surprised and happy to hear his voice. He tentatively asked about Casper and was so thankful we still had her and that she was okay. He told me the veteran's hospital was going to allow him to keep Casper in his room for the next three weeks until he was dismissed and moved into a permanent residence. What good news! After hanging up, we both headed for Adopt a Pet. Don came into our office and I went to get his dog. I think I was as excited as he was !

As I led Casper out, she thought she was being taken to the dog park and her sniffer must have been showing its age, because she ran right by Don. He called out her name and she turned around and seemed to freeze in her tracks. Soon dog and master were hugging and kissing. Through the emotion, I managed to take it all in, enjoying and savoring a rare moment of pure joy.

Don offered to give us something for keeping her, but somehow, it didn't seem right. I told him our reward was their reunion.

I walked with them to their van and sighed as they drove away. Two old pals together again. That was a powerful moment to remember -- one I will never forget and will cherish forever.

If I listed all of the cats and kittens names who are residing at the sanctuary it would probably fill up this week's article space. This week I would like to give you an idea of what circumstances has brought just a few of the cats or kittens to a home away from home. To a sanctuary for misplaced animals that society has in a sense "thrown away." I continue to stress that unfortunately we are a throw away society and until we take responsibility for our pets then their fate will continue to be in the hands of shelters such as ours.

Two weeks ago I wrote of our "long term" residents. You will be happy to know that shortly after that article was published; Kay was adopted to a forever home. The family that adopted her chose her because she had been here for so long and they wanted to give a home to a cat that other wise wouldn't have a chance for a forever home. Timber, Gabrielle, Prudence, & Marilyn are still watching and waiting.

I'll start with today. Last night I received a call from a lady from rural Bradshaw, a long haired torte showed up at their farm, she was very friendly and wanting to get into their home. They didn't want another cat; could she bring the cat to the sanctuary? This "stray" cat is now named Gypsy. Tomorrow she will visit the vet, be tested for Felv, vaccinated, wormed and her health record filled out. If she is not spayed she will be scheduled for surgery. She will be put in isolation for 10 days after receiving her distemper shot. This also gives her time to adjust to being at the sanctuary with all the other cats and kittens. She will get used to having a warm place to sleep, fresh food and water. As she adjusts, her wait will begin for the day when a family will come and want to adopt her. So she can once again become a part of a family. She is not a feral cat, she is affectionate and likes to be held. We know that she was, at one time, someone's cat. We don't have her history; we can only imagine why she showed up in the countryside trying to get in the back door of a home. We only know that she is now Gypsy she will be with us for however long it takes for her to be adopted.

A call came in before Christmas from Exeter. A mother cat had been hit by a car leaving behind four 10-day-old kittens. The woman said she was bottle feeding them and would keep them until after the holidays. Would I then take them to be adopted out? The four little fat furry balls showed up today. Now they aren't just four kittens, they are cute little Matt, Mike, Frank and Finn. The quartet is nervous, especially after their vaccinations and oral worm medication, but they too have settled in and are all curled up in a pile together sleeping.

A "Morris" yellow tabby came from Elms Trailer Court; he had been hanging around and trying to get someone to let him in out of the cold. He is now inside where it is warm, his food and water dishes are always full. He lets us know how content he is by his loud purr and his kneading paws.

Alex is a beautiful Siamese found in Fairview Drive. Elsie and Quinn were found huddled together at near an apartment house. Thankfully, Quinn was adopted tonight to a woman from Lincoln. Mary Katherine was found in Runza's parking lot by a kind lady who felt sorry for a cat eating dropped French fries in a cold ice covered parking lot. Larry was found caught in a fence by a lady on Christmas day. Connie was found in a window well.

These are just a few of the most recent cats and kittens who have arrived at the Sanctuary. These are their stories as we know them. We don't know how long they were on their own, we don't know why they ended up fending for themselves, we only know the middle of the story. Hopefully the end when they will be adopted into forever homes. The middle of the story may take days, weeks, months and possibly years, but they will stay with us until the end. I often wonder what would become of these animals if the Cat Sanctuary did not exist. Who would people call when they found a cat caught in a fence, a window well, orphaned kittens? Would they be forced to leave the cat on the road, in the window well to be left to die of cold hunger or thirst? Help us to continue to rescue these animals, donations are tax free and it would help with our building fund that is slowly growing. A new shelter would guarantee that York Adopt a Pet will continue for future generations of York. We ask you on behalf ofÊElsie, Quinn, Larry, Morris, Connie and Mary Katherine.

