Pet Memorials

Scout could never leave the vet or groomer until she said goodbye to everyone there, including going behind the reception desks like she owned the place. On the way home, we would go through the car wash (she loved the car wash) and get a pup cup from Scooters. She was the sweetest girl.

Finny was the best little boy and the life of our home. He was the first one to greet you and loved to give kisses. He had the craziest and sweetest personality. He was the runt of his litter and that came with its own problems. Our sweet boy had his first set of strokes just after turning 2 years old. He spent a week at K state for rehab. They were amazing! Their care along with Dr. Marissa and Dr. Francis and their amazing care while he was at home, we had an extra 1.5 years with him. Unfortunately, the last stroke was just too much for his little body and we had to say goodbye. We miss him terribly but take comfort in knowing he’s no longer hurting. We were so blessed to get the time we did.

Betty Rose Miller, The Goodest Girl

Betty Rose Miller was born on September 16th, 2011 in Minatare, NE to Nellie & Drake, and humans Laurie & Dave Mapes. She met her forever people at five weeks old. Her humans, Jason & Ellie Miller, had first pick of the litter. But it didn’t matter because Betty Rose picked them instead. When Laurie brought Betty Rose in, she sat in front of Jason & Ellie and then assertively barked at any of her littermates who tried to come meet them. From that day forward, she did not hesitate to tell Jason & Ellie (or anyone else for that matter) what she wanted.

When Betty Rose came home to Kearney, Ellie’s boss at her new job insisted that she leave work early to go welcome Betty home. There, her first friend was a stuffed pheasant named Phineas – but a second friend, Patsy Rue, soon followed. Patsy came to the Millers as a senior rescue dog for six months before she died. When Patsy was sick, Betty Rose barked at Ellie until she got out of bed and laid with Patsy all night. She knew.

Betty Rose loved hunting and had numerous hunts for numerous birds with numerous human and dog friends. She was born to retrieve and every fiber of her being loved racing out to a bird and bringing it back to Jason – except for those two doves she ate. Nobody would ever call her hard charging, but she was a birddog to the core. She was gracious, sharing the blind and retrieves with many dogs. She was never possessive and would happily let younger dogs finish her retrieves. She ended each hunt with the zoomies around the decoys, then would be ready to pose proudly and stoically beside the day’s birds.

In addition to her birddog role, she was also a fierce tennis ball hunter. One of her favorite past times was going to Harmon Park to sniff out rogue tennis balls that got lost in the bushes. She had a ridiculously good nose. One time, she aborted retrieving a rubber bone mid-sprint to dig up a smelly old tennis ball buried a foot in the sand at the lake.

One of the most important roles Betty Rose played was to break in Jason & Ellie as parents. She taught them a new kind of love that only comes from taking care of someone who is totally and completely yours. She also broke in each of the three two-legged kids that followed her: Ogden, Monroe, & Rutger. Betty accepted each new addition with grace and a few more white hairs. She then patiently waited until each of them was old enough to throw a tennis ball. When Ogden was potty-training, Betty Rose once ate his poop out of the potty chair. It was maybe the maddest Ellie had ever gotten at Betty Rose. Her humans later read that dogs eat their new puppies’ poop to protect them from predators and she realized that Betty had fully and wholly accepted Ogden as her own.

Betty loved going to the ballfield with Jason. Whether it was a baseball field or a softball field, she was always happy to take in the action from the dugout or the stands. She would race kids for foul balls in the stands at Memorial field and search for lost balls. When Jason worked for Kearney Parks & Rec, she would show off her retrieving skills by patrolling the trees beyond the fence at Harvey Park to bring in the home run balls. She was always happiest after the games when she could join Jason on the field for a quick game of fetch and a few extra pets from the players on the field. She made a lasting impression on many players throughout her time on the field. Her last summers were spent watching Oggie play baseball and she still loved the attention she got from the players and a few retrieves before leaving the field.

Betty Rose was also a good sport and would let Ellie dress her up in ridiculous outfits: a y

I rescued Emily while working at Cottonwood! She was a very sassy girl but deep down was a softy! She had weird obsession with putting her face in shoes haha. She came into my life when I needed her most so I always said we saved each other! I only had her for 3 years before she passed but cherished our time together ❤️

Baxter was a friend to everyone and fierce protector of his kids. He spent his days patrolling the yard, swimming in the pond, and begging for snacks. He knew just how to swindle each one of his family members. Fetch always turned into chase and if you told him to go outside… he didn’t hear you. He taught us so much during his time with us and will always be loved.

Larry was truly the best dog to ever exist. We got Larry from the animal shelter when I was 3 because I wouldn’t sleep in my bed at night. For 14 years Larry and I were best friends. We did everything together. I miss Larry so much but I know he’s up there running around. I love you Lar Lar

Burt was everything I could’ve ever asked for in my first dog that was my own: sweet, sassy, smart as a whip (his birthday was also exactly one week before mine, and there are no coincidences in life). There was never a day that his Australian Shepherd orneriness didn’t shine through in some way. At the age of 1 1/2, he was diagnosed with generalized epilepsy. Despite all the issues that his epilepsy caused in the following years, his personality never once changed and he continued being the smily, happy go lucky pup he’d always been. Dr. Frances and the whole team at Cottonwood did such a wonderful job taking care of him through all the medication changes, 3 am phone calls, and general ups and downs of managing a dog with seizures. When we finally decided that his seizures were affecting his quality of life too much, Cottonwood made his passing quiet and calm, the kind of calm he rarely experienced in his short life. I’m forever grateful that I was chosen to take care of him, even though our time together was too short for my liking. I know he’s up there, laying on God’s couch, watching my brother and I love on the dog that he sent to take care of us after he was gone. Love and miss you buddy!

