RIKKI’S REFUGE
HAIRBALLS AND HAPPY TAILS
HAIRBALLS AND HAPPY TAILS
The newsletter of thanks from grateful animals
to their beloved rescuers brought to you by
to their beloved rescuers brought to you by
Duke Thomas Peabody and Vincent D. Cat
Building a Better Planet
One Rescued Animal at a Time
portraits compliments of artist Wayne H. Morris
You can make Duke’s and Vincent’s job easier
We are the Happy Animals of Rikki’s Refuge
who so thank you for giving us the gift of our lives and the tools to build our Refuge. We represent all the animals, the world over, whose lives have been saved by kind and loving people just like you. Thank you for being an animal rescuer.
Table of Contents easily skip to your favorite parts!EXTRA SPECIAL NEWS
Happy Valentine’s Day to All - especially Jan and Larry
Help Rescued and Deaf Dogs
Shelter Challenge Voting
Bissell MVP Contest
Round the Refuge
A full complement of cat boxes
Spring colors at the refuge
Cuz The Animals Matter
Baby Face’s Family Rehomed Together
Bitey becomes Betty
Kenobi’s Dining Habits Solved
Meet Doggie Baby Girl
Beauty the Dog - Isn’t She Lovely?
Meet Walker, Rikki’s Alumni and Doggie Diplomat
Upcoming Events
Sneak Peek at Vincent’s Shopping List, What he NEEDS this week
How to Get FREE Product for Rikki’s
The Fine Print
Extra Special NewsHappy Valentine’s Day to All
especially
Jan and Larry
who made it a very special day for the animals!
Together they opened their purse strings to help the animals. They know how very difficult it is curing the month of February to make ends meet at the refuge. They’ve seen first had how hard we struggle to fill the bowls. They’ve watched as we scrimp to find enough bedding.
And so they donated $2,522.22 for a Double your Love Challenge.
That’s a great big help towards Rikki’s struggle to cary on.
Read all about it
Thank you Jan and Larry!
YOU are Vincent’s HEROES
Though the Valentine’s Day Challenge was successfully completed, the needs of the animals continue. If you’d like to make a donation to help the animals of Rikki’s Refuge, please click hereHelp Rescued and Deaf Dogs
and
Benefit Rikki’s Refuge
Great Books!! Great Benefits!!
From February 14 - February 22 ONLY
Buy a Great Book, Help Rescued and Deaf Dogs and Help Rikki's Refuge, too!
For one week only, photographer Melissa McDaniel, is having a promotional sale on two of her dog photo books.
Rescued in America
and Deaf Dogs
30% of sales from PHONE ORDERS ONLY will go to Rikki's Refuge. Purchase one - or both! - of these beautiful albums and help Rikki's Refuge at the same time!
Please call your order in to 267-968-9973 today.
The sale starts today, Wednesday, February 14th
and runs through next Tuesday, February 22.
Books are ready to ship!
Click here to view photos from the dog photo books and read more about the projects: http://www.thephotobooks.com
For more on this special promotion, click here: http://www.thephotobooks.com/rikkisrefuge.html
Shelter Challenge Voting
Click to Vote
http://bit.ly/VoteVincent Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
The Animal Rescue Site - Shelter Challenge
YOU voted Rikki’s Refuge #1 in Virginia in 2010
Let’s do it again for 2011
quick, simple, free
Your daily vote can win $1,000 - $5,000 for Rikki’s Refuge’s Animals!
Please vote daily thru March 20th
Please ask all your friends to vote!
Spread the world!
Bissell MVP Contest
Last day to vote in this contest for Vincent - Please vote now!
VINCENT’s PHOTO CONTEST
ALL VINCENT WANTS FOR VALENTINES IS TO WIN THIS CONTEST
quick, simple, free
Your daily vote could win up to $10,000 for Rikki’s Refuge
Click here to Vote for Vincent
and WIN $10,000 for Rikki’s Refuge
click VINCENT to vote
Twisty and Scruffy are asking for votes in photo contests also
click on their photos to vote (please vote for both, they are in different contests)
Round the Refuge
Here’s what Rene gave Vincent for Valentines!
Actually she gave them to all the kitties. She’s now completed a full compliment of warm cozy kitty nesting boxes. Each cat house has four boxes! that was a big and long project. Thank you Rene.
Behind the scenes. Sometimes Vincent does get up on the wrong side of the bed.