As many of you might recall, from a News-Times story on Dec. 15, there was a hunting dog discovered in a portable kennel, in the back of a stolen pickup, parked at the Crossroads Cafe south of the York I-80 interchange. The truck had been there almost a week. I have had a number of inquiries as to the condition of the dog and if he fully recovered.

On the morning of Dec. 14, I received two separate calls reporting the discovery of the dog. The callers indicated

that the dog looked pretty lethargic and needed help as quickly as possible. They also told me they knew the truck had been there for some time. As I was driving out there, I was thinking of the recent ice storm we had and the frigid dip in temperature that week. I was prepared for the worst.

When I arrived, a police officer had just gotten there and there were a number of regular cafe patrons giving their recollection of events.

I headed straight for the dog. The first thing I remember feeling was compassion for him because I could see, by the grey on his face, that he was an older dog. His sad eyes locked into mine. "You're going to be okay boy," I said, as I put my fingers inside his kennel to touch his head. He was a Visula, even though I am sure he wanted to, he did not make an attempt to try to stand to greet me. I think he was just too weak to do anything.

The cafe patrons stated that they had seen the truck and dog there all week, but just assumed the owner was in the cafe having coffee. It wasn't until the windows had frosted over that they realized the truck was abandoned. I asked them to load the kennel from the truck into my car. I called Gloystein Veterinary Clinic to tell them I was coming and what to expect so they could be ready to give him the care he desperately needed.

When I arrived at the clinic, I opened the kennel door, snapped a leash on him and gently lifted him out onto the

ground. He had a hard time standing at first and had difficulty straightening his legs to walk. We took it slow. I gave him some much needed head rubbing and worked my way to his legs, massaging them and encouraging him to follow me to the grass so he could relieve himself. Slowly, we walked together to the lawn and he did his duties, but it took him a long time. His stools were full of his blanket that had been in his kennel. In desperation, he had eaten the only thing he could find to quiet the ache in his stomach. He had no body fat left on him.

We went inside and the staff at Gloystein's took over, placing him on a heating pad and slowly gave him small amounts offood and water at intervals. He was hooked up to an IV. Eventually, they heard from thedog's owner, who was notified that his truck had been recovered. He told the clinic to do whatever was necessary to help his dog.

In the meantime, I found out through the police department,that the pickup had been stolen from Marysville, Kan. on Dec. 8, meaning that the dog had spent six days confined to the kennel without food or water and little shelter. I went back later in the day to check on Boomer, to see how he was doing. He was now off of the IV, so I took him out for another potty break and a short walk. I then spent some time in his kennel, rubbing his belly and talking to him and just taking in what I was seeing. The sadness was no longer in his eyes. He was alert and enjoying the attention he was getting and it was obvious that having a full tummy did wonders for him.

As luck would have it, I was still there when his owner, Mike Fehr, came to pick him up. I introduced myself and he told me that he and a friend had gone out hunting with their dogs. He said the dogs were not getting along, so he put "Boomer" in his kennel in the truck. According to Mike they were not out of the sight of the pickup for more than fifteen minutes. When they returned, it was gone. Mike's voiced cracked when he said," I didn't care anything about the pickup. All I wanted was to find Boomer.

The reward for me came when they brought Boomer out to Mike. These moments are priceless and its hard to describe the emotion one feels to see reunions such as this. Dog and owner had their special moment together as Mike knelt down hugging him and speaking quietly in his ear. It was a wonderful sight and I tried to put out of my memory the cold and lonely nights that Boomer spent out there and the confusion he must have felt. After Mike composed himself, he told us that Boomer was a ten year old Visula who was an excellent and experienced hunting dog, but most of all, he was his best friend. By never giving up, this dog showed he had the patience and faith to survive. He knew his master would come for him.

