York Adopt-A-Pet

09/04/2026

Paws for Pets "A Little Star, a Little Stripes, and a Whole Lot of Mischief"
By Ruth Pohl

Once upon a time, on June 27, two very tiny tabby kittens arrived at my house. They were so small and fragile that they seemed almost too little for the big world around them. Their eyes were barely open, their paws were miniature, and they had a lot of growing to do.

Then the Fourth of July arrived. Since it seemed only fitting, I decided these little bundles of fur needed some patriotic names. And so, with a little nod to the red, white and blue, they became Stars and Stripes.

Sadly, little Stars did not thrive, and before long, Stripes found himself alone. He was quite tiny. His eyes were barely open, and I wondered if such a small kitten could possibly grow into a big, healthy cat. I worried that he might always be the tiniest little fellow.

But Stripes had a different story in mind.

Day by day, he grew.

A little bigger. A little stronger. A little more curious.

And while he may not have been in any hurry to become a big cat, he certainly wasn't wasting any time developing a big personality.
At first, Stripes was simply sweet. He was cuddly and charming and the sort of kitten who could make you smile just by looking at him.
Then, one day, something happened.

Perhaps a tiny switch was flipped.

Perhaps the mischievous kitten fairy paid him a visit.

Whatever it was, my sweet little Stripes suddenly discovered that being a stinker was great fun.

He discovered my fingers.

And my fingers, unfortunately, became his favorite prey.

His eyes would grow enormous as he locked onto his target. His little tail would begin swishing back and forth with great determination. You could almost see the wheels turning in his tiny head.

Prepare yourself.

Then came the pounce!

One minute I was peacefully sitting there, and the next I was defending my fingers from a ferocious little hunter. Soon my arms had a few scratches to show for our adventures, and Stripes was looking entirely too pleased with himself.

But really, isn't that what kittens are supposed to do?

They pounce. They chase. They stalk imaginary prey. They race across the room for no apparent reason. They attack toys, shoelaces, shadows and—occasionally—fingers that happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

All that kitten energy is part of the magic of having a kitten around.
Of course, we do need to teach our little hunters that toys are for attacking and fingers are for loving. Wand toys, balls and stuffed toys give those energetic paws an appropriate place to practice their hunting skills.

And Stripes has plenty of hunting practice left to do!

Today, that once-tiny kitten is at the shelter and will soon be ready to begin the next chapter of his story. He is looking for a family with room in their hearts—and room in their homes—for a playful little tabby who has energy to burn and mischief to share.
He needs someone who won't mind a kitten racing through the house, chasing toys, pouncing on imaginary monsters and occasionally getting the zoomies at exactly the wrong time.

Most of all, he needs someone who will see past the mischief and recognize the sweet little survivor underneath it all.

Stripes lost his sibling, but he never lost his determination.

He grew.

He thrived.

And along the way, he discovered that life could be pretty wonderful.

Now he is ready for his happily-ever-after.

Perhaps his storybook ending will begin with you.

Once upon a time, there was a tiny kitten named Stripes who needed someone to love him. Maybe the next chapter of his story belongs in your home.

Contact York Adopt-A-Pet, 1511 N. Platte Ave., at 402-362-3964 or check online at yorkadoptapet.com

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

This is Malissa. She is a pretty Tuxedo kitten who loves to sleep and play. Her favorite hobby is snoozing after meal times. If you're looking for a great nap partner Malissa is your girl.

08/31/2026

Norah and her two siblings Dingo & Oreo have had so much love and attention in their foster home. Their mother had been struck and killed by a car and their care giver stepped right in and bottle-fed them every 2 to 3 hrs. They look like little hamsters running and playing with each other. If you meet them, you are going to have a hard time picking just one, they are so bonded and so much fun.

