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Well, here we are sending out the Winter Newsletter after the official start of Spring. The past four chilly months have brought lots of exciting developments at The Lily Pond... there are several new sets of hooves and paws around here that we are very pleased to introduce!

A view from the window features snow falling steadily, blanketing the fields in white once again. The geese arrived back in town earlier than expected, only to find the pond still frozen. A few of our feathered friends plodded gingerly out on the ice looking perplexed, while a more adventurous soul landed mid-flight and found himself skating across the slick surface, wings flapping wildly. Once the waters of the pond began to ripple again, a pair of Mallard ducks appeared. The rays of the sun made

The horses never seem to mind even the coldest days, happily trotting out of their stalls or declining to stand in their run-in sheds in favor of being out in the paddocks. We often get asked if the horses get cold standing out in the snow, but the truth is that they prefer being outside. They grow thick winter coats and with the addition of a blanket and lots of hay to munch, remain content out in the elements. Several of the dogs and humans and all of the cats favor the indoors, preferably next to a warm wood stove, thank you very much.

Life at the barn got really busy over the Winter with the arrival of two quarter horses, a mini pony and a mini donkey. This was cause for celebration by the humans and horses, and met with glee by our hay dealer who was instructed to double the monthly order.

We welcomed Moon and Zoom on a cold but snowless day in late November 2020. Moon is a gray quarter horse gelding and Zoom is a registered bay quarter horse mare. This bonded pair are in their late teens and were each rescued from horrific situations and rehabilitated by their previous owner before arriving at The Lily Pond. They were given their own paddock next to Dutch Treat and across from Waverly and Sammir with a run-in shed and view of the beaver pond. Both horses stepped off the trailer and settled into their new digs without issue, trotting across the grass and around the fence perimeter without ever leaving each other's side. It didn't take long for them to strike up a friendship with the other horses, grazing at the fence line and gossiping with each other about how silly the humans look in their Carhartt overalls.

Zoom is a PMU foal from a ranch in North Dakota that serves big pharma in the production of the drug Premarin, which is made from the urine of pregnant mares. Premarin is a hormone replacement drug prescribed to women undergoing menopause, but we believe most women and doctors would think twice if they understood the terrible conditions that the mares endure. Hooked up to urine collection devices, the mares are locked in rows of tiny stalls that prevent movement with limited water intake to harvest as much concentrated urine as possible. The foals that are born to these mares are considered a "by-product" of the drug manufacturing industry and generally shipped to auction. Many die young due to being weaned too early. Zoom was one of the lucky few who benefitted from the work of New York Horse Rescue (NYHR), a nonprofit organization that seeks to place PMU foals in homes. Working with NYHR, Zoom's previous owner agreed to adopt her sight unseen. The North Dakota ranch branded little baby Zoom, glued a number to her forehead, and chased her onto a truck that shipped her East. This was her only interaction with humans before arriving at her adoptive home. Zoom's person worked to rehabilitate and train the young filly, with success.

Less than two weeks later, we received an early Christmas present with the arrival of Marshall and Sheriff, a mini pony and mini donkey. These two cuties are a bonded pair who came together after being rescued by a local animal sanctuary. Marshall was living in the Hudson Valley, only to find himself abandoned when his owner moved to Florida. A concerned neighbor alerted the sanctuary and they drove over to investigate, making an executive decision to load Marshall into their van and give him a new home. It was a

similar situation with Sheriff, a gray mini donkey. This same sanctuary received a call from a local wildlife rehabilitator that a donkey was in need of surgery but his owners were unwilling to pay for it and had decided instead to put him down. The sanctuary intervened, offering to take the donkey. The owners relinquished him. The sanctuary paid for the needed surgery and Sheriff found himself in a new home sharing a paddock with Marshall, who was refreshingly of the same height. The two hit it off, becoming best friends.

Changes at the sanctuary led to Marshall and Sheriff finding a new home here at The Lily Pond. December is a tough month to transport equines given the poor road conditions. Fortunately, no trailer was needed. These two cuties are so small that they simply hopped into Jeff Redd's van, turned up the holiday tunes and rolled on over. Marshall calmly surveyed his surroundings before actually getting out of the van and Sheriff made it clear that he would not budge for anyone but Marshall. It's interesting to compare Sheriff with our off-the-track Thoroughbred Waverly, who goes from 0 to 60 in three seconds whereas Sheriff will maintain a steady 0 mph all day long despite the cajoling and treats offered by humans. Marshall cannot be allowed on grass due to a history of laminitis, so we placed the minis in the paddock with Dutch Treat. The three seemed to get along just fine. Dutch was more interested in hanging out with Moon and Zoom, who share a fence in the adjacent paddock, and Sheriff only has eyes for his beloved friend Marshall. So all is well.