A 'paws' for pets

2007 was a very busy year for the Cat Sanctuary. We dealt with 397 cats which calculates to the Sanctuary receiving on average more than 1 cat or kitten per day for the year. No wonder it seemed overwhelming at times. It seemed that I was on the phone most of the month of December setting up adoption appointments as far away as North Platte and Omaha. I was so excited; we had adopted a total of 35 cats and kittens in the month of December. Then I totaled the number of cats and kittens who arrived in the month of December. A total of 24 new arrivals. But for the first time in quite a while, we adopted more than we received. This is 35 cats and kittens that were adopted into kind and caring forever homes.This is 24 cats and kittens coming into the Sanctuary.These were cats and kittens that were at one time displaced, abandoned or relinquished by their owners who found themselves in our shelter, living with dozens of other cats, sharing their food and water dishes not to mention cat beds and attention. These are the cats that are amazingly resilient, who given a little time become tolerant of their surroundings, who slowly accept life with quiet patience. These are the cats and kittens that wait and wait for that special someone who will come into the sanctuary and who will choose them to become a part of their family.

Harris was such a cat and yes Harris was adopted this month. He came to us on Dec. 9, 2006. He was found near Waco on a country road. We know he was, at one time, someone's pet, he had been neutered and his personality was wonderful. Harris immediately settled in and at times he would be so close to being chosen only to be passed over again and again. I never understood why. If a person sat down in our "get acquainted rocking chair" in the sanctuary he would IMMEDIATELY jump onto their lap as if saying "here I am, take me take me." He gained about 5 pounds this past year, and he became a symbol of patience. That patience paid off approximately 54 weeks later. That special someone came to the sanctuary and after one look and one lap sitting session in the "rocking chair" it was a done deal, Harris was finally going "home."

Harris settled into the wicker cat carrier and as his new owner drove away I thought there is always hope for a happy ending. Every cat or kitten that enters the cat sanctuary has that hope of finding their own special home. Sometimes it takes just hours, sometimes weeks and months and for about five of our sanctuary cats it has been years. But still they wait. The upside to this sad waiting game is that they are being cared for as if the sanctuary were their home. Well actually it is their home but we know it is not their permanent home. Hopefully it is only temporarily, but regardless they get not only their basic needs such as shelter, food, water and vet care, but they get individual attention. Thanks to people such as Donna Feldt from McCool who hand sews cat nip toys for the cats to the many many wonderful people who this past month have donated, food, soft blankets, and money to help with supplies. We have received donations from families who have previously adopted from the Sanctuary like Pam who periodically sends donations through the year and always at Christmas. We thank you all because without these donations we could not rescue such wonderful cats like Harris. Our needs are not huge, paper towels, cleaning supplies, treats, cat litter are all appreciated at any time. We are also in need of heating pads (new or used) to be used for newborn kittens and ill cats. 

Harris, we wish you a long and happy life with your new family. To Gabrielle, Timber, Prudence, Kay and Marilyn long time residents of the cat sanctuary who are still "waiting", we say "have patience" a special someone will hopefully come very soon. And until they do, your home will continue to be with us at the Sanctuary. Until you arrived at the Cat Sanctuary the world was neither kind nor compassionate. We have changed that, we will feed you, shelter you and most important we will give you love and attention. Until that time, have faith and continue to be patient, there is a home waiting for you ... just ask Harris. 

A 'paws' for pets

As I sit at my computer this cold winter night, in a basket by my feet lies little "Darlin" sleeping the sleep of an innocent little kitten. She is one of those rare little kittens that when you look at her face you see innocence and sweetness. Several weeks ago friends of ours, Ron & "Doots" found a little kitten on their back doorstep. They live on a farm and they had seen tiny little footprints in the snow and had caught a glimpse of a kitten. Although Ron had tried to find it, he had no luck. He left their garage door open the first night but no trace of the kitten was seen. Thinking that the kitten had left with a mama cat that had been seen at a distance they shut their garage door the second night. The next morning Ron once again saw little tracks in the snow and he felt bad that he had not left the garage door open. No trace of the kitten was found and they let their little dog Addie out for his morning exercise. After Addie came into the house he continued to go to the back door whining and Ron opened up the door thinking that he wanted to go out again. But there laying on their back step was this tiny little kitten. They think now looking back that Addie actually found the kitten outside and brought it to the back step and continued to whine at the back door so they would open the door and find it.