If you are interested in Norah, Dingo or Oreo please go to yorkadoptapet.com and fill out the application form. If you have questions you can call LaMoine @ 402-366-0533 or email [email protected]

08/30/2026

Bruce, Happy, Augusten, Auggie and Pebbles were adopted last week. Thank you for adopting.

08/28/2026

A Paws for Pets "Boy, do I need a cat nap"
LaMoine Roth

Letter to the News Times Editor July 25th 2005

I would like to share this letter I ran across recently. Tina Witte wrote this to the York News times on July 25, 2005 and was printed as a letter to the editor. York is a great town with great citizens and I think you will agree after reading the following:

“They say when you call a dog it comes to you, and when you call a cat it takes a message and gets back to you later. 24 hours later in my case. The longest and most memorable 24 hours in my life.

You see, I was on my way to Florida having left from Seattle, Washington and had driven 800 miles that day. It was about 1:00 AM and I had just arrived at Wal-Mart in York, Nebraska, to stretch my legs. I decided to let my cats, Baby and Buddy out to dance around in the grass. They usually stay close to me and jump in the car if they get startled. Just as I was about to put Buddy in the car he caught a glimpse of the adjacent cornfield and he was off like a racehorse. I got my flashlight and started to search the cornfield and realized that Buddy must have thought he had found heaven. All those places to hide and endless nooks and crannies to explore. By 8 AM I realized that Buddy was either lost or having way too much fun to come back. It was also getting hot in a hurry and I was concerned about Baby being in the car. I ran to Cornerstone Bank to see if Baby could stay in an empty office and that is when I was told about York Adopt a Pet. I called and spoke to Gail Nordlund, director of the organization who told me to call Debbie Sanders for assistance. After I spoke to Gail and Debbie I felt like I was no longer alone in my battle to find Buddy. Debbie came immediately to take Baby to her house and to see what else she could do to help. Now I could really focus on finding Buddy with Baby safe and cool. I went back into the cornfield and expanded my search area only to find fresh prints in the mud that looked like coyotes. Now I was really concerned and having doubts if Buddy was even still alive.

As mud splattered up my legs, flies bit on my skin, and corn leaves scratched me from head to toe. I kept thinking about my poor little cat lost and frightened. I had not slept that whole night and only slept a couple of hours the previous night. I was exhausted and wondered how I would keep my eyes open as the cloudless sky’s sun beat down on my head. As I spent more time around my car and at the edge of the cornfield I began to meet a steady stream of locals. People driving by on the country road rolled down their windows and asked if I was OK. Most of the drivers reduced their speed along the road which comforted me greatly. Some told stories of a lost cat that never returned, how the cornfields were like mazes that confused a cat’s sense of direction, and others let me know how many coyotes were in the area. The word must have spread around Wal-Mart like a blue light special. Employees were coming out to see if they could help me constantly. Some spent their breaks looking around the building, others offered support and hope. As I made various noises reminiscent of dinnertime clanging and bellowed out Buddy’s name I am sure I must have appeared complexly insane. Truth be said, there were several periods of lucidity brought on by the heat, dehydration and sheer exhaustion. Then a big blow to my hope, another Wal-Mart employee came over to gently break the news that a cat had just been killed on the road at the top of the cornfield. I just lost it all together at that point. I asked her if she could get me a description and off she went. The poor cat that lost its life was white with yellow markings and Buddy is black. As my heart went out to that cat and its family I knew that my search was not over yet.

