Sammie's Friends

Shop or Seach Online and Earn Money for Sammie's Friends!

SAVE $$$ on SPAYING/
NEUTERING

Nevada County pet owners can get a certificate to reduce the cost of spaying and neutering their pets. Save $60 for a female dog, $40 for a male dog, $30 for a female cat, and $15 for a male cat.

Certificates are available at the Nevada County Animal Shelter and are good at any vet.

Please be a responsible pet owner and save animals' lives by spaying or neutering your pet.

Calling All
eBay-ers!

Support Sammie's Friends by buying or selling on eBay.
More info

Show your support for Nevada County animals with Ribbon Magnets.

Have a Used Vehicle You No Longer Want?

Help Nevada County animals by donating your vehicle to Sammie's Friends.
More info

Follow Sammie's Friends on Twitter

Sammie's Friends To Operate
Nevada County Animal Shelter

As of July 1, 2010, Sammie's Friends will be operating the Nevada County Animal Shelter at 14647 McCourtney Road. We have many eager volunteers helping us to get ready. Animal Control took everything with them, so we've had to set up a whole new office with furniture and computers and phone systems. We are painting and making the building look attractive. Please come and see us!

Sammie's Friends is looking for a utility van to transport the animals. We are hoping that someone out there might donate one and take a write-off as we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation. Oh my goodness, this would be such a blessing.

We have also been offered $20,000 in funds by the Al Salter Fund for the Benefit of Animals, administered by the Nevada County Land Trust, if we can match it in contributions from the community. Please help us do this. We could do so many things to help the animals.

Adopt a new best friend through Sammie's Friends and Petfinder

On the Road with Chuck:
Read One Dog's Happy Tail

Sammie's Friends on Facebook

Generous Josh

Josh Larsen is one of our generous young donors. For his 12th birthday, he asked his friends to forgo presents and instead bring money to donate to Sammie's Friends to help the animals. Josh is donating $100 to Sammie's Friends to help the needy animals. We are grateful to Josh and appreciate his generosity. Josh is an excellent role model for other young people. Thank you, Josh!

Dixie's Dispatches

by Dixie Redfearn,
Shelter Volunteer and Former Union Columnist

August 20, 2010 -

One great thing about regular volunteer work at Sammie’s Friends is the fact that every day is different. Dogs come and go, kittens come and go, and occasionally we get something more exotic. The latest exotic was a gigantic rooster, who is now presumably happily crowing in a foster home.

A “sometimes” resident here is a dog being fostered named Brutie Boy. His foster mom brings him to Sammie’s Friends wearing a blanket that announces that he is available for adoption. Brutie Boy comes from nearby Dobbins. Many in the area who rescue dogs know about “Dobbins Dogs.” They are allowed to breed constantly and then are tied to a chain in the yard until a brave volunteer rescues some of them. Brutie Boy was part of the last rescue – dubbed the “Dobbins 52.” Brutie Boy is probably about 4, and is very shy. He would make a great companion and stay by your side. It would be great if this abused-but-rehabilitated dog could go to a forever home. How could the situation in Dobbins happen, you may wonder. Yuba and Butte counties don’t have any restrictions on how many dogs one person can own.

Do you know Nevada County’s “rules” on that? You can keep up to 6 dogs on your property. Any more than that and you need a private kennel license. Cats are a different story. The number you can have depends on the zoning where you live and how much property you have.

One of our most recent resident guests is a large Shepherd/Lab mix. Kenai is a beautiful big dog, with an exquisite face. He looks frightened and is shy, but would probably come around with some care and attention. We’re working on that.

Another newer dog here is Durkin. He’s an Akita/Boxer mix with a lovely brindle coat. He is a nice medium, easy-to-handle size.

Our dogs recently got new beds!! Thanks to a generous donor, they are now lounging on taut fabric beds on plastic frames, so they’re above the floor. We still need more, if anyone is willing to buy some or make a donation.

When you visit Sammie’s Friends, you are now greeted by the sight of flowering impatiens in boxes right in front! It’s a nice welcome.

August 12, 2010 -

The stories are unbelievably sad. As you look at the paperwork that accompanies the animals it often tells a depressing story: houses lost, relationships shattered, events that mean turning in a beloved dog or cat. But there is another aspect to animal turn-ins that is baffling – pet owners who simply don’t want to keep their pet.