Marshall has a stunning mane of blond, tan, and chocolate, leading us to wonder if he's found a skilled hairdresser in the Hudson Valley. He quickly distinguished himself as an expert in obtaining treats. He sticks his nose through the fence rails and bats his eyes, baby kitten style. Resistance is futile. Sheriff will be right by his side, but is less than enthusiastic about most humans. Those who have earned his trust have the benefit of being allowed to rub his long, fuzzy ears. When Sheriff sees one of his favorite people, he commences bellowing "heeeee-haaaawwwww at high decibel. Sometimes he starts with small squeaks that build into a musical crescendo that can be heard across several counties. So far, we have not received any complaints from the neighbors. But if we do, we'll just invite them to come meet Sheriff and Marshall, at which point they will be instantly smitten and wish they were running an animal sanctuary.

While sitting in the waiting room at the veterinarian's office, we recently overhead a gentleman comment that he much prefers dogs because cats are "aloof and have no personality." "Whoa!" we thought. Clearly this man has never visited The Lily Pond. We've got so much personality happening at the cat house that we could stage a Broadway show. All of our kitties are have wonderful qualities, but let us introduce you to the headline stars who keep us entertained on a daily basis...

BUTTERCUP is special, not least of all for his name. This cat is neither flowery or yellow-colored. He's a jet black gentleman who nonetheless is very pleased with his colorful name and regularly answers to it. He also enjoys hanging upside down, which is not something buttercup flowers or even cats tend to do. It seems to us more like the behavior of a fruit bat, which given his bat-like ears, may be part of his ancestral family line for all we know. But the real show stopper is Buttercup's set of vocal chords, which are not calibrated to emit a normal meowing sound. Buttercup quacks. "Quack, quack, quaaaaaack" is the sound you'll hear, covering several octaves on the musical scale. He quacks to say hello; he quacks at the birds outside the window; he quacks his displeasure when you set a bowl of food in front of him. He's the only cat we have ever encountered who runs the opposite direction at the prospect of being fed a nice meal. Buttercup also has an entertaining habit of shaking his head while making a "bluuurb" sound as his jowls wobble and spittle goes flying. It's reminiscent of a bull dog shimmying off the water after a bath. Perhaps his ancestral DNA also includes elements of canine?

ABNER has turned goofy expressions into an art form. People have been known to catch a glimpse of Abner's face and collapse on the floor in a fit of giggles. From his wide-eyed gaze to his fang-filled smile, Abner is master of physical comedy. We're surprised we haven't yet received a call from a Hollywood studio. Abner also has skills. Every time we prepare a wet food meal, Abner hops up on the counter to help by stepping in each of the bowls. Every time. But his most unique contribution to the general level of comedy at the cat house is his role as a feline pillow. For some mysterious reason, other cats feel compelled to plop right down on top of Abner and take a nice long nap. We've never witnessed this behavior with any other cat. Our green-eyed comedian doesn't seem to mind, snoozing contently while smushed underneath some opportunistic kitty who preferred the comfort of Abner's floofy orange fur to the five hundred other cat beds scattered around the house. Abner is certainly one of a kind.

POESY is Queen of The Lily Pond. Got cattitude? Poesy does and she'll wrap you around her fluffy paw faster than you can spell the word besotted. An incorrigible flirt, this calico diva likes to be the center of attention. Her green eyes are mesmerizing and her purr sounds like velvet, but if she catches you petting another cat - her little sister Sebelina, for example - she will unleash her fury and send you running for cover with her strongly worded meows and carefully timed swats of the paw. However, Poesy's jealous fits of rage are really not what we want to emphasize. This lady's got moxie. She's smart, beautiful, regal and full of grace. She makes a sing-song trilling sound when she's happy and will promptly defy any rule, prancing haughtily across the kitchen counter and other prohibited areas. Once she even hopped onto the stairway railing and slid down the bannister right into the dog room. Poesy is also an accomplished hunter and expert cuddler. Once she settles down in your lap, you will be trapped for days... maybe even weeks. That's how wonderful she is. Simply put, Poesy is The Queen. We remain ever her worshipful minions, dancing attendance and awaiting her beck and call.

