Nancy Flemming, former Eureka Mayor, and longtime advocate for animal rescue (including life changing adoptions of her dog, Sailor; chickens, Penny and Pepper; and cats, Paris and Bob), now joins the team at the Sequoia Humane Society as their Executive Director.

Flemming says,”I look forward to working with this extraordinary  team of staff and volunteers who are so dedicated to protecting animals and who give so much time to the Shelter and it’s needs. They work miracles every day!

The ‘no-kill’ policy; the dedication to educating the public to the importance of participating in the spay- neuter program; protecting animals with vaccinations, micro-chipping for identification........all of these programs are  a noble effort to protect the animals that give back so much to their humans.  I will be honored to work with this dedicated Board of Directors as they guide the Sequoia Humane Society through these challenging times.”

“The search for new leadership for the Sequoia Humane Society brought us many qualified candidates with strong roots in our community,” says Tom Heilmann, Board President.  “We appreciate the depth and breadth of experience Nancy will bring to the organization.”

Welcome Nancy Flemming!

Bio: Chloe is an 9-year old black & white tuxedo feline who resides at the Sequoia Humane Society’s Pet Adoption Center. While she suffers from diabetes and requires daily insulin injections, she leads a full and happy life greeting potential adopters and hunting mice in the SHS gardens! If you have a question for Chloe, please send it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and put “Dear Chloe “in the subject line.

Dear Chloe,

               My cat, Sam, has been urinating outside his litter box.  It started with a wet spot in the corner of the closet, then I found a puddle in the middle of the floor, and today he actually tried to go while he was sitting on my lap! Why is he doing this, and what can I do to stop it?

                                                                           Sincerely – Litter Box Blues, Fortuna, CA

 We were so happy for Spot-Spot and her new family.

Just an update on Decker. His doctor says he’s very healthy, and he is really loving his new “forever” home. He is so smart, learning to shake and high five in just a few minutes, and we will be working on “stay” soon.

 He loves playing ball and frisbee, releasing them on command most of the time. He isn’t too crazy about the ocean, but loves swimming in the Smith River (see pictures below). He is learning that he is no longer the alpha dog so is barking much less, and no longer requires the gentle lead. He was crated for the first few nights at home, but now has free range of the RV during the night, though he prefers to sleep near his people. He goes into his crate willingly, though we do bribe him a little with a kong filled with a frosty paws concoction (peanut butter, plain yogurt and banana) that is frozen. He likes to wrestle a bit with his “Popi”, but mostly cuddles with Mom. Needless to say, the people Decker adopted are very proud of him and love him very much! If we go through Eureka on the way south in September, we’d like to bring him by to visit you.

Oliver is growing, gaining weight and looks very healthy...I've enclosed some photos of him as well as he and Elliot. Oliver is SOOOOO sweet, and soft and very loving. He loves to curl up on my lap in the evening and 'make bread' on me; also loves to 'nose-touch' with me. He and Elliot run wild all over the house each morning and evening, chasing one another up and down their tower, the couches, beds, whatever, then take long naps in between. We are leash training them and take them outside everyday for about 15 minutes on our deck to smell the flowers and watch the squirrels, the birds and butterflies: Oliver likes to come back inside, but Elliot wants to explore the woods, and that is definitely a 'no-no'! They truly love each other: playing, sleeping together, eating together, even using the 4 litter boxes we have in various rooms together! They are just TOO adorable for words. Thank you so much for giving us such a perfect little kitten, who brings us such joy each and every moment of every day.

Molly and I are both having a fantastic time and are so happy to have found each other. I can not thank the humane society enough. Molly has been a wonderful dog that came into my life at just the right time. We have been busy enjoying romps at the beach, socialization at the Hiller Park dog park, and making doggie friends wherever we go. She accompanies me during my 9-5 job at the office without issue - she just sleeps and greets visitors. I am considering involving her in pet therapy (either with the humane society or the delta society), since she seems to have a natural knack for being mellow and connecting with new people (sitting and gazing into their eyes and encouraging them to pet her). We will try agility this winter to help expend some of the excess energy that might occur during the long dark of winter. She adjusted quite quickly to her new home without any major issues.