“I’m getting a divorce from my dog,” one owner said flippantly, as she turned in a dog she raised as a puppy that she cared for over a decade. “Bad manners” was given as the reason for another turn-in. “He gets out of the yard,” another owner said, unwilling to fix her fence.

When I get too sad – or mad – my antidote is to walk in the back at Sammie's Friends Animal Shelter and visit with the animals themselves. Almost all of the dogs will go to the front of the kennel for a pat or a scratch, tails wagging, happy to see you. After all they have been through, they appear trusting, ready to take a chance on another human.

Then I visit the cat room, and give pats to the cats and kittens housed there. They are all so sweet and I wish them quick adoptions with forever families.

After spending time at Sammie's Friends Animal Shelter, some things become obvious. One fact is there are too many Pit Bulls here. Each one is here for a different reason, but the fact remains that not many people want to adopt Pit Bulls. Some Pits are lovely and well-mannered, like Peanut and Alice, who have been here quite awhile. Because the breed has a bad rap, they continue to be passed up.

The other fact is that adult cats are difficult to find homes for. It seems everyone wants a cute kitten, but fewer people want an adult cat. So they spend week after week in a cage, waiting. I have my favorites among these sweeties, although I hope that next time I come they will be gone.

I hope someone adopts Glen, a pretty short-haired orange and white striped cat. And all-white Snowflake is looking great after her surgery to remove a tumor. Angel is a gorgeous all-black long-haired cat who loves to burrow in her patchwork blanket.

The last cat I adopted – and still have – was an adult. After seeing what I see here at Sammie’s Friends, I will never adopt a kitten again. They are cute, but I know it is much more gratifying to adopt an older cat.

We are at capacity at Sammie’s Friends and need to get some of these animals adopted. Cats are on sale – two for $50 – and seniors who adopt a senior animal get a hefty discount. Please tell your friends to come see all the beautiful dogs and cats we have here!

Funds Needed - Please Help Riley's Family

Riley was a beautiful draft horse born to a Premarin mare. She was a scraggly filly when she came to Grass Valley as a baby. She was raised with gentle kindness and became an outstanding horse. This precious horse had an abscess that became infected. The veterinarians from both Loomis and Davis were stumped by what caused her condition. It was so severe, and had gone into the joint and bone, and Riley was in a lot of pain. Ultimately, she was euthanized.

Her owners are devastated and so very upset. She was their pride and joy, and they took such good care of her. The owners are left with a $10,000 bill to pay. Sammie's Friends has helped some, but that is an awfully big bill. If anyone would like to donate to help Riley, please send a check to Sammie's Friends, 128 High Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945, or donate through Paypal. Our thoughts are with Riley and her human and horse family. So very sad.

The Sad Saga of 10 Starving Horses

Sammie's Friends, working with Animal Control and Rocking Horse Ranch, was able to help in the rescue of 10 starving horses. Eight of them were Gypsy Vanners and two of them were Percherons. These horses had not had enough to eat and were literally starving to death. Their hooves were in desperate need of trimming. They had lice and they had worms.

Rocking Horse Ranch took them in until they could be stabilized. Sammie's Friends paid for vet care and a farrier, and Animal Control saw to it that the horses were seized and now placed in proper homes. This was a good example of several organizations working together to help the animals to a good conclusion.

The sad part to the story is that one of the horses, McKie, was too far gone and had to be euthanized. We all had a broken heart over that.

Click here for pictures and more information about the starving horses.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Animals Who Need Our Help

This poor little dog, Rocky, had a tumor on his body so big he could hardly move. His owner should have sought help before it got this bad. The tumor has been removed by Dr. Avery, and Rocky is doing much better. Sammie's Friends is happy to have helped Rocky to a better life.

This precious little kitty had her leg cut off by a fan belt. The owner of the car didn't even know it until his car stalled. He then heard the poor little kitten crying and saw the cut-off leg. He was so horrified he could hardly deal with the situation. He called Animal Control and Officer Daley came to the rescue and got the little baby out. This apparently was not easy. The fan belt was so sharp it cut the leg clean off and it wasn't even bleeding. Dr. Avery at For the Love of Pets did a little further surgery for a proper amputation. This little girl is doing very well. Thank you to everyone who saved her. We do not know who the owner is. Sammie's Friends was very happy to help this precious little kitten. She is unbelievably cute.

