WSU’s Good Samaritan Fund eases veterinary costs for Spokane family after fire

PULLMAN, Wash. - A Spokane family whose barn, chicken house and pasture were destroyed in the Old Trails Fire no longer has to shoulder the cost of lifesaving surgery for their miniature horse, Dudley, thanks to Washington State University's Good Samaritan Fund.

Dudley, owned by Micki Rozier and her husband Bill, was brought to WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital just two days before the fire with severe abdominal pain. After undergoing emergency surgery to remove an intestinal blockage, Dudley was beginning his recovery at the hospital when the Old Trails Fire - which severely damaged the Rozier's property - started Saturday.

"I turned around and you could see it coming. It was dark; it was smoky, and your eyes are stinging. I've never ever felt like that before. It was terrifying," Micki Rozier said.

Dudley, a miniature horse owned by Micki and Bill Rozier, recovers at Washington State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. While Dudley was hospitalized, the Old Trails Fire destroyed the family's barn and pasture. WSU's Good Samaritan Fund helped cover the cost of his care (video by Ted Warren, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine).

The Roziers, who only had minutes to evacuate before they were surrounded by encroaching flames, loaded their two other horses, Moscoe and Jaeger, in a trailer but were forced to free Dudley's best friend, a pony named Bambi.

"I had to turn her loose," said Rozier, who didn't even have time to grab her phone. "Police were yelling at us to leave right now. It was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever had to do."

Two days later, after community members shared information through Facebook, Bambi was found safe.

This weekend, Rozier will reunite Dudley and Bambi at her mother's house in Spokane, where the animals are temporarily staying.

"I think seeing Dudley and Bambi together again is going to be a really special moment," Rozier said. "They are bonded, and after everything they've both been through, it will mean a lot to see them back together."

Rozier also expressed her gratitude to WSU's equine surgery team, and in particular, equine medicine resident Dr. Zuzanna Pietras who oversaw much of Dudley's post-operative care and helped extend his stay at WSU while Rozier could manage the aftermath of the fire and find Dudley a new living space.

"She was so understanding and great and providing us updates; the whole team has been extremely great to work with," Rozier said.

For the Roziers, tasked with rebuilding and currently calling the Hampton Inn home, easing the burden of Dudley's unexpected emergency surgery couldn't have come at a better time.

In this photo provided by Micki Rozier, Rozier's husband Bill prepares to evacuate their property in Spokane. The Roziers' barn, chicken house, and pasture were destroyed in the Old Trails Fire, but the cost of lifesaving surgery for their miniature horse Dudley was covered by Washington State University's Good Samaritan Fund. (College of Veterinary Medicine/Courtesy Micki Rozier) In this photo provided by Micki Rozier, wildfire damage on their property in Spokane is shown. The Roziers' barn, chicken house, and pasture were destroyed in the Old Trails Fire, but the cost of lifesaving surgery for their miniature horse Dudley was covered by Washington State University's Good Samaritan Fund. (College of Veterinary Medicine/Courtesy Micki Rozier) In this photo provided by Micki Rozier, Rozier's miniature horse Dudley, left, is shown with his best friend, Bambi, right, at home in Spokane. While Dudley was being treated at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, in Pullman, the Roziers' barn, chicken house, and pasture were destroyed in the Old Trails Fire, but the cost of lifesaving surgery for Dudley was covered by Washington State University's Good Samaritan Fund. (College of Veterinary Medicine/Courtesy Micki Rozier) In this photo provided by Micki Rozier, Rozier's miniature horse Dudley, left, is shown with his best friend, Bambi, right, at home in Spokane. While Dudley was being treated at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, in Pullman, the Roziers' barn, chicken house, and pasture were destroyed in the Old Trails Fire, but the cost of lifesaving surgery for Dudley was covered by Washington State University's Good Samaritan Fund. (College of Veterinary Medicine/Courtesy Micki Rozier) Dudley, a miniature horse owned by Micki and Bill Rozier of Spokane, receives care at WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. WSU's Good Samaritan Fund helped cover the cost of his treatment after the Old Trails Fire destroyed the family's barn and pasture (photos by Ted S. Warren, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine). Dudley, a miniature horse owned by Micki and Bill Rozier of Spokane, receives care at WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. WSU's Good Samaritan Fund helped cover the cost of his treatment after the Old Trails Fire destroyed the family's barn and pasture (Photos by Ted S. Warren, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine). Dudley, a miniature horse owned by Micki and Bill Rozier of Spokane, receives care at WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. WSU's Good Samaritan Fund helped cover the cost of his treatment after the Old Trails Fire destroyed the family's barn and pasture (photos by Ted S. Warren, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine).

"There is so much that I'm grateful for," Rozier said. "It's going to sound bad, but I'm grateful that Dudley wasn't there because I would have definitely put him in the truck, and by that time, that might have meant that we didn't get out."

The Good Samaritan Fund was created in 1996 by WSU's then graduating Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class to help families facing unexpected financial barriers to veterinary care. Since 2021, the fund has provided more than $1 million in assistance, helping approximately 2,300 animals and their families receive needed treatment in the Pacific Northwest.

"Veterinary medicine is about caring for animals, but it's also about caring for the people who love them," said Pietras. "This family was facing an unimaginable loss, it's an incredible feeling to extend a little compassion and allow them to focus on what matters most."

Despite the devastation, Rozier said the fire has brought the community closer and prompted her family to develop a more detailed evacuation plan. Neighbors, firefighters, the National Guard, local law enforcement, Inland Power and Light and WSU's Good Samaritan Fund have all stepped in to help the family recover.

"There is so much positive. Something that has really stood out through all of this is how many people have stepped up to help," Rozier said. "When something like this happens, you realize how much your community cares and how many people are willing to come together to help you through the hardest times. You just feel the love for sure."

Media Contacts

• Josh Babcock, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine, 509-339-3423, [email protected]