Story of Sammie | SammiesFriends

Sammie, The Inspiration

Sammie the Shar-Pei

March 31, 1991 - February 23, 2007

The inspiration for Sammie's Friends, a nonprofit founded by Cheryl Wicks and Curt Romander to provide medical care for the animals at the Nevada County Animal Shelter.

Because of this amazing creature many animals lives have been saved in this community. We, the animals and humans alike, are fortunate to have had him touch our lives.

Sammie's Scrapbook

Just a really cool photo of me and my Mama.	Man, was I small and wrinkly. This is me at 7 weeks old and 7 pounds big.	This is me, my Mama and all of my furry siblings.
Wow! I didn't even know I could pose like this. I'm bigger here. See my wrinkles? They're cuter on me than on Mama.	I love this picture because it shows how much Mama loved me and I loved her.	Just a little guy takin' a poop. Later in life I had more modesty and wouldn't even poop in my own back yard and always went behind a bush. Mama said I was such a good boy.
I'm so little you can hardly see me. Mama carried me around in a little sling around her chest until I got too big. I went on a big hike the very first day she got me.	What was Mama thinking' when she bought me this big 'ol bed? Did she think I was gonna turn into a St. Bernard or something?	Mama always told me I was special. She even bought me these special little bowls. Mama really loved me a lot. That's why I grew up to do great things, like start Sammie's Friends.
This is me and my brother Teddy. Teddy is the other guy in Curtie's life. Teddy, you have to take over from here. It's a guy thing.	Here I am with my Curtie and my Mama. I loved them both so much. Curtie and I started every day with a romp-a-roonie-shovin' and pushin'. It's a guy thing. Darn, that Curtie was fun. He has Teddy now and they love each other but they're not identical twins like Curtie and I are. Our souls are one. We totally understood each other and our little ways of being guys.	Just me and my zebra toy. That's Mama's other favorite animal.
I had a mind of my own and I used it! For seven years I hiked everyday with Mama's friends, Mary, Shelley and their doggies. Man did we have fun, but I had to do the hike my way. Everyone was always way ahead of me because I had to “smell the roses". I always caught up at the halfway point, just like clockwork. One time I rounded up all of the cattle and Mama was mortified. She couldn't catch me. I got in trouble later, but it was well worth it. Ever since, Auntie Annie called me Roy Rogers!	Just takin' a look into my garage wonderin' when Mama was gonna take me somewhere for some fun. Me and all my buddies and Mama had more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I'm not kiddin'! Mama really knew how to make a doggie kid's life fun.	Here I am "poetry in motion". I'm flying so high my feet don't even touch the ground. That was pretending to be an angel. Now I really am one. Hi down there!
This is me at Auntie Linda's in Loomis getting ready for a little nibble of turkey off Mama's plate. I could always count on Mama to think about me and I need Christmas turkey too!	Auntie Annie took this picture when she came to pick up my long-time buddy, Mac, the Cairn Terrier. I played with him for seven years while his Mama taught school every day. I loved that boy!	Here I am with my lab pals, Mocha and Lucy, in Carmel. Who ever thought of takin' their Share-Pei to the water with two labs? They dove in. I ran as fast as my little chubby legs would carry me through the sand. How I loved those girls.
Here I am opening presents on my 9th birthday right before I moved to Grass Valley.	Mama, give me that present! It's mine. I already opened all of the other ones.	Here's Mama lovin' me with my new stick horse. I liked my present a lot, especially when it whinnied. I went out in the pasture with Linda's real horses and he about kicked my toe off. Made me mad. After Auntie Linda and Mama fixed my toe up, I went after that horse again. Darn, Mama put me on a leash and relegated me to my stick horse.
I love Christmas. I had the most fun opening all the presents. I love Santa Claus.	Here's my own little tree. Every year Curtie would get me my own tree and decorate it with doggie and kitty ornaments.	Here's me and Mrs. Claus opening presents. I guess Santa left her for me too. I needed her to bake some cookies.
This is the exact moment when I was contemplating my future foundation.

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Sammie, The Inspiration

Sammie the Shar-Pei

March 31, 1991 - February 23, 2007

Sammie's Scrapbook

Just a really cool photo of me and my Mama.

Man, was I small and wrinkly. This is me at 7 weeks old and 7 pounds big.

This is me, my Mama and all of my furry siblings.

Wow! I didn't even know I could pose like this. I'm bigger here. See my wrinkles? They're cuter on me than on Mama.

I love this picture because it shows how much Mama loved me and I loved her.

Just a little guy takin' a poop. Later in life I had more modesty and wouldn't even poop in my own back yard and always went behind a bush. Mama said I was such a good boy.

I'm so little you can hardly see me. Mama carried me around in a little sling around her chest until I got too big. I went on a big hike the very first day she got me.

What was Mama thinking' when she bought me this big 'ol bed? Did she think I was gonna turn into a St. Bernard or something?

Mama always told me I was special. She even bought me these special little bowls. Mama really loved me a lot. That's why I grew up to do great things, like start Sammie's Friends.

This is me and my brother Teddy. Teddy is the other guy in Curtie's life. Teddy, you have to take over from here. It's a guy thing.

Just me and my zebra toy. That's Mama's other favorite animal.

Just takin' a look into my garage wonderin' when Mama was gonna take me somewhere for some fun. Me and all my buddies and Mama had more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I'm not kiddin'! Mama really knew how to make a doggie kid's life fun.

Here I am "poetry in motion". I'm flying so high my feet don't even touch the ground. That was pretending to be an angel. Now I really am one. Hi down there!

This is me at Auntie Linda's in Loomis getting ready for a little nibble of turkey off Mama's plate. I could always count on Mama to think about me and I need Christmas turkey too!

Auntie Annie took this picture when she came to pick up my long-time buddy, Mac, the Cairn Terrier. I played with him for seven years while his Mama taught school every day. I loved that boy!

Here I am with my lab pals, Mocha and Lucy, in Carmel. Who ever thought of takin' their Share-Pei to the water with two labs? They dove in. I ran as fast as my little chubby legs would carry me through the sand. How I loved those girls.

Here I am opening presents on my 9th birthday right before I moved to Grass Valley.

Mama, give me that present! It's mine. I already opened all of the other ones.

I love Christmas. I had the most fun opening all the presents. I love Santa Claus.

Here's my own little tree. Every year Curtie would get me my own tree and decorate it with doggie and kitty ornaments.

Here's me and Mrs. Claus opening presents. I guess Santa left her for me too. I needed her to bake some cookies.

This is the exact moment when I was contemplating my future foundation.