This poor kitty, Patch, got his eye injured, and then it got so infected that he had to have his eye removed. What a shame. Patch is doing well now, and after adaptation is doing fine with one eye.

This poor little pittie, Etine, got a broken leg and was suffering greatly. She also had a concussion. Dr. Tim performed his magic and Etine-Aednat is recovering and soon will be good as new. Please people, keep your animals safe.

Honey Bear is a dog who was picked up by Grass Valley Animal Control, who had such a mangled tail that it had to be amputated. She had been hit by a car, but no one ever claimed her. Sammie's Friends is glad that we could help her, as she was in a lot of pain and could never have used her tail again. These animals just cannot take care of themselves. The GV Animal Control folks found her a nice home after she recovered. We hope Honey Bear is having a great life. She deserves it.

Lyle is a kitty who had a very severe break in his leg. His owners did not have sufficient funds to have his leg repaired, and thought they would have to have him euthanized. Nope! Lyle is way too precious to die. For the Love of Pets got his leg all fixed up. The owner and Sammie's Friends put their resources together and got the bill paid. Two additional things came about as a result of this: Lyle and his sister got neutered/spayed, and Lyle now gets to be an indoor kitty. That's where he belongs. WooHoo!

Shaggs is a precious pitbull mix who came to For the Love of Pets so loaded with heartworms that his belly was bloated, he was retaining fluid and having seizures, and he had about had it. It wasn't too sure he was going to make it, but thanks to Dr. Avery and Sammie's Friends, Shaggs is now doing really well and looks great.

PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE PEOPLE, PUT YOUR DOGS ON HEARTWORM PREVENTION. HEARTWORMS ARE A VERY SERIOUS THING AND WILL KILL YOUR DOG WITHOUT TREATMENT. NO KIDDING!

This beautiful pup, Stumpy (aka Alex), started out in life in kind of a tough situation. He came to the shelter as a wee pup. He had a stump for one of his legs. We don't know if he was born that way, or got his leg cut off in something. The little guy went to stay with our special Dawn and Don Allmandinger while he got big enough to be neutered. He had a great time running with the big dogs.

He returned to the shelter at 9 weeks to be neutered. The "not very competent" vet at the shelter at the time decided to further amputate his leg, which was not necessary, according to the opinions of several veterinarians. The job was botched and poor Stumpy had to have three more surgeries. He had to have the scapula removed. He was in so much pain, even with pain pills.

Fortunately, Stumpy was adopted by some wonderful people who held him all night long trying to comfort him. After a few days his pain subsided. A wonderful vet volunteered to provide the surgeries for Stumpy free of charge. Sammie's Friends paid for the anesthesia and the operating room and the support that was needed in terms of staff and materials and medication.

I am very happy to say that today poor little Stumpy's suffering is over. He is now feeling well and having a great life.

A botched neuter by the same vet who so injured Stumpy (see above). This was so unnecessary. I am happy to report that this vet's services are no longer used at the Nevada County Animal Shelter.

Emitt is a 10-year-old chihuahua who was having some pain in his neck and needed some x-rays and pain management to help him feel better.

Pumpkin was a shelter kitty who needed some blood work and a urinalysis. Sammie's Friends was able to help her.

Boomer is a precious Pitbull/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. He had a life of abuse and instability. He killed a cat, and so was left at the shelter. The staff at the shelter had decided to euthanize him. He's a good dog, just shouldn't be around cats, so Suesan Larsen and Cheryl Wicks of Sammie's Friends drove him to a rescue in Los Angeles, where he will be worked with and eventually adopted. We are glad we could save his life, even if we did have to drive 15 long hours to do it. Boomer was definitely worth it.

Thor is a little, very old dog whose owner died, and the people who took him in couldn't keep him as they were being evicted. Sammie's Friends found a rescue to take him in and get his teeth fixed. He hadn't had dental care since '97. Poor dog. Thor has now been adopted and is living the good life. Yeah!