If I just experienced a low, I was about to get a high. Debbie returned with her husband Charlie and brought LaMoine, who runs the Adopt a Pet Cat Sanctuary, and her husband, Bob. They all stood outside strategizing and then off we all went in four corners. The guys went into the cornfields and then drove around the cornfield perimeter. Debbie, LaMoine and I went to a nearby patch of trees that seem to be 20 degrees cooler than the cornfield. How I had wished Buddy had headed for that patch instead of the hot, humid and muddy cornfield. Despite all the bases being covered there was still no sign of Buddy. All of these wonderful people helping me really lifted my spirits. Debbie had brought me ice, water and food. LaMoine and her husband had brought me a live trap, chocolate, and her affirmation that Buddy would come back. LaMoine felt strongly that Buddy was close by, not lost but determined to come back on his own accord. My tears dried up, but not for long. A short while after the bank manager at Cornerstone drove by to tell me that it was a lost cause and that I should probably be on my way home. I told her that I would stay until Buddy found me and that I didn’t care if it took a day or a year. I was fully prepared to camp there indefinitely. I had all these wonderful people in York and living here didn’t seem like a bad thing at all. Both of the Managers at Wal-Mart had come out to offer their support. Derek , one of the managers, had come out to let me know he had posted a sign in an employee area. He also turned off the sprinklers for me. What a great team there at Wal-Mart.

As the night progressed and the sun went down Debbie returned with Baby and set her in a carrier at the front of the cornfield. We hoped that Baby’s meows would be a beacon for Buddy’s way home. That is if me standing on top of my SUV howling his name, was beacon enough. I couldn’t bear to leave Baby for long so we both climbed on to the airbed in my Trooper and I tried to stay away. I must have nodded off as I abruptly woke up close to 1 AM feeling very strongly that Buddy was close. I checked the live animal trap, nothing; I called his name from the window and stared at his initial entry area. All of a sudden I saw his head pop-up and I scrambled for the door. I headed towards him as he hesitated to come out. Probably because I had set my car alarm off on my way out of the car. As soon as he was sure it was me, he rolled over on his back and I picked him up and cried. After many kisses from me and a smack from Baby, his litter sister, Buddy was ready for a good meal and a rest.

Shortly after a group of teenagers, Casey, Sloan, Mark, Hayden, Robb, Tad & Jace came with a huge commercial floodlight. When I told them I had found my cat they all got out of their car, high-fived each other and hugged me. They all stayed with me for a while until they left to get an early breakfast. They all wanted to take me with them but I was too exhausted to leave and didn’t smell too good either. Instead I gave them $20 to bring me back some hash brown potatoes and told them to keep the change for a soda each. When they returned with my food they threw the change in the car and refused to keep it. What kind of teenager doesn’t accept money? Obviously with such wonderful adults in York it was no wonder the kids were outstanding individuals too. I was deeply touched. (Another young lady, Jen just called me 3 days later to tell me she was willing to keep looking for Buddy and look after until I returned). The following morning I thanked everyone at Wal-Mart. I spent 2 hours at Debbie’s house recuperating and then met up with LaMoine for a photo op. On my way out of town I drove by the bank to show the Manager that my persistence paid off after all. I told her that I hoped Buddy’s return had restored her faith in cats as much as this town had restored my faith in humans. The bank manager said it was a miracle. I told her that the real miracle was the people of this town.

Words cannot express how grateful and touched I am by the ladies at Adopt A Pet. These ladies, with the support of their husbands, sacrifice and dedicate their lives to unfortunate animals. They work around the clock running the cat and dog sanctuaries. Not only do they work hard rescuing, adopting, feeding, cleaning and providing medical care to the animals they ensure all of the animals are loved. It is a very labor intensive and costly operation they have undertaken at their own expense. Creating awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering cats and dogs is probably their greatest challenge. Let’s face it, there are many more cats and dogs born than loving families able to provide homes. An untold number of animals are hit by motorists, starve, die of disease or succumb to a horrific death by predators. Please help York Adopt A Pet spread the word of pet responsibility to someone you know. I was also told that York Adopt a Pet has a brand new website www.yorkadoptapet.com that tells the history and the future plans for their new facility which will house both the dogs and cats, located just west of the Adopt a Pet Memorial Park. You can also see pictures on this website, of all the dogs and cats and their history & personalities. Donations are tax deductible, always needed and greatly appreciated.

Good bye for now, I will always remember York and always be grateful for your kindness. Tina Witte