My sweet chichi was the best friend anyone could have. Always loyal, never judging. She was always by my side through every good and bad moment. From the birth of my son to many heartbreaks and heartaches, she was there through it all. I was so lucky to get 15 wonderful years with her. 🐾💕

Mr. B will be remembered as a loyal, loving, and gentle giant. He enjoyed going for boat rides, hiking in Colorado, and taking “poodle naps” with the alternate human. He assisted the lady of the house in her studio and looked after her little ones. His loyalty, kindness, and gentle nature is missed daily.

“There’s no angry way to say bubbles.”

I am a cat person. Tobin is a dog person. So guess which type of pet we have always owned. If you guessed cat - you would be correct. We "rescued" Alley in November 1996. My uncle Ed was near the end of his fight with leukemia and he told me there was a sick mama cat and a kitten in the dump that I needed to rescue. We could not find the mama, but we found the kitten. We took her home and she became our first pet. We made her a bed in the spare bedroom and tucked her in for the night. I told her good night and walked across the hall to my bed. I turned around to see this little ball of fur climbing the comforter on our bed and snuggling next to my pillow. She was my cat and that was where she slept for the next 18 years. She passed away August 3, 2014 from kidney failure. Spooky showed up at our house on Christmas 2005. And there is a story about her. My mother passed away from congestive heart failure in 2002. She was a pet person. I remember our cats Tiger, Rusty, Semi, and Bert. And our dogs King, Muttley, Rastus, and Breeze. They all held a special place in our family. Madalyn wanted a cat of her own because Alley did not “like” her. When I was pregnant with Madalyn, our vet suggested that anytime Alley went near the baby’s room, we squirt her with a water to keep her out of that room. We think Alley associated the creature who slept in that room with punishment, because she would never go near Madalyn. Madalyn kept asking why Alley did not like her. Could she get a cat who liked her? Tobin said absolutely no to another cat. Right before Christmas Madalyn told me she had talked to grandma and she was bringing her a special present for Christmas. And her present would be in her playhouse. I humored her with a “that’s nice honey.” Sure enough on December 26 when we returned from Elwood, there was a stray cat in her playhouse. According to our neighbor, she showed up Christmas day. Anyone who knew my mother would agree – she would have given Madalyn a cat for Christmas because we couldn’t say no. Spooky has now joined Alley across the rainbow bridge. We miss them both and our house seems empty. No cat sleeping on Tobin’s lap last night. No cat with her nose on my computer keyboard “helping” me type this morning. Our bay window does not have a cat in it soaking up the morning sun. No cat begging for water when we get a glass from the fridge. We won't have to hide the fireplace remote from Spooky. Yes, she figured out how to turn it on so she could warm herself. Our pets make our lives full and they break our hearts when they pass away. I know people who will not allow their children to have pets because they do not want to deal with the heartache when the pet passes away. Yes, our hearts ache for our lost pets, but the joy they have brought to our lives far outweighs that grief.

Chaunzee loved being the “lobby dog” at doggy daycare - napping and snoring under the desk! Karlie was the sweetest, most loving cat ever! Both of them are dearly missed.

Remington lived a short, yet happy life. He was a loving young man. You could often find him roaming the isles at PetSmart or walking around the farmers market, and stopping in front of everyone until the gave him head scratches. Remi loved his mom and dad (he loved his mom more though), and had a little fur brother named Wesley. Remington was a huge cuddle bug, and would spend the night laying between his mom’s legs. While we might of lost him at a young age, he spent every day showing us how much he loved us and we did the same for him. You were my best friend baby, I hope you fly high and make a bunch of new friends.

So much to say about our sweet Jaixen. You gave us countless hours of love and happiness., you never knew a stranger. Our neighbors called you the “neighbor hood dog”! We miss you every single day, but are comforted knowing you are running free again with no pain. Till we meet again sweet boy. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Murka was a gentle soul who filled our home with comfort for many years. We miss her every day.

Tinker — My Bestest Good Girl ❤️🐾 My Rolling Stone, My Faithful Road Dog, My Little Girl

For 14 wonderful years, I had the privilege of sharing my life with a very special little dog named Tink. She was so much more than a pet. She was my constant companion, my traveling partner, my little shadow, and one of the greatest blessings God ever placed in my life.

Tink was my rolling stone, my ever-faithful road dog. Together, we traveled thousands upon thousands of miles across this beautiful country. From one state to another, through countless towns and along endless highways, she was always right there beside me. Wherever life took me, Tink came along. She wasn't just along for the ride; she was the best part of the journey. Tink was a little dog with an enormous personality. She ruled the roost, had her own opinions about everything, and somehow managed to wrap family and friends around her tiny paws. She brought laughter, happiness, and love to so many people. Even now, the funny stories about her are being shared and passed around between family and friends. As the years went by, Tink faced some serious health challenges. Through it all, she showed remarkable strength and determination. She was as tough as a little pine knot. I did everything I could to give her the best life possible, just as she had spent her entire life making mine better.

On October 13, 2026, I had to say the hardest goodbye of my life. Her passing was peaceful, gentle, and dignified. I held her close, told her how proud I was of her, thanked her for all the wonderful years, and reminded her over and over how very much she was loved. I find comfort in believing that she has crossed the Rainbow Bridge and is now resting in the loving arms of Jesus and reunited with my mother. No more sickness, no more suffering, just peace. The house is terribly quiet now. I catch myself wanting to look into the next room to see what she is doing.

Tink, you will always have a warm place in my heart, because you were the one who warmed it. Thank you for every mile, every adventure, every laugh, every cuddle, and every moment of unconditional love. You made my world a better place simply by being in it.

Rest easy, my sweet little girl. Daddy loves you, always and furever. Until we meet again, somewhere beyond the Rainbow Bridge. ❤️🐾