Sweetie is a purebred pitbull who came to the shelter. Poor Sweetie had heartworm, mange, and finally a vaginal tumor. Can you imagine the bum luck of this poor dog? First her mange was treated, and then her heartworm was treated, and then she had two different surgeries to remove the vaginal tumor. All this has taken a toll on Sweetie and has lessened the self-confidence she once had. But we know she can get it back. This dog was rescued and treated cooperatively between Sammie's Friends and Scooter's Pals. Thank you, Susan.

Philo is a cat who has a low red blood cell count and a high white count. Philo has very bad teeth, and so we're kind of caught in a vicious circle. The teeth may be causing the blood problem, but it is difficult to fix the teeth problem until the blood problem is better. Philo has been on antibiotics, and hopefully things will improve so Philo can get his teeth fixed and get adopted.

Gabe is a hound who has a funny gait, and the veterinarian is trying to figure out what if anything should be done for Gabe at this time. We are having two other vets review the film and see what conclusion we can come to.

Sally also has a funny gait, and was examined by a veterinarian. There is nothing further that needs to be done for Sally at this time. She could go on a bit of a diet.

Winston is an Airedale who had a tumor in his rectum so large that he could hardly defecate, and so his body constantly produced diarrhea. He has now had his golf-ball-size tumor removed, and is feeling much better. His owner had no money and health problems of her own. Poor Winston had been suffering for the better part of a year. Thank you, Dr. Strolle, for performing this difficult surgery. We're glad Sammie's Friends could help Winston.

Meet Easter Lilly. This poor little pregnant chihuahua came from the Merced Animal Shelter. She is about 5 years old and has had many litters of puppies and not a very good life.

She was attacked by another dog and had to have her eye removed and stitches on the left side of her head and mouth. After she has her pups and they are weaned, she will be spayed and then put up for adoption. She only weighs about seven pounds.

Easter Lilly after her surgery

This little sweetie is being fostered by Dawn Allmandinger, dog rescuer extraordinaire. Her eye surgery is being paid for by a Good Samaritan in Merced. Thank you. She will be needing some work done on her teeth. If anyone would like to donate towards this, please send donations to Sammie's Friends, 128 High Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945, or go to PayPal and make a donation. Write on the check that it is for Easter Lilly.

Lily the Bassett Hound came to the vet on a Saturday very sick. She hadn't eaten in several days, and was drooling and had pus coming out her vagina. The family thought it was from her anus, but it was not. Lily had pyometra, which is an infection in the uterus that results from hormonal changes. Following estrus (heat), progesterone levels remain elevated for 8-10 weeks and thicken the lining of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur for several estrus cycles, the lining continues to increase in thickness until cysts form within it. The thickened, cystic lining secretes fluids that create an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. The infection was so bad in poor Lily that she probably would have died within two days. Please spay your animals and avoid this painful and expensive surgery. Sammie's Friends is glad we could alleviate the suffering for poor Lily.

Droopy was an oh-so-nice and oh-so-beautiful 5-year-old French Mastiff. By the time Sammie's Friends was called, poor Droopy had wasted away to nothing but skin and bones. He had not been eating well for nearly a month.

He was given fluids and some tests were run. Droopy had cancerous tumors and his liver and kidneys were in failure. Nothing could be done for Droopy. So, sadly, he was euthanized. Please get help for your pets early on when they are sick.

This cute little kitty was found lying in a kennel in the bushes at Grass Valley Vet. She wasn't even noticed until one of the employees was out walking a dog and heard her. She was dehydrated and not doing so well. Thanks to GV Vet and Sammie's Friends, this little cutie is doing great. Her good fortune is that one of the GV Vet employees took her home. Yeah kitty! Please don't dump your pets out like this. It's very frightening for the poor animal.

Digger was found by the Grass Valley Police in front of Muttley's at 5:30 am with a shattered shoulder and broken front leg. Digger is a 1-year-old Queensland Heeler and a very nice dog. Thankfully he had a tag on so the owner could be located.

Don't let your pets out unsupervised. If you hit a pet, don't just drive off. Poor Digger suffered quite a bit. He was in four veterinary hospitals since this all happened over a weekend. Finally his leg was repaired, and soon Digger will be up and moving again.