When Ron called me, he said "I think it is too late, but should I bring this little kitten to you?"From what he described I agreed that it would probably be but I would at least do what I could for it. Minutes later Ron pulled into our driveway and when I went out to his truck, here was this tiny kitten lying very still in a small card board box. I told Ron that I would take her to the vet and see if they could do anything but when I got into the house I thought she is not going to make it, she was so cold and her little eyes were glassy. I decided to make her as comfortable as possible and not put her through any additional stress. I put her on a heating pad and tried to give her drops of pedialite, but she couldn't swallow, so I wrapped her in a little blanket with the heating pad and thought she would just go to sleep and hopefully wouldn't suffer. I kept checking on her and at one point I was certain she was gone I had to actually study her body before I could see a faint lift of her chest that she was still breathing. After about an hour she finally managed to swallow a little liquid so I enticed her with some wet cat food. She didn't seem to know how to eat and actually pecked at the food like a little chicken, and this was from a prone condition as she couldn't seem to stand. I was afraid maybe she was paralyzed as she couldn't even raise her head, much less stand.

I turned her from side to side so she would get as much warmth as possible from the heating pad. She was getting stronger; sitting up by evening and by the next morning was eating and drinking on her own. The next time we saw Ron & Doots and they simply could not believe that she was alive and actually doing well. Doots said she thought that at one point she had passed away as she could not see her breathing.

The very next day she was adopted for a little six year old girl who told Santa that she didn't want anything except a kitten that would be her very own. I am assured that this is where little Darlin will receive all of the love and care that she is so deserving of.  I have kept her here with me and she will be going to her new home just in time for Santa.  I wanted to be certain that she would be 100 percent fit before she went to her "forever" home.  She has filled out, loves her toys and has her "motor" going 24/7.  She is my miracle Christmas kitten. She surprised us all with her will to live. And thanks to Ron & Doots she was given that chance. Thanks to a little 6 year old girl and her grandmother and of course Santa she will be loved and pampered for many Christmas's to come.

Thank you all of have remembered the cats and kittens at the Sanctuary this Christmas with your generous donations.   It truly is appreciated. On behalf of all the feline friends here at the Cat Sanctuary we wish you all a Blessed Christmas.

Just about the time I think I have seen everything, I am proved wrong. I received a phone call Sunday morning that a couple on York Avenue made a gruesome discovery when checking the playhouse behind their home. They had not been back there for several weeks and as they opened the door, to their horror, they discovered a dog, curled up and not moving. She notified Adopt a Pet and the police department, saying she feared the dog was dead.

I went over to confirm her findings. The short haired, medium sized black dog appeared to be sleeping, but you had to look closely to realize that he was dead. It was obvious he had been in there for some time, judging from the amount of animal waste on the floor. You could see where he had looked out of the window, but sadly, no one passed by to see him. There was a dish filled with food and a water bowl that was empty. Could he have been sick when put into the playhouse? Could he have died of dehydration? I'm sure he was cold. Why didn't he bark and cry out? The person that put him in there had to sneak into their backyard when no one was home and took the time to put the dishes there and lead the dog into the play house, only to turn his back on him and close the door.

In my opinion, this is the mind of a criminal. How dare they put this onto someone else? How dare they abandon their pet this way? I am hoping through this article that someone might have information about him. The dog was all black with white on his nose and appeared to weigh about 30 pounds.

It saddens me when people treat "man's best friend" with such indifference. This dog, no doubt, gave his owners unconditional love, only to be stripped of his dignity at the end of his life. I feel sorry for a dog that lives at the end of a chain or one that is trying to stay warm with inadequate shelter.

It doesn't take that much effort to ensure your pet is comfortable and well cared for. But some dogs owners just don't seem to do that. I was pleased to read Dr. Ryan Koch's recent article on winterizing your pet. It was very informative and a copy of it would be worth passing on to someone who is not properly doing so. It helps when people stay vigilant and report any dog that is in stress. We are fortunate to have an animal control officer with the police department that checks out any reports of neglect. We have a long winter ahead of us. In the meantime, I am hoping to receive a call from someone who can identify the dog, that had no choice but to trust his owner, as he led him inside the playhouse and like a coward would do, walked away from the dog he was responsible for. I'm sure he waited for him to return, but little did he know , or understand that his owner was never coming back and that he was being cruelly abandoned, left behind to die alone.

A 'paws' for pets
"Cats are connoisseurs of comfort"

Sitting on the floor next to my desk in a wicker basket is "mama" and her five newborn babies. She is not all that unusual mother in looks and her babies are not anything out of the ordinary if you can ever say that five day old kittens can be called ordinary. Mama is a tabby w/white socks and Kelly green eyes. Two of the babies are black and white tuxedo, one tabby w/white socks looks just like her mother, there is another black w/white tummy and one is a full blown tabby. What is unusual with this mother and five babies is that she is sleeping in a wicker basket and her five babies are warm, well fed and will have an excellent chance to be adopted into forever homes. 