"Hisssss leave me alone! I was sleeping!!!
This wonderful spring weather is feeling great, isn’t it? Sure hope you can come out to visit over the weekend. Melissa says the colors re just as lovely around Rikki’s Refuge in Spring as they are in the Fall. Here’s what she found last weekend!!!
Oh yes!! Spring is in the air!! Just ask the birds!!
Come on out this weekend for Volunteer Training - see the schedule further down in Upcoming Events.
Cuz The Animals Matter
Baby Face’s Family Rehomed Together
You may remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned a feral kitty who came from a Speuter Clinic that does side spays, and that they shaved almost half the cat just so they could cut an itty bitty one-inch hole. We were concerned about what to do, because this is like taking away half of your long underwear, and still expecting you to play outside.
She was supposed to move into one of our Cat Runs, which has a lot of protection, but does not have additional climate control. You have to have your winter coat live there. She did, until so much of it was shaved off. Now what to do?
A feral kitty would be terribly miserable having to live in a cage until spring. But letting her go out to a cat run with other feral friends, might make her sick with so much for missing. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
But she solved the problem all by herself. She's not feral after all!. She was just a poor scared kitty who walked into a trap. And now she loves to be held and snuggled. She's a little girl, probably only six or seven months old.
Anne comes to wash dishes at least one day a week, and she loves to play with the kitties in the quarantine room, which is where dishes get washed. She started playing with Baby Face, and they both fell in love. Soon Baby Face’s dad and sister were trapped too.
Baby Face, her sister and her dad have gone home to live with Anne. And they are all very very happy!!!
Bitey becomes Betty
Kenobi’s Dining Habits Solved
Kenobi eats so fast that she throws up. Always. We’ve found a way to solve that problem! We now put her food in this special ice cube tray. It’s got little itty bitty sections, so Kenobi has to work at getting it out. Now it takes her a long time to eat her breakfast and she has fun trying to get every last drop and she doesn’t throw up!
Meet Doggie Baby Girl
Beauty the Dog - Isn’t She Lovely?
Meet Walker, Rikki’s Alumni and Doggie Diplomat
We relied solely on your donations to save these animals.
Click to give others a chance. http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php
All donations are fully deductible. You can make checks to Rikkis Refuge, Po Box 1357, Orange Va 22960
Thank you for your kindness and your generosity.
Upcoming Events
SATURDAYS DONATION DROP OFF, noon - 2 pm, got something to drop off quick? The gates will be unlocked. No tour at this time, just drop off. Donation Drop Off will be available every Saturday from noon - 2 pm in 2011
SUNDAYS TOUR THE REFUGE - NOON, mini tour, take a walk around and see the animal neighborhoods. Every week on Sunday you can join a mini tour where you can walk around from animal neighborhood to neighborhood, from Piggy Paradise to Horsey Haven and see the animals. One tour only, starts at noon. Please be prompt.
Once a month, we’ll have an EXTENDED TOUR where you can visit the animals in their neighborhoods and have the chance to interact and give them treats. These tours also start promptly at noon, and there’s only one tour for the day, so please be prompt. 2/27, 3/27, 4/17, 5/22, 6/12, 7/4 Monday, 9/4 Monday, 10/31, 11/12 Saturday, 12/25
SATURDAYS ON OR BEFORE THE FULL MOON FULL MOON WALK, Bon Fire, vegan bbq, pot luck 2/19, 3/19, 4/16, 5/14, 6/11, 7/16, 8/13, 9/10, 10/8, 11/12, 12/10
2nd SATURDAY OF THE MONTH SINGLES DAY - 10 am - 4 pm
Something for everybody. Come and do a day of service at the refuge and meet like minded souls. The leader who puts together the biggest work party wins. 3/12, 4/9, 5/14, 6/11, 7/9, 8/13, 9/10, 10/8, 11/12, 12/10
NEXT TO LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH VOLUNTEER TRAIN BASIC 11 am- 3 pm, Learn the basics about volunteering at Rikki’s Refuge. Help with donation logging, washing dishes and liter boxes, socializing the animals and much more. 2/19, 3/19, 4/23, 5/21, 6/18, 7/23, 8/20, 9/17, 10/22, 11/19, 12/24
LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH VOLUNTEER TRAIN SELF SERVICE 8 am - 1 pm, Learn to earn your Self Service Volunteer Badge. 2/26, 3/26, 4/30, 5/28, 6/25, 7/30, 8/27, 9/24, 10/29, 11/26, 12/31
LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH SPIRITUAL GROWTH NIGHT, last Saturday of the month, come and join is in a discussion / study of what ever feels right tonight, as we reach for our highest spiritual goal, who knows where these discussions may take us. Bring something for a Vegan Pot Luck Dinner. Call for time and study plan.
