When Liz Adams first saw “Cloud” featured for adoption on the Sammie’s Friends website, she fell in love with his eyes.
That was a few months ago, before Adams and her family adopted the 110-pound Husky-Anatolian mix.
“He is wonderful with the kids. We really couldn’t ask for a better dog,” said Adams.
But the adoption didn’t happen overnight. It took time and care and thoughtful matchmaking.
Cloud first came to Nevada County’s Animal Shelter after being rescued from a large-scale animal neglect case last fall, along with dogs, pigs, goats and sheep.
Cloud was taken to the animal shelter on McCourtney Road, a safe haven for lost, abandoned and unhoused pets. Since November, Nevada County has taken over the day-to-day operations shelter, while Sammie’s Friends continues to support adoptions, volunteer coordination, foster care and medical cost assistance.
“He was the sweetest, friendliest, most-loving dog, but he had really bad separation anxiety, and he’s an escape artist,” said Shelter Supervisor Emily Hornick.
Cloud loves people, and like many livestock guardian dogs, he struggled with isolation and containment. He was a master of wiggling out of kennels, jumping 10-foot-tall fences and loved the freedom to roam.
“He could get out of anything. He just wanted to be with everybody. It was a real struggle to find an appropriate placement for him,” said Erica Hunter, the Adoptions Coordinator for Sammie’s Friends. A dog trainer with a background in human psychology gives her the edge for pet-people matchmaking.
Staff and volunteers made an extra effort to provide the enrichment Cloud needed, including three walks a day. After a failed adoption in January to match him with the right owners, shelter staff began to worry Cloud’s quality of life would deteriorate in a kennel environment.
That’s when Liz Adams fell in love with his photo. She had adopted a dog and cat from Sammie’s before and knew the staff and volunteers genuinely wanted the best for the animals in their care.
“I thought the breed would be a good fit for us. We described our living situation and asked if Cloud would be a good fit. Erica really took her time explaining Cloud’s history and the path for the best integration into our family and with our other animals,” said Adams.
The winning partnership between Nevada County and Sammie’s Friends shares a continued commitment to compassionate, high-quality animal care, choosing to take a deliberate, individualized approach to finding loving, stable homes for animals with a sometimes traumatized past. Successful adoptions can take time.
Thoughtful matchmaking takes heart, patience and collaboration but those involved say the results are worth it and the positive outcomes can be long-lasting for both pets and people.
“Every good match we make now promotes more matches in the future,” said Hunter.
Despite high intake levels, the shelter has a 97 percent live release rate and does not euthanize for space. It meets the “no-kill” standard – above 90 percent – established by leading organizations such as Best Friends Animal Society and Animal Humane Society.
As a trainer who works closely with the shelter’s behaviorist and kennel staff, Hunter gets to know the unique personalities and play styles of the dogs she works with and pays attention to any signs of “kennel deterioration” or the mental and physical toll that a shelter environment can have on animals.
County staff keep the shelter humming by providing kennel staffing and overseeing things such as intake, feeding, cleaning and basic medical treatment. Sammie’s Friends focuses on providing extra community support through a pool of 4,000 volunteers who offer everything from dog walking to kitty cuddling. The nonprofit organization also collects donations for extra medical expenses and hosts community fund drives for enrichment items such as toys, treats and blankets.
Cloud’s story is similar to what shelter staff and volunteers see every day. In 2025, the shelter cared for more than 2,000 animals. Of those, many were reunited with their owners and more than 1,000 found new homes through adoption, like Cloud.
As changing circumstances and rising pet care costs make it more challenging for some owners to keep their animals, the County is taking a new approach to supporting long-term animal welfare. Because spaying a large dog can cost well over $600, the County launched a no-cost spay and neuter program in 2025. The program helps remove financial barriers to prevent unwanted litters and is designed to help lower shelter populations over time. In less than a year, the County’s $75,000 investment and partnerships with low-cost veterinary providers have helped nearly 300 dogs and cats receive spay and neuter services.
While shelter work can be heartbreaking and emotionally draining, staff and volunteers are a tight-knit group committed to the animals. When a happily-ever-after adoption happens, it makes everything worthwhile.
“I think what helps is that everyone loves animals so much. The job itself is really rewarding. You get to spend time with animals and watch them start flourishing when they find their forever homes,” said Hornick.
Now a Shelter Ambassador, Cloud has settled into his new home where he feels safe and content.
“We adopted another dog not long after, and they are best pals. I love seeing them go off exploring together and having a morning friendly tumble. They are so excited to start the day together,” said Adams.
HOW TO HELP
Adopt: Give a shelter animal a permanent home. Adoptions are by appointment to help match visitors with the right pet.
Foster: Provide a temporary home for an animal in need. Fostering helps reduce shelter crowding and gives animals time to decompress.
Volunteer: Help with dog walking, animal care, cleaning, events and more.
Donate: Sammie’s Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Food, pet supplies and monetary donations are accepted.
Info at https://www.sammiesfriends.org
NEVADA COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
14647 McCourtney Rd.
Grass Valley, CA 95949
Office Hours: Mon–Sat, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Shelter Hours: Wed–Sat, 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
Closed Sun–Tue (adoptions by appointment only)
Dog Facility: (530) 471-5041Cat Facility: (530) 274-1955
Laura Petersen is a freelance writer who lives in Grass Valley. This article was written on behalf of Nevada County. Contact Laura at laurapetersenmedia@gmail.com.