SPONSOR APPRECIATION DAY WAS WONDERFUL
The food was the best yet!! I didn't have to eat for the next 4 days.

I had so much fun meeting all of you. Thank you so very much for coming out. It really makes my day to get to meet and talk to you. For so many of you that's your one visit each year. But don't forget our next Open House - our 11th Birthday, August 16th from noon until 4 pm. Put it on your calendar right now!

It took all of these wonderful Volunteers to make it happen: Mary Walker, Jane Whitmore, Candy and Paul Erhard, Deloris Quick, Larry Ramsey, Clota Gerhardt, Lorraine Gentile, Laurie Karnay, Crystal and Dennis Bane, Mariza and Angela Soliman (Mariza baked and made salads also), Lou and Sean Laurie, BJ and Jarrett Wroten, Fred Friedman, Tom Hartshorne, Kerri Williams, Ron Herfurth, Melanie Hansford, Carrol Morgan, Bob Wallace, Kristina Anderson, Ken Lickliter, Katie and Grant Fincham, Kathy McLaurin, Katarina Galvin and her niece and nephew (Brie Castillo and Abe Herrera), Lloyd Dolan.

Rene Luther (sorbet and beautification), Alyce Smith made beautiful donation jars. Alex Hult - flyer creation. Dave Smalley, editor of "Weekender" - The Free Lance-Star - wrote a WONDERFUL editorial about Rikki's. Sarah and Rick McDonald - Virginia Best Friends website - wrote about the open house. We had such wonderful coverage from local and other newspapers, etc. The event had the MOST volunteers to date -- they all worked hard - we could not do these open houses without the wonderful volunteers.

Please call about becoming a volunteer!

At the salt mines

Meanwhile, here's what's going on with the gang. Anyone up for some awesome biceps workouts?

I just finished brushing the cat litter out of Golith the Goat's mouth. Lena called and hollered - help cat house 7, I need help with the goat. When I got there I discovered the goat's mouth was impacted full with clumping cat litter. Not good to eat. While she held him I flushed with a giant syringe and scrubbed with a tooth brush (oh please remind me to get to town and buy a tooth brush before tonight!).

As soon as he was litter free - he ran back to the litter box. So we leashed him and the other new buy Billy up and hauled them to Horsey Haven.

Joe Callahan has finished the fencing at horses. We are in need of additional T posts to strengthen the pannels. they'll need to be installed in between each one currently in. He'd only planned to do the pannels which makes it usable right now. The reinforcing is needed if we get something new that is pushy - but should get done. It requires a younger stronger person who can withstand the pounding with the post pounder.

We might be able to lure some of the sheep and goats into this pen and lock them up for tours so people can see them - though if many animals are going to be in there for long it's going to need shade. It's only got the current two horse run in.

So add a T-post pounding project to the list.

Kerry

THANKS KATHY

For those of us back here at the salt mines, Kathy very kindly sent an update on the Richmond Vegetarian Festival. Here's how it went for the OCAS gang:

We got one small mixed breed dog adopted. Hurray!

Wiley, a gentle senior hound up for adoption, didn't find his forever home at the event. Wiley is about 8 years old, neutered, all vet work done. He walks well on a leash and enjoys walking -- he walked around the park so much yesterday, that he was too tired to get out of the crate when we returned him to the OCAS around 8:00 pm last night. He is VERY gentle. Gets along with other dogs. We were walking among Pitbulls, Akitas, Chihuahuas, kids, people in wheelchairs -- and Wiley was fine around all of them.

Wiley is a happy wanderer, however, and needs to go to a home that won't let him out unattended. I have photos if anybody is interested. Or, go to the shelter and check him out.