I adopted Pebbles two days ago and wanted to express my tremendous gratitude to your animal rescue facility. I especially want to thank your wonderful trainer, Chloe.  She is an incredible asset to your facility. All her work with Pebbles made her adoption into my home a very smooth transition. Pebbles spent the next day after leaving your shelter at Dry Lagoon for hours in the morning, where we were the only living souls on the beach for quite awhile, and the late afternoon at Moonstone Beach running her little heart out in little river taking laps. She interacted and played well with several different sized dogs and actually played with a small dog at Dry Lagoon, then saw her again the next day in Eureka at arts alive parked next to us. “There are no accidents.”  It is a small town, but that is something.

Her ability to follow so many commands including “come” from a distance at the beach, I could barely even see her anymore, was unbelievable! She listens and wants to please. She easily goes into her crate at night and stays in without a peep. The first night I thought she was crying and it turned out to be a bunch of monkeys on a cartoon from comedy central. She probably thought it was another animal in a nearby pen. I had to laugh.  Pebbles even resisted eating a fresh apple pie in the front seat of my car as I had to run into the post office and market and I told her to “ leave it “ and stay in the back. That was truly amazing and kind of crazy on my part, but TRUST was established in that moment between us.

A Thrift Store With A Heart

“Thrifty” is the word commonly used nowadays and applied in our everyday lives.  The state of our present economy reminds us especially how important it is to save every penny to keep up with the rising costs of living.  It necessitates setting priorities and eliminating what you feel you don’t need in your present situation.  Sometimes, hard decisions have to be made such as having to surrender a pet, or perhaps downsizing your possessions.  But, regardless of an individual’s present socio-economic status, the situation of pet homelessness remains constant.

Thus, the birth of Tailwaggers thrift shop to help support the work of Sequoia Humane Society, a non-profit organization whose goals are: (1) to promote the welfare of all animals; (2) prevent the cruelty and suffering of animals; (3) end the overpopulation of dogs and cats; (4) keep animals with homes from becoming homeless; and (5) find homes for all adoptable animals.

Thrift stores in any community have been on the rise in popularity.  But, Tailwaggers is not just a thrift store run by volunteers.  It is where hope, opportunity, and comradeship reside.  It is where the act of giving perpetually circulates and a place where the conventional notion of secondhand stores has been taken to a new level.  There is a significant meaning behind every item that is donated and every item that is sold.  It is symbolic of the donors’ gesture of compassion and understanding of the dismal plight of homeless animals.

The building, modest in size, is dwarfed by many thrift shops.  But the helping hands and the long time acts of kindness from the volunteers, donors and shoppers make it alive and create a chain effect of humanitarian efforts.  So, during your quest for bargains or when you become possessed with a sudden impulse to shop - think about Tailwaggers, a quaint thrift store with a lot of personality filled with unique and trendy and high-end classics with budget-friendly price tags and that every dollar spent there goes directly to help the orphan whiskered and wagging tails at Sequoia Humane Society waiting to find their forever homes.

There is just no way around it. . .a shelter environment is stressful for every animal.  Sequoia Humane Society staff and volunteers go the extra mile helping to de-stress animals.  They provide enrichment activities (physical, edible and mental), as well as create a less-stressful physical environment for the animals (aromatherapy and gentle music for the dogs, large condos and common areas for the cats). 

Here at Sequoia Humane Society, we take pride knowing that each adoption is the best fit for pet and person!  Staff gets to know the personality of each pet through a one to two week evaluation process.  They then continue to learn about their wonderful qualities during the creative enrichment activities.   Through the adoption application process, we spend time getting to know each potential adopter as well.  Why do they want to adopt a pet? Are there physical traits important to them?  What is their lifestyle like (eg Are they active? Sedentary?  Away from home for long periods of time?) We also take the opportunity to educate potential adopters about quality foods, training tips, safety issues and addressing behavioral issues.  It is so important for us to find the right match the first time, because returning an animal to the shelter after going home because it “just didn’t work out” is twice as hard—for both animal and human. 