Joy is a 4-month-old bouncing bundle of joy. She is a Queensland Heeler mix. Joy was very excited to meet her new kitty friend when she was adopted. Unfortunately, Kitty was not so excited about meeting Joy. She scratched poor little Joy right in the eye, causing a trauma-induced glaucoma. Medication would not keep the pressure down in sweet little Joy's eye so the eye had to be removed. Joy is recovering and seems to be just fine with only one eye. Please be careful when introducing dogs and cats, and even more so with bouncing puppies.

Nothing happened to this kitty and no money was spent by Sammie's Friends. I just wanted some good news in here. This kitty is getting a nice brushing from one of the shelter volunteers. Thank you, Katherine.

Sky showed up with his eye in very poor shape with anterior uveitis. Anterior uveitis is inflammation that affects the front or anterior part of the eye called the uvea, which is the dark tissue of the eye that contains blood vessels. The iris - the tissue that makes up the pupil - is typically involved. The posterior part of the eye may or may not be affected.

The causes of anterior uveitis include:

- Immune-mediated conditions, in which the body attacks its own tissues

- Infections from viruses, parasites, fungi, bacteria, rickettsia

- Tumors or cancers

- Trauma or injury to the eye

- Metabolic disease elsewhere in the body that is affecting the eye

- Idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown

- Lens-induced, which is caused by the escape of lens protein into the eye fluid and is most frequently associated with cataracts

At first it looked like Sky would have to go to an ophthalmologist, but it looks like things are clearing up nicely. In the process we learned that he is heartworm positive. Please keep your dog on heartworm prevention.

Jazz and Fat Boy were dumped by someone and ended up in somebody's yard looking pretty bad. No domestic dog can make it on their own. Sammie's Friends helped to get them well and spayed and neutered. They are both heartworm positive. Ugh! Fat Boy is coming along nicely. Jazz has something wrong with her which is indeterminate at this point. She is very thin and her blood work is not good.

Jazz

Fat Boy

Sweet Pea got away from her owner and was injured. She returned with a degloving injury. A degloving injury is a type of avulsion in which an extensive section of skin is completely torn off the underlying tissue, severing its blood supply. It is named by analogy to the process of removing a glove.

Sweet Pea and her owner had lost their home and needed help. Sammie's Friends was there to help. Sweet Pea is being cared for and is recovering from her injury.

Caspar is a young kitty who swallowed a dime and an SOS pad and some sponge, and had to have a little surgery. No kidding! Caspar must think he's a dog. Dogs chew things up, cats don't (except Caspar, that is). He is a great kitty and loves everyone. Sammie's Friends hopes he curbs his strange eating habits and lives to be a very old kitty.

Tootsie Roll is a very old doggie who came to the shelter when her owner died. She needed a little tune-up. Her teeth were in very bad repair. Sammie's Friends paid to get her fixed up. She has been staying at the vet office and now in a foster home, and soon will go to Santa Cruz to live out her days. We're glad we could help old Tootsie Roll in her later years to have a good life.

Bruce was vomiting and was found to have a distended stomach. He was given sub-q fluids, and ultrasound and barium. No foreign body was found. It had possibly passed to the colon and eventually out of the body. Bruce is doing fine now.

This precious little puppy, Sierra, only about 9 weeks old, had a door closed on her leg and her leg was broken. This little creature is about the cutest thing Sammie's Friends has ever seen. How could we not help this darling little girl? She had on a little silver collar with big rhinestones, and makes the cutest little noises.

Dr. Strolle at Best Friends fixed her leg in spite of the storm and the electricity going off as the surgery was just about completed. Sierra will recuperate with her family for about a month, and then she will be good as new. It was a blessing to get to know someone this precious.

This poor kitty, Camo, was brought to the vet not eating or drinking, and her owners thought she had gotten into some poison. She was hiding in the closet.

It turns out she had a broken jaw. No wonder she couldn't eat or drink and was hiding! The good doctors at Grass Valley Vet fixed her jaw, and Camo is on the mend.

My name is Max. I was so matted up, I couldn't even go to the bathroom through my hair. What a disaster! The nice folks at River Dogs shaved me down, and now I am much happier. I have to wear a sweater through the rest of the winter, cuz I have no hair and I'm gonna freeze without a sweater. Thanks, Sammie's Friends, for helping me out.