I received a call last Friday from a lady in Lincoln. She said that while leaving work the previous night this very pregnant mother cat followed her to her car. She said, "I just couldn't leave her, she was meowing so pitifully," so she scooped her up and put her in her car. She had called several animal shelters in Lincoln and was either told they were full and weren't taking any new cats or that they would take her but if not claimed within four days would be euthanized. She asked if I could take her. I told her we too were full, that we were bursting at the seams. But she literally begged me to PLEASE take her -- well you know that since Mama and babies are in my office that I folded and said I would take her. She arrived about noon and handed me a very pregnant cat. She left a generous monetary donation and some extra cat food.  She asked if I would call her when Mama delivered her babies and I said that I would. I put her in my bathroom in a wicker basket thinking that she would probably have kittens at any time. I didn't have to wait long, early Saturday morning when I checked in on her, she had one baby and within the next couple of hours, delivered four more. She is such a good little mother; I have been giving her extra special food so she can have lots of milk for her little family. What was so comforting to me was the fact that it was freezing rain and windy most of the day Saturday. I kept checking on her and she was curled around her babies, her paws were kneading and she was softly purring even while she slept. She knew that she was in a safe haven and you could tell by her calm demeanor.

This is just one of several hundred cats and kittens that have passed through the Cat Sanctuary this year. We have dealt with more than 100 cats and kittens in the year 2007 than in the previous year. I don't know if there has just been that more rescue cats and kittens or if I have "folded" more this year with desperate citizens who are compassionate enough to pick up a stray cat, drive more than 100 miles round trip, give a donation and food to help this mother cat who obviously had been abandoned in a busy parking lot. I will keep you all posted on Mama and her babies. She will spend the Christmas holidays at the Roth household. She will soon be moved out with her basket full of babies to be next to the fire place. Nothing is homier than a basket full of fuzzy kittens sleeping next to a crackling fire. 

As we get closer to Christmas I know that we will adopt many of our cats and kittens to new homes. If you are considering adopting a cat or kitten, please call and make an appointment to see our family of cats and kittens, all colors, personalities, sizes and a story to tell of how they found their way to the Sanctuary.

ÊPlease remember the Cat Sanctuary this Christmas season and remember all of the abandoned animals, both cats and dogs who have found refuge here at Adopt A Pet. We are a non-profit organization and must rely on the donations of those of you who realize that animals know pain, they know hunger & cold. Please remember them this Christmas Season, help us to continue to open our doors and our hearts to God's creatures, both big and small. Please consider a donation to help us to continue to help cats like "Mama" and her babies. We at the Sanctuary will thank you and cats like Mama will thank you with her kneading paws & soft contented purrs as her babies nurse in a warm soft wicker basket.

Two weeks ago, I got a call about a wandering basset hound on the interstate, west of the Goehner interchange. Interstate calls are distressing to me because so often by the time we get there, the dog is no where to be found. But this day it was different, as the caller, Rex Radcliff, was willing to remain near the dog until I arrived, some 30 minutes later.

He made my job a lot easier by doing so, and even though there was some initial growling and bearing of teeth, the worn out hound was willing to eat some food from my hand, giving me the opportunity to slip a leash over his neck and lead him to my car. I put him in the back seat and as I drove back to York, he rested his head on my shoulder as if to get a better view of where he was heading.

I was on my way to the shelter, but had a change of heart and decided to take him to my home. He greeted my dogs and after snooping around the back yard, came through the pet door, into my house, took a long drink of water and settled himself on one of the dog beds and took a two hour nap. I named him "Tex" because of a white spot on his back resembling the state of Texas.

I soon discovered he was housetrained, liked to get on the couch and had a good nose for anything that resembled food. I made a meatloaf for supper that night and placed it on the counter top to cool. I was in the other room when I heard some suspicious noises

coming from the kitchen, only to find Tex licking his chops and my dog, Darlin, licking up the remaining crumbs. This caused a flashback to 1951, when our neighbor, and York High basketball coach, "Swish" Brown's boxer, "Mr. Carmel", opened our screen door and helped himself to the rump roast on the counter my mom had prepared for Sunday dinner.