BRODIE was a sweet and shy Springer Spaniel; a gentle old soul who always sought to please. He was a favorite among the dogs. And he was my special boy.

Brodie arrived in 2018 as a senior pup with his friends Jeb and Tig. They were a neglect case - former working dogs at a local hunt club that had ended up all alone in the basement of a condemned house after a fire forced the family to temporarily relocate. When I first met him, he was covered in fleas and his fur was matted with feces, but his eyes were soft and trusting. He cleaned up well and once he settled in and felt safe, he stunned us with the incredible gift of his smile. It lit up the whole room. Every morning, he would greet me by dancing around my knees, hippity-hopping and smiling a crooked-toothed happy grin. His favorite pastime was playing fetch in the yard. At the end of each day, I would sit on the sofa with all the dogs, Brodie always on my right with his chin resting on my knee. His presence was quiet, but his impact was immeasurable.

Brodie, thank you for the joy you brought as part of our family. When you smiled, all the world was mine. May you dance across the stars with your buddies Jeb and Tig ❤️🌈💫

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BETTY was a sassy gal. She was a senior stray living near a pond when a woman discovered her and brought her to a local veterinarian. This little black panther was half-starved, but happily made a full recovery.

Betty was not terribly fond of people and made excellent use of her claws, so we were contacted about providing her with a home at the sanctuary. She arrived at the cat house and promptly commandeered the window seat. That became her perch and she was content to stay there napping in the sun. Miss Betty would allow a pet or two, but a wise person knew to stop before the inevitable warning sound of her deep gravely meow. She put up with absolutely no antics from bothersome younger cats who wanted to play, bellowing loudly and delivering a swat for good measure. Every evening, Betty would walk through the entire house, her claws click-clicking on the wood floor. Then back to her window seat to settle in for the night with a handful of treats.

May you rest in peace and serenity. ❤️🌈💫

There's a new set of paws at The Lily Pond...and they're big. Please welcome Olof! This handsome German Shepherd is approximately seven years old and has the sweetest personality. He loves people and is great with other dogs, which is surprising given his background. Olof was born to a backyard breeder who kept her dogs in deplorable conditions. A concerned neighbor made a call and the investigation revealed dogs stuck in stacked cages that were too small and filled with feces. They did not have access to food or water and were severely underweight. The Columbia-Greene Humane Society confiscated 39 dogs and charges were brought against the breeder. Olof spent months at the shelter pending the outcome of the trial until Jeff Redd offered to foster him. Olof was less than a year old at the time and Jeff worked to train him. The breeder was prohibited from owning dogs and Jeff was finally able to adopt him.

Now Olof has a home at The Lily Pond. He and Dolly became fast friends and little Happy the Shih Tzu adores the big black and gold shepherd, dancing in and out from under his legs while Olof trots along, oblivious to his adoring fan. Our Corgi mix Elsa was a bit reactive, initially biting his tail! Olof simply glanced at her and walked away. This handsome fellow is so well-behaved that he's allowed to roam free around the sanctuary property for an hour every evening. He loves to explore the fields

and woods and seemed more excited than the geese when the pond was no longer a frozen ice cube. If you toss a stick, Olof will launch out over the water, splashing and paddling to fetch his prize. His recall is excellent. When you call his name, Olof instantly appears on the horizon, trotting dutifully back to the house. However, the house is not his favorite place to hang out, unlike Happy, who actually has to be carried outside. Olof loves the cold, romping happily in the snow. With the exception of a nap on the couch with Dolly, our boy much prefers the dog yard and attached shed filled with warm straw bedding. The woodland coyotes have captured his interest and he opened the lines of communication with a series of nightly barks and howls... probably warning them to steer clear of little Elsa. But most of all, Olof loves his favorite person, Jeff Redd. Whenever Jeff is working on the property - building run-in sheds for the horses, mending paddock fences, working in the garden - Olof is right by his side, sharing his sandwich and gazing at his person with adoring eyes. What a helpful pup!

The Lily Pond is a 501(c)(3) animal sanctuary that brings people, animals, and nature together in healing partnership. The sanctuary provides a lifetime home and quality care to rescued cats, dogs, horses, and parrots in need.