Why we’re doing this project March 10, 2025

Hi. My name is Steven, and I work on the Marketing Team at the Nebraska Humane Society. As you likely know by now, we are celebrating our 150th anniversary this year, and we want to do something special.

I’ve seen miracles firsthand, jaw-dropping moments that inspire a gauntlet of emotions. We’ve seen disasters – tornadoes, fires, floods – and you’ve stepped up. We’ve handled abhorrent confiscations, and you’ve been right there by our side. Animals have been in desperate need of homes, and you’ve opened your doors. The animal shelter world has changed so much over just a few years, let alone 150, but your love and passion for the improvement of animal welfare remains.

Getting to 150 years isn’t an easy task for any organization, nor is it one that took place only by those inside our walls. This is an accomplishment that should be celebrated by everyone – staff, volunteers, foster homes, adopters, advocates and supporters. This is a momentous occasion. Our community should be proud. You should be proud.

That’s why we want to hear YOUR stories. Over the next 150 days, starting today, we will be sharing tales of triumph, joy and overcoming adversity. We want to know the joy of bringing an NHS pet into your homes. We want to talk about miracles. We want to feature 150 years of hope.

I’ll kick things off. I’ve already shared the story of one of my rescues, Moon Pie (pictured), who was kept in disgusting conditions – borderline unimaginable – and was horribly afraid, particularly of men, when at the shelter. Trust me when I say she’s not living in fear any more; not even close.

Moon Pie is just one example of a four-legged friend introduced to NHS in fear, and who left with a future of love and hope with a new family.

I see miracles on a daily basis here. I know, I know. It’s cliche, and probably hard to believe. But let me tell you some things I’ve seen.

Every day, volunteers walk dogs by my office to give them time out of their kennels. Did you know volunteers dedicated over 125,000 hours of time for the animals in 2024? Imagine hundreds of people sacrificing so much of their free time for the betterment of their community. That is a miracle.

On Christmas Eve, an employee saw a family’s elderly dog got out for the first time and was at the shelter. Sadly, in his advanced years, there’s no guarantee that this wouldn’t be their last Christmas with their dog. An employee who had the day off saw the message. He had no reason to come into the shelter other than kindness and compassion, but he seized the opportunity to return the dog to the family in time for the holiday. That is a miracle.

NHS saw 7,503 adoptions in 2024. That total since 2000 is over 225K. I think about my shelter dog, Moon Pie. I think about my dad’s dog, Wrigley, too. I think about all the pets my friends and family have adopted. The amount of joy and the number of memories those pets bring into their respective homes is incalculable. Now stretch that across 25 years and 225K adoptions, and it is hard to fathom the positive impact the animals from NHS have put into our world. That is a miracle.

This goes on and on. The Animal Control Officer saving an owl from a net or crawling through mud to reach a hurt animal. The kindhearted individual who is willing to feed kittens around the clock to save their lives. The Community Cat Program. The Pet Food Pantry. Friends Forever. I could write forever and miss countless stories and countless miracles. When you are here long enough, they can be taken for granted. But if you step back for just a second, they’re impossible to miss.

That’s why we want to hear from you. Please submit your NHS stories here to be a part of this heartwarming endeavor.