Pig is a little Yorkie who came to me with a broken jaw. Her family had not cared for her well. They let her out to go to the bathroom and when she returned the next morning, she had a severely broken jaw. Thanks to Dr. Nolet at Pine Creek, who worked late into the night, little Pig got her jaw fixed and was spayed. Hopefully she will be better cared for in the future. Glad we could help Pig.

These two animals represent the sad part of what we do. This poor sheltie was picked up by Animal Control and brought to the shelter in such bad condition that her organs were failing her. Sammie's Friends paid for her to receive medical care, but ultimately it was determined that she would not be able to be saved and so, sadly, she was euthanized. Had she had even reasonable care from her owner, she would not have gotten into this deplorable condition. She was only four years old.

This poor kitty was picked up by Animal Control after being hit by a car. Sammie's Friends paid for her to receive medical care. At first it was thought that she might recover use of her hindquarters. Traditional veterinary medicine was used, as well as acupuncture. She was unable to go to the bathroom on her own or to use her back end, and after trying for several days, she was also sadly euthanized. I wish someone had cared for their kitty better.

These two animals deserved better than this. Sadly, these two were euthanized without even a name to claim as their own. These cases make Sammie very sad.

Maxie is a 10-year-old pitbull mix who had an enormous tumor on her chest. The tumor was about the size of a canteloupe. It was so large the dog could no longer walk properly. Poor Maxie. The tumor should have been removed at least three years ago, but better late than never. It turned out to be a glob of fat. Maxie will be fine.

Porch had one of the worst abscesses I have ever seen. It was big and huge and hard and the poor kitty could hardly swallow. He also had some infection. Porch had surgery and is good to go.

Tippy is an 11-year-old sheltie mix, weighing about 60 pounds. Tippy had a large growth under her right front leg. It needed to be removed. Tippy is doing much better now.

Lady is a dog who was found by a man while she was running back and forth in the road, nearly getting hit about five times. Her ears were so badly infected that Dr. Avery couldn't even get a look in them with his otoscope. First he had to give her medication to try to take the inflammation down a little, and then wait about a week to anesthetize her and clean out her ears.

Lady is currently having her ears regularly medicated. We hope she will be O.K. She had no identification on her. Come on, people, put an ID on your dog so it can be returned should it become lost.

Poor Bruiser was on the lam with his lady friend and got pretty badly beaten up by another dog. He looked like he'd been in a barroom brawl. It turns out that his wounds were fairly superficial, and he is going to be all right. We think his lady friend was in heat and another fella thought she was pretty cute. Did you know most dog fights take place between unaltered animals? Another reason to spay and neuter.

My name is Chopper. I'm a 2-year-old purebred Pitbull. I'm a good boy. I have lived with other dogs, large and small, and got along with them. I lived with two children, ages 4 and 9, and cuddled with them and loved them.

My guardian is devastated, as am I, that I had to come and stay at the shelter. Times are tough, and due to a move, there was no place for me. I want to cry whenever I think about my family. I'm trying to "suck it up" and be happy in spite of my bad luck.

To make matters worse, I'm deaf. Ugh! I do pretty well with hand signals. I get a little testy when other animals try to eat my food, so it's best to feed me separately. How hard could it be to feed me separately? Not very.

I've now been neutered, got my shots, and been treated for heartworms. Sammie's Friends and Scooter's Pals split the bill for me. I'm good to go now. Please come get me. I am at the Grass Valley Animal Shelter, 530-477-4630. You can also call Cheryl Wicks at Sammie's Friends if you have questions (530-272-8833). She's my agent and my pal.

Mama Kitty, Mollie, came to the shelter with three kittens. They all went to a foster home. At 8 weeks the kittens were big enough to be spayed/neutered and returned to the shelter. MaMa was sick and couldn't be spayed until she was better. Dr. Dekker at Grass Valley Vet removed one foot of her intestines as they were leaking, and the waste of course was toxic and poisoning her. She would have been dead in about another day without help from Sammie's Friends.

The condition that the kitty had is called intussusception. Intussusception is the sliding or telescoping of the intestine within itself. It occurs primarily in the small intestine but may occasionally occur in the large intestine. When the intestine slides within itself, the blood supply to that section is greatly reduced, and the tissue begins to swell and then die. The entire process can occur rapidly, which makes early detection and treatment essential.

