Sammie’s Friends 10 year anniversary drew a lot of people to the animal shelter on McCourtney Rd.  Saturday,   some just to support the animals and the effort to maintain a no kill shelter, but several people were also there to adopt a pet. Beverley Ward is an Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer  who works with Sammie’s Friends to  help people find the right pet for them.

click here to listen to Beverley Ward

It takes many volunteers to keep the animals healthy and the shelter running smoothly. Debbie Freele is one of the few paid employees and she’s been with the shelter since it was run by the county.

click here to listen to Debbie Freele

During the event Saturday 4 dogs and 3 cats were adopted and an as yet undisclosed amount of money was raised through a raffle and silent auction. Cheryl Wicks says about half of the money required to run the shelter is raised through donations, grant writing and fundraising events. As visitors to the open house Saturday discovered, not all the dogs currently in the shelter are up for adoption, but are there being cared for as their owners are involved in some legal action. Currently 10 dogs in that category are being sheltered by Sammie’s Friends.