It is our highest wish that each adopter will find the companion pet they have been hoping for through our matchmaker program.  We encourage potential adopters to take their time finding their new forever friend, sometimes they meet with multiple pets before they find the right connection.  That bond between animals and humans is at the core of our organization’s values.  It drives much of what we do at the Sequoia Humane Society.  We recently received an email update from an adopter which so eloquently illustrates this bond:

“Hello,

I wanted to thank you all for the hard work and dedication at the Sequoia Humane Society. Our story is a wonderful one to hear! My son, of 27, lost his fiancé Jessica July 24^th. She passed away due to an illness. They had recently moved into a house they were going to buy to raise a family in. Now he was suddenly in this three bedroom, 2 bath house, alone. He had this awesome fenced in yard bordering a wooded area, in a very quiet neighborhood. He not only was devastated by her loss but the loneliness was overwhelming.

His friends would come over and visit with their dogs and he would see the love and companionship they provided for his buddies. He made the decision at that time to get a dog. So my hunt began. He already knew he wanted a Doberman, or mix of one, and so I hunted and hunted. Looking on Craigslist, and every pet place I could think of. Then we started looking at ALL the different humane societies, in all the different cities in the surrounding states. Finally I came across Moonstone. Her pictures and the write-up about her was PERFECT! It didn't seem to matter at all that it was California and we are in Bremerton Washington! When I saw and read what I did, I immediately called my son and sent a picture to him. He knew then.  He felt called to rescue her.

This was MY SONS DOG! HIS COMPANION, HIS FRIEND, HIS BUDDY! We simply had to get her. So the process began. We called and appreciated being able to complete the application process and consultation over the phone.  After we were approved, we drove 15 hours one way, to get her. But the rewards of seeing my son hug her when he saw her, is without words the happiest moment for me to see, the smile once again on his face. It was as if she was waiting for him all this time:)

Jack is my name and just to warn you, I’m a whole lot of dog.  But I know, my love, that you are out there thinking of me too.    Some have called me a pretty boy, but really I’m a macho man.  I have long, flowing, luxurious hair and am the envy of the kennel (way better than Fabio).  I loves me the ladies, but am a little hesitant of males.  Let me be your Personal Exercise Trainer.  I have lots of energy to help you get out and physical.  I know sit, down and shake (I’m sure with a little time I can teach you those too).  My secret desire is to meet my new agility partner.  I’ll be waiting for you in kennel 5a.

Helping Hands-Thoughful Gifts

Jocelyn Albee, this wonderful 10 year old decided that for her Birthday, she would like donations to the shelter instead of gifts! Thank you SO much from all the fuzzy critters at the shelter

Thank you to Emily Denny! She decided to help support the Sequoia Humane Society by asking for donations instead

of gifts for her 13th birthday!

We are sending out a BIG thank you to St. Mary’s school in Arcata, they collected donations for Sequoia Humane Society and brought them in for the annual Blessing of the Animals held at the school!

We had a surprise visit from a group of lovely students doing a project for the Delta Phi Epsilon. They tabled on the quad for 4 days to raise awareness for the shelter, hand out volunteer applications and collect donations. Their combined efforts raised $104.33 for our shelter! Great job and THANK YOU!

“Lemonaid Day”, a community wide project where some of the proceeds are given back to the community.

Kelli Paterson chose to donate her community proceeds of $53.00 to the Sequoia Humane Society! Everyone at Sequoia Humane Society sends a BIG thank you!

Heather, Hannah and Payton Bello of Fin and Feather Pet Shop chose to use their community proceeds to purchase a variety of dog and cat goodies that will help enrich the lives of the pets while they await their forever homes here at the shelter! Everyone at Sequoia Humane Society sends a BIG thank you!