Mama Kitty, Mollie, lost a lot of weight and was so skinny. She is currently in a foster home fattening up. She is doing great and will soon be back at the Nevada County Animal Shelter and up for adoption. Everyone who meets her says she is a very sweet kitty and will make a wonderful pet for someone.

Bambina had a fractured femur from an accident and desperately needed help right away. Dr. Van Geem at Mother Lode fixed her up, and even decorated her leg for Halloween! Pretty cool, eh?

This poor little black kitty came to the veterinarian with a broken jaw and broken tail. He had been hit by a motorcycle and is around 8 to 10 weeks old. He had his jaw fixed and his tail amputated, and in no time was up and around and has now been adopted. Without Sammie's Friends he would have been euthanized. We are grateful to the person who found him along the roadside and brought him to the vet.

Rafiki is a Nevada County Animal Control kitty. Rafiki is a very young manx kitty who was found in poor condition with maggots on his rear end. He was cleaned up, and it was discovered that he was having a hard time pooping on his own. (This is not that unusual for a manx.)

He is now on a special diet, Metamucil and antibiotics that hopefully will resolve this problem. Rafiki has learned to rub up against the wall with his bottom to stimulate himself so that he poops. Pretty smart for a nine-week-old kitten. Hopefully, this can get resolved so that Rafiki can be adopted.

Nutter Butter is a chihuahua who was hit by a car, because her owner did not have her on a leash. She was the second chihuahua in the same day hit by a car. Nutter Butter had a broken hip and a hernia, and needs to be spayed. Dr. Van Geem at Mother Lode performed his magic on her, and she is now recovering nicely. Sammie's Friends is definitely interested in donations to help pay for this surgery.

ChiChi is a Nevada County Animal Control doggie. He is a little chihuahua who had really bad teeth and needed to have them cared for in order to be adopted. ChiChi is now in his new home and doing fine. Donations are welcome to help pay for this bill.

UPDATE ON THE THREE HORSES RESCUED BY SAMMIE'S FRIENDS

Earlier this year, Sammie's Friends rescued three horses who were nearly starved to death. All were in terrible condition. One of them, Arial, has been adopted. The other two horses are also doing very well, and will be available for adoption.

Mariah is now completely at normal weight. She is in good shape, has seen a vet and had a dental. She is extremely beautiful. Mariah is undergoing some training and will make a great horse for someone. Mariah is a mustang rounded up by the BLM when she was one year old. She is now nine. She received sporadic training and was rideable by an experienced horse person. We are now filling in the holes in her training, and believe her skill will soon match her beauty.

If you're interested in Mariah, please call Sammie's Friends at 530-272-8833.

Queenie is now a completely normal weight and very beautiful. She was so close to starving to death when we rescued her in February that she could hardly get into the trailer. She struts her stuff now. Queenie is an older horse and would be best as a pasture pal for someone. She has been seen by a vet and has had a dental. She is in good shape.

If you are interested in adopting Queenie, please call Sammie's Friends at 530-272-8833.

Kayla had close to 200 foxtails embedded in her body from going to the river. She had them between her toes, in her armpits, ears, eyes, vagina, and anywhere else a foxtail could burrow in. A foxtail is like a barbed wire; once it has burrowed into the skin, it cannot easily be removed. In Kayla's case, she had to be anesthetized so that the veterinarian could remove them.

Fortunately, Sammie's Friends was there to help, as the owner did not have funds to help the dog and was desperate. The dog was in an immense amount of pain. Although foxtail removal wouldn't normally be that expensive, once an anesthetic is required, the cost goes up by hundreds of dollars. Please help Kayla by making a donation.

This poor kitty, appropriately named Foxy, was found and brought to the shelter. He had over 225 foxtails embedded in his body. As well, he was pooping and puking worms from both ends. It took the veterinarian and staff an entire afternoon to help this poor kitty. Is this the most disgusting, sad story you could ever imagine? Fortunately, one of the kind shelter volunteers has taken him home while he recovers.

Sammie's Friends
a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation
128 High Street
Grass Valley, CA 95945
(530) 272-8833
info@sammiesfriends.org