It doesn't stop there. My older dog, Angel, takes the medication Rimadyl, for arthritis. The following morning, after the meatloaf debacle, I was preparing to give Angel her medication, but couldn't find it. I looked around and discovered by the back door, the cellophane packet, torn open and empty. Eight rimadyl pills eaten by you know who.

It had to have happened the night before and Tex seemed to be suffering no ill effects. In reality, he had probably never felt better. But, Thanksgiving was approaching and that meant fixing food and I had no choice but to take Tex to the shelter to protect anything that I was going to cook. It also presented an opportunity to have him seen by a vet and neutered. He moped at the shelter for a few days, but adjusted as time went on.

Several days ago, I decided to bring him home again, after "Tex- proofing" my house." The first day he was able to get into my dog food container by knocking it around until the lid popped off and helped himself to an early supper. When I went to bed last night, I found him curled up in my spot, with his head on the pillow, enjoying the warmth of the electric blanket. After showing him his bed on the floor, he reluctantly crawled down and slept soundly until morning. Tex is available for adoption and someone is going to be fascinated with his endearing personality. They just have to make sure to put the food to the back of the counter.

Lost pets. They're everywhere. All you have to do is look at the Lost and Found column in the newspaper to see that it is an everyday occurrence. Lincoln Humane Society lists all of the found pets brought into their shelter daily, and the list is long. That many dogs cannot find their way onto the adoption side, so they are euthanized if not claimed by their owner. For every dog that is claimed, there are many more that are not. We see that at Adopt a Pet here in York. For some people, it is easier to replace it, than look for it. They take no responsibility for it's welfare. But, the good pet owners never give up. If you've never had it happen to you, let me tell you, losing a pet is a horrible and heart wrenching experience.

Especially if it is an indoor pet that is not used to being outside, having to suffer through the cold nights, alone, when it is used to snuggling on the bed of their owner, comfortable and safe. And adding to their misery is if they are lost in an area that is unfamiliar to them. They don't know which way to go, so they run and run and soon become afraid of everything and everyone and they continue to run until one day they seem to fall off of the face of the earth. Gone -- but where?

For the heartless pet owners that don't make an attempt to find their lost pets, there are wonderful ones that do everything in their power to bring them safely home.

In September of this year, we had a one year old female terrier mix brought into Adopt a Pet. The dog had been passed around to several owners and the first one had not treated her well. She was a sweet dog, but very shy and especially scared of men. She would sit at the back end of her kennel, watching every move we made and her anxious eyes told the story. I don't know how anyone could mistreat this sweet dog with a sad face. Eventually, she warmed up to me and the volunteers, but picked her men carefully. We got her spayed and worked with her, preparing her for adoption. She couldn't go to just anyone. It had to be a gentle family that would treat her with kindness and be willing to work with her shyness.

A month later, the perfect family walked into our kennel and fell in love with "Scooter" and adopted her. She was going to get to spend part of her time riding in the truck with her owner and what dog wouldn't like that! This past Saturday, Scooter and her owner were in Omaha at the trucking company headquarters at 40th and Dahlman Street. Someone mistakenly opened the door to the truck and Scooter jumped out, panicked and ran off. She has not been seen since. The owners are devastated. They have offered a reward and distributed posters with her picture on it. They have canvassed the neighborhood and reported her to the Nebraska Humane Society where she will be taken, if found.

But, the tragic thing is she has no ID tag on her and she will be difficult to identify without one. She is now just another stray to most people as she runs through the busy streets in a rough area of the city. I have contacted all the rescue groups in Omaha and anyone and everyone I know in that area that works with dogs. I even sent out a plea to my son and grandson that are Omaha police officers. Now we wait.

The purpose of telling you this story is to beg you, as a responsible pet owner, to please see that your dog has an ID tag attached to their collar. Get them microchipped. Do everything you can to ensure that your pet will be returned to you should this ever happen and it can happen. If your pet is missing, report it immediately and start looking yourself. If you wait, even a few hours, the window of opportunity to find it, is gone.

This has caused me to re-evaluate some things at Adopt a Pet. We are now going to microchip all the dogs we adopt and are rdering rescue tags for each one that must stay on the collar after adoption. We hope this can make a difference should one of our dogs gets separated from it's new owner. It's a small price to pay for saving a dog's life.

But for now, please say a prayer for Scooter to help guide her to safety and back home again.