2/26, 3/26, 4/30, 5/28, 6/25, 7/30, 8/27, 9/24, 10/29, 11/26, 12/31
SATURDAY February 19, 11 am - 3 pm PICK YOU SPECIES - bring something special for them and help make their neighborhood extra special.
SUNDAY February 20, 11 am - 3 pm POPCORN DAY - On February 22 back in 1630, the Indians introduced the Pilgrims to popcorn. Today we honor the natives of Rikki's by offering them popcorn, fruits and nuts. Bring yummies for the wild ones. We'll take a walk and scatter them for the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, possums, raccoons and all the small forest animals.
MONDAY February 21, 11 am - 3 pm PRESIDENT'S DAY - make the animals feel like kings! Bring delicious food, warm bedding and help us make them comfortable for the winter.
MONDAY February 21, 11 am - 3 pm BIRDHOUSES AND MORE - Build birdhouses and other habitats for wildlife.
SATURDAY February 26, 11 am - 3 pm RABBIT & PIG MUCK OUT DAY - Rake out the old straw and bedding and give them fresh, a chance to socialize and feel their appreciation for a new clean home.
SUNDAY February 27, 2 pm WORLD DAY OF PRAYER - Join us at 2 pm for a prayer and meditation for all of the worlds creatures. Speakers welcome. RSVP early.
Sneak Peek at
Vincent’s Shopping List
What he NEEDS this week
Donation Drop off Noon - 2 pm every Saturday !!!
Canned Cat Food - this will almost always be at the top of the list in the winter time. Stock up when you get a chance or see a sale!
We’re not desperate (i.e. we have about a week’s supply) for dry cat food BUT I hear PetSmart will have Cat Chow on sale for $10 on Feb. 18-21 - so watch out and buy an extra bag or two for Rikki’s. It’s a great time to use your coupons too.
We still need canned dog food too.
And lumber - 130 2x4 x 14+ foot pressure treated boards and 130 4x4 x 12 foot pressure treated boards.
Garden hoses for getting water to the animal areas - also straight nozzles - something that will fit thru a 2 inch x 2 inch opening so they slide into the fenced areas easy.
Can Openers. Manual one, anything but a great commercial one would burn out in just a couple weeks here. The best ones we’ve had lately “Good Grip” - that’s what it says on the opener. They lasted several months. The $1-$3 ones at the dollar stores usually don’t make it thru a case before they aren’t working. We’re cranking as much as 400 cans a day!!!
We need cash to pay the propane bill.
How to Get FREE Product for Rikki’s
Autumn-Sky brought dishwashing liquid she got for FREE. You can do that too. Want to know her secret?? She had a coupon for 50 cents off. The store was having a Double your Coupons. She found a little bottle for 99 cents that qualified. So with the coupon it was free!!! She had several coupons so was able to get a whole bag full of bottles!!! That’s a lot of dishes we can wash.
And it’s not just dishwashing liquid you can get for free. Save those coupons, watch the sales, wait for double your coupon and WHAM you can get all kinds of things for free. Cat food, dog food, bleach, dishwashing liquid, floor cleaners, laundry detergent, trash bags, paper towels, spray bottles (best way to buy them is with product in them).
Thank you for your love and support.
Together we’re making a marvelous difference!!!
LOVE,
VINCENT
February 14, 2011
PS: Please help me, I’ll try anything to keep the Refuge Running. I need your continued support.
The Fine Print
Rikki's Refuge in Orange County, Virginia, is a 367-acre, no-kill, all species, peaceful sanctuary supported solely by donations from kind and loving individuals just like you! We help farm animals, domestic animals, and wildlife. Over 1200 individuals of 22 different species now reside at Rikki's Refuge. Please continue to help us help the animals. To learn more about Rikki's Refuge go to http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/, http://www.rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/, and http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge .
We survive on donations from kind and loving people, just like you. We live on a shoestring and make it on less than one dollar per day, per animal. So if you can spare a