By Julie Uiterwijk, American Red Cross Volunteer

When Sam Cisneros and Natalie Shimizu adopted Nori, they had no idea how much they would need her.  

The couple brought Nori home about a week before a massive six-alarm fire destroyed their Foster City, Calif. condominium on August 2. The fire severely damaged the Spinnaker Cove complex, displacing more than 150 residents and leaving Sam and Natalie among the many people suddenly without a home or most of their belongings.  

Soon after the fire, the American Red Cross set up a Local Assistance Center in Foster City to connect families affected by the fire with local resources. Sam and Natalie benefited from the partners and community members who offered support, including the Peninsula Humane Society where they had adopted Nori before the fire.   

They had already fallen in love with Nori, a shy, two-year-old dog who had spent more than a year at the shelter, including time in foster care. But in the days and weeks following the fire, their new dog became much more than a beloved pet. She became a source of comfort, routine and joy at a time when nearly everything else in their lives was uncertain.  

“She’s just been a tremendous stress reliever for us,” Natalie said.  

The couple and their parents have been staying in a local hotel as they try to rebuild their lives. There are countless practical matters to deal with, including insurance, paperwork, jobs, housing and the loss of their possessions. Through it all, Nori gives them something simple and immediate to focus on.  

Four or five times a day, they take her to a nearby park. For Sam and Natalie, those outings have become a kind of refuge.  

“Every time we go outside, it feels so much better,” Natalie said. The short drive to the park gives them a change of scenery, and once they arrive, Nori’s personality transforms. The nervous dog who sometimes freezes around unfamiliar people becomes playful and energetic, “with springs for legs,” as Sam describes her.  

“She kind of forces us out of our own heads,” Natalie said. “When you’re walking her, you have to be very present.”  

For Sam, walking Nori also provides a sense of purpose. After work, instead of returning to an empty hotel room and thinking about everything that has been lost, he gets to take Nori somewhere she loves.  

“Her eyes just light up,” he said. “It’s the best.”  

That connection is especially meaningful because Nori herself had experienced uncertainty before finding her new family. She was the longest-term resident at the Peninsula Humane Society when Sam and Natalie met her. Unlike the other dogs they encountered, Nori was shy and withdrawn, sitting quietly in the corner of her kennel. But when one of her favorite staff members came out and began playing with her, Nori came alive.  

Sam and Natalie knew she was the one.  

The couple have nothing but praise for the Peninsula Humane Society, a Red Cross partner in San Mateo County. Staff and volunteers had cared for Nori for more than a year and a half, and the couple say it was clear that she had been deeply loved there.  

After the fire, that care continued. When the Humane Society learned that the couple had lost a care package they had received when they adopted Nori, staff replaced it. They also welcomed Nori back to the shelter’s play area, where she could run and reconnect with the people who had cared for her.  

“We were a little bit hesitant,” Sam said, worried Nori might think they were returning her to the shelter. Instead, she greeted her former caregivers with obvious joy.  

“I can’t say enough good things about the Peninsula Humane Society,” Natalie said. “Their generosity and every single volunteer…you can see how happy she was to be there. How well taken care of she was, how loved she was there.”  

For Sam and Natalie, the experience has changed their perspective on what it means to receive help, and what it means to give it. One day, when they are back on their feet, they hope to give back to others.  

And Nori? She is still helping them get there, one walk, one park outing and one wagging tail at a time.  

Sam and Natalie rescued Nori from the shelter. But in the aftermath of a devastating fire, it’s clear that, in her own way, Nori rescued Sam and Natalie, too.

To help families affected by disasters, please visit redcross.org.