I recently adopted an older dog from Sammie's. I found a dog I liked and who seemed to like me. The process was simple and quick. I've been happy with 'Chuck' since day one. I'm an older guy, and adopting an older dog was something I'd not previously considered but was ideal for me - no puppy training!!! I highly recommend Sammie's Friends to others who might want to consider an older dog. read more

Ms daisy adopted 2 month ago Thank you sammies She is the best house broke in 10 days read more

Sammie's Friends - Animal Shelters Near Me - Grass Valley, California

I have prayed on this over & over again I cannot stay silent. The smell was appalling as soon as I walked in to start with, I was there to meet a dog I was told was young, I had recently lost a senior rescue & my heart can not take loosing another baby in a few years. The right hand doesn't know what the left hands doing. I left ,prayed & decided to call bc I had seen the senior baby I met was still there. Well in comes GAYLE she answered the phone with attitude was rude & wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise. I asked to speak to someone else bc apparently she was having a bad day & she proceeded to tell me she was the senior person on staff & has dealt with this b4, I was floored bc she had no clue what I was even asking. Shame ,shame on this kind of customer Service. I'm mourning my dog & have a home for a baby to be treated like this & be talked dwn to or place $ in front of questions is horrific, she needs to be evaluated are they in it for $ or to be right ,or do they really care to find these babys homes. read more

We had a wonderful experience adopting our kitty from here. The facility is clean and well managed, with lots of room for the kitties to roam around. There was an abundance of toys, soft places for cats to relax, water fountains, and even access to a catio (and enclosed outdoor patio) for some of the cats. Everyone on staff is friendly and can answer questions about the cats. The adoption application is online and was quick to complete. In the covid era they do require appointments to visit and interact with the cats, and ask that you sanitize hands and wear a mask. I'm so glad they let you interact before adopting because so many places aren't allowing that right now. Our fur baby was already fixed, and had his rabies and FVRCP vaccines administered by the crew on site when he was rescued. I'm not sure what their fee structure is, but we paid $70 + $15 for a microchip (optional) to adopt a two y/o kitty. We're so excited to welcome Oliver (previously Citrus) to our family and are so grateful that Sammie's Friends rescued him and cared for him until he found his furever home with us! read more

See all

I have been to plenty of shelters that don't smell. When I tell you that I had to step outside to keep myself from gagging from the putrid smell in that building, let me tell you, it's unlike anything I've ever experienced. ...The stench hit me the moment I walked in, a nauseating mix of urine, feces, and neglect. I've visited many shelters before, and I know they don't have to smell this way. This wasn't just a faint odor--it was overwhelming, suffocating, and made it impossible to focus on anything else. It makes me wonder about the conditions these animals are living in and whether proper cleaning and care are actually happening. No living being should have to endure such filth. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. No shelter should make visitors feel physically ill just by stepping inside. More importantly, no animal should have to live in such squalor. This place needs serious intervention because whatever they're doing--or rather, not doing--is inexcusable. read more

Lara Mitchell 405-627-9772 Anyone who has this cat foster or adoption please call. I have looked for him for 6 years. And he has a family and we just want him home. He is lived and missed dearly. Thank you in advance for your help in getting him back to Oklahoma with his family! I would leave zero stars if I could. So my cat was posted on their website September 11 2024. Of course by the time I found it comments were turned off. I live in Oklahoma and the breeder of my cat phoned me and told me that my missing cat Sir Gilmour Poo D Cat was listed in lost and found savannah cats on Facebook. It then led back to this shelter. I emailed and left many messages. Finally I was able to reach Alicia currie who then told me that the cat I was speaking of was under two years old and that could not be my cat. Clearly by the photos this cat is not under two years old. At one point in our conversation she asked me to hold so she would speak to the director. Funny when I asked to speak to the head of the place she stated she was the only one there that worked with the cats. But she didn't place me on hold , she hung up on me. Alicia I cannot explain how he ended up in California. I wish I could. However there are tons of stories where lost animals are found states away. Just Google it. My cat doesn't have his own border control. Just because he is lost in Oklahoma doesn't mean he cannot cross the Oklahoma border. And so I wish I could explain that to you. And I did explain how he had an unregistered chip. I have been able to provide all the documentation and proof to show this to you. But Alicia you lied and said to the don't have access to emails so I cannot email you the proper verification. Then your statement of this isn't my cat because he is under two and that he has been adopted and nothing I can do about it. Wrong. I would bet he's at your house. Alicia you have no business working with animals and I pitty any animal in your care. I can prove through the breeder the vet and the data mark petlink chip company that he is my cat and why his chip is unregistered. But I was told due to his adoption there is nothing I can do about it. I was then told next time adopt don't shop, make sure my chip is registered and to not give my money to a breeder. Alicia currie is my cat at your house? And Alicia just because I paid money for my cat doesn't mean he is not a cat who is loved and wanted home. Your personal opinions are not valid and when it comes to my cat he is a family memeber. And we love him. Anyone with any info please help me get my boy home. Lara Mitchell 405-627-9772 His name is Sir Gilmour Poo D Cat. Missing from Oklahoma since July 11 2019. I have looked for him every day since then.plEase help me get him home. read more

Sammie's Friends - Animal Shelters Near Me - Grass Valley, California

See all

I adopted 2 cats and it was a very enjoyable experience with both. The 1st kitty passed away after having her for 10 months from cancer. But I decided that another cat could come home. read more

See all

Sammie's friends is so dedicated to saving lives of dogs, cats and occasionally live stock. The staff is very kind and loving in the care of the animals. They work SOOO HARD and are so busy all the time. They are the only no-kill shelter in Nevada County. Let's face it, that's a huge area. Phones are constantly ringing and new animals coming in faster than they get adopted/fostered. If you are considering adopting/fostering a pet, please visit their website, or come visit in person. The shelter is NOT fancy in comparison to the ASPCA in Auburn. It is in need of a good updating, but they do a GREAT job with what they have. That said, if you can welcome a dog or cat into your life, this would be a great place to find your best friend. Also, they can ALWAYS use volunteers for all kinds of things, including Dog Walking (which does NOT include picking up poop. Yay!). Volunteer applicating is on their website. read more

Sammie's is such a terrific shelter. Every single person who works there whether a volunteer or staff is kind and patient. They care so much about the animals and work hard to ensure all get the best care they can while at the shelter. read more

Refused to take a dog covered in ticks with an infected wound. They care more about the reimbursement and money from the county than helping animals. read more

Those who are giving Sammie's Friends low ratings and a bad rap are wildly incorrect. If your dog is picked up by the *Nevada County Animal Control* (not Sammie's Friends) it is taken to Sammie's Friends where it is kept safe, comfortable and given food, water and medical treatment if warranted. All dogs are walked twice a day, every day, including holidays. This is far better for the escaped dogs than being run over by a car or being killed by a mountain lion or coyotes. Perhaps if some of the negative reviewers actually visited Sammie's and saw the many dogs, cats, goats, horses and even chickens and how well they are cared for by the staff, they might be willing to put up a reasonable review instead of, for example, using their children to garner sympathy because they were unhappy about paying a fine. Sammie's does NOT set any fines, those are set BY THE COUNTY. The staff enforces the rules set BY THE COUNTY ($50 for the first offense.) If you have trouble coming up with any fines, Sammie's will work with you. The people at Sammie's are warm, caring individuals who treat all the animals like their own pets. I know, because I've volunteered to walk dogs at Sammie's for the past seven years. Sammie's even has an in-house "dog whisperer" who works with problem dogs; she successfully worked with my insane Boxer and my AmStaff to get along. (Thank-you Beverly.) Many dogs are fostered by volunteers at their homes until the dogs can be adopted. People come from all over the state to adopt animals from Sammie's. Sammie's Friends is a NO-KILL shelter, unlike many other counties, and gives back so much to our county. They deserve more than five stars. read more

Sammie's Friends - Rocky and a friend. A moth hitched a ride on his collar. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Grass Valley, California

See all

Be very careful if you want to adopt from them. I was Told that I had a pretty good chance of getting a dog and that no one had put in an application. then We kept calling and really was interested in the dog. When we called again they Said they had a meet and great and his adoption was pending. When we went and saw him he wasn't even on the website yet and was told that we where the first ones. The lack of communication between employs and having been told different things be different people is not acceptable. Then they told me that they loved my application but it just sounds fishy to me. I understand the process but do not get your hopes up when working with this place. read more

Volunteered here for a quite a while, about five years... animals and *most* of the staff are absolutely incredible. The only thing I would say is there is an older lady who runs the desk in the cat house, she is simply out of touch when it comes to human contact. I don't know what the deal is, shes NUTS! She screamed at me and made me cry, had little knowledge of me having a special needs son. He was never with me when I came in to clean, volunteer and other things. It turned into her accosting me over the phone about "having a ""difficult child"" and that I "didn't need to come in" and I "wasn't up to par and any thing that required care of a kitty"... Which is staggering to me considering my grandma Connie, for almost 50 years has volunteered with Sammies Friends, best friends, Brighton greens veterinary hospital, you name it!!!! For years, anywhere around here that covers grass Valley through Colfax/Chicago park qnd faether. Not to mention her own home being a legitimate sanctuary and volunteering, being a part of it as am I, for over 20 years. Shes has started an animal sanctuary that has been around for almost 40 years and Colfax and I spent the last 30 years rescuing cats and other animals of alll kinds with her. Before you allow someone to run your desk, paperwork and expect them a call and talk to your volunteers (One alone potential customers coming in to adopt critters, maybe make sure they're with the present date and not in the middle of a mental break. This woman called me and accused me of "Doing absolutely nothing" In regards to kitty I decided to foster and keep, that I had found by the creek across street from my house. Their records here at my house physically, and with Brighton greens veterinary hospital you were Sammies Friends put me through to make sure that this kitty got all the treatment she needed. Which was extensive, very serious, and stressful. I do not want her to get in trouble or anything like that. I am sure, from working there, that there are positions that need to be filled that do not require human contact. read more

I called to follow up on an application previously submitted. I was told the dog had been adopted. That's great. I asked if they might delete the adopted dogs from website so that we, the public, would have an accurate list of adoptable pets. This rude man just yelled at me for what seemed like forever. I was told that Sammies does not like the public. We're their biggest problem. I think having this man as a representative of a non profit is a mistake. I will adopt elsewhere. read more

We have donated hundreds and hundreds of dollars to Sammie's Friends over the years because we believed they were a good organization. We recently experienced a situation with a stray which required us to reach out to Sammie's for help. After four phone calls which were never returned, I finally got a human who answered the phone. She took my info and said she would forward it to someone higher up and they would call me back. Three weeks later, we were still waiting for a call back. I reached out to other organizations, including most of the veterinarians in the area, and they all referred me to Sammie's. One last try, I called and spoke with a volunteer who informed me that they could not help because WE DON'T LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS. Yes, because we are in the Grass Valley city limits, they cannot help us. Which is interesting, because every time I would send a check to them, they never refused the donation, even though my sad little 3-digit address was right on the front of my check. So, how did this volunteer help? By referring me to the Placer County SPCA. In order to find help, we have to go outside of our own county! I want all of my donations back. read more

I have adopted two cats and one dog from Sammie's. One cat died of an upper respiratory infection and the dog had a minor abcess on her back foot. They give a free check up and grooming through a few partner providers, but they only give you a few days to get them done. I wish I'd had a few more days or a couple of weeks so that I wouldn't have had to spend so much on them. On another note, though the people at the shelter are strict and seem unfriendly, I'm always told I'm exactly the type of pet owner they're looking for despite living in a small apartment with two young kids. It's the love you convey for the animals and the absolute commitment you demonstrate to their wellbeing that the adopters are looking for. The animals are well-loved at the shelter and given as much care and attention as possible. This is a wonderful institution. Keep it up Sammie's! read more

Well, I for one am glad that Sammy's Friends is picky about the homes that their animals go to! If the guardian does not meet the right criteria, it's not the right home for the dog or cat. The below 1star reviews sound like some egos were hurt. And calling a rescue group a firm or a business just shows where they stand on this. You go Sammy's Friends!!! Your are WONDERFUL! read more

Was considering adopting a kitten from Sammie's after a referral from the thrift shop cashier during Christmas, and was referred to the "kitty cove." The attendant was taking a dump or a smoke break or something I guess, so I left a voicemail. Got a call back the next day, and spoke to someone who had very little knowledge about cats at all. I had some behavioral questions about introducing cats and related the problems we had before in our previous adoption with introducing our cats. The volunteer seemed annoyed by my questions. Her answers to my questions sounded very generic, like she was reading from a script or something. I don't feel very convinced about adopting a kitty right now, maybe it's for the best? So hopefully they do all wind up in excellent homes. The volunteers in the thrift shop on this particular occasion very recently were pretty much rude as well. I had many gifts in my hands and made eye contact with a couple women workers who didn't bother to ask if they could provide me a hand basket for my items. I was not greeted either when I came in, now that I reflect on this more. Maybe some other time Sammie's! read more

Stole my kitten. My kitty got hit by a car so the kitten didn't have a way to nurse and we had tried the bottle feeding but she wouldn't take. We took her to sammies friends to go to a foster kitty until she was old enough to not need the milk anymore. We were told we were going to get her back because we wanted to keep her since we lost her mommy and the kitten is what we had left of our fur baby. We called to check up on her and see when we can get her and they told us they signed her to someone else. They said they were going to call and ask this person permission for us to have OUR baby back. This devastated us and our 5 year old boy who was counting the days to get the baby kitten back. Will NEVER deal with this place again. read more

I am only giving 3 stars not because of Sammies as a non-profit organization because they are definitely a 5 star and a wonderful facility. However, a woman there named Bridget needs a new career. She was rude, repeated herself over and over with something that wasn't even the case. To brief you I had decided to allow a stray we found to be adopted after I had her for several months because I felt I had to much on my plate and feared she would be home alone to much, without really thinking of other possibilities I decided to let her be adopted. She was adopted and the woman signed and paid for her. We were supposed to meet this morning to bring her in for her last vaccination and the adoptive woman was going to take her. I had a hard time the night prior and texted the adoptive woman and said I could not give her up. The woman said ok and to make sure I remembered to take her to her last appt as she would not be there. When Bridget called me she asked if I was going to bring the dog in and I said yes, she then said she would call the woman that was adopting as well. I explained that I had decided to keep the dog and had talked to the woman who was going to adopt and she had told me it was Ok. Instead of Bridget staying out of what was between me and this woman she continued to tell me that I could not do that because she was already adopted. I understand that and Bridget could have said "ok, I understand let me call so in so, and make sure this is the plan" Instead she kept repeating forcefully "I need you to bring in the dog!" I told her over and over that I had planned on bringing the dog in. Bridget told the other lady who was going to adopt her that I could not keep her and she has to come and pick her up. So the lady adopting her felt put in the middle and decided to go ahead and come and get the dog. I do not believe that Bridget should have gotten in the middle of the conversation between me and the adoptive lady, however should have been professional and made sure all parties understood their rights or lack of. I rarely write this stuff on here, but I just feel that Bridget needs to understand when and how to go about doing something that costs others to suffer. She was unprofessional and does not do justice for Sammies Friends reputation. Luckily most people know they are reputable, but I would be careful how an employee represents a caring business like Sammies. read more

Use extreme caution when doing business with this firm as its founders adopted a dog to me only to come to my home the next day, laid in wait, and stole the dog back. If I could award no stars I would. I have proof of this accusation in the form of a crime/incident report from my local police department. Rescue is an important service so I don't wish to discourage folks from animal adoption. My advice is to search the dog pounds that are close to you and find a dog that is truly unwanted. After these so-called animal advocates broke my heart I did so, and found my buddy Cola. 14 years later, it's hard to say who rescued who. read more

I have to share my dissatisfaction with "Sammie's friends". A volunteer from a Sacramento shelter shared a post, posted by the shelter looking to rehome a Boston Terrier who looking for a loving, forever home. I was excited to see, since I have been looking for one to adopt that was fairly close to me because I refuse to purchase one from a breeder. I called several times to inquire, they told me I would need to fill out an application and had to be approved. I was ready to head there but was told I could fax my application. Which I did. I called to see they had received and I waited, the next day I get a call that I was preapproved for adoption. I was at work and told them I would take time off and would be on my way, I advised my supervisor and then receive an email from "Michelle". She stated that "Pokey" would be going back to a rescue group in San Francisco, because they wanted him back. I was like "OK" they told me if I was interested in adopting him I'd need to go through them. Wow. For an organization who places pets in homes, I feel sorry for Pokey, now he has to be picked up from Grass Valley and driven back to SF (supposedly). I wanted to give "Pokey" a loving, forever home, I lost my little girl of 12 years and every animal I have owned has been loved like a family member. So many unloved animals get misplaced, passed up, all I wish is for this little guy to find a loving forever home. Shame on this shelter, you are a SHELTER, you match potential adoptable parents and the pets go to their new homes. It just doesn't make sense to me, that he is headed back to SF to another shelter again (allegedly), when I had a loving, forever home for him. Sadly, instead of helping animals you are part of the problem and won't be adopting from either. read more

This is a fantastic animal shelter.. I drove over an hour out of my way to adopt a dog from this place. The place is lovely as well as the people. They do ask several questions to make sure you are the right person for the pet and I think that's great. Unfortunately the adoption didn't workout as the dog I adopted showed some aggression towards my son. I brought her back and they were understanding and kind. I don't understand the other reviews on here as my experience couldn't have been more pleasant. Great place to adopt a pet from... read more

Sammie's Friends is an incredible organization. The people who work there have giant hearts and do so much for the community and more importantly the animals. If one ever wants to find an amazing fur baby, I would recommend looking at Sammie's. Not only are they a no kill shelter and a non-profit, but they even provide emergency funds to the community for veterinarian finances. If that isn't amazing I don't know what is. read more

I'm sorry but this adoption ctr is the WORST I have ever been to. They grilled my girlfriend and I over the application and we felt really judged. We feel they don't trust young people or people that don't have a private yard for their animals. They expect perfect circumstances for pet adoption and we will take out business somewhere else. Sorry sammie's friends but u aren't our friend. I'm sorry your expectations are so high but I'm sure another dog will enjoy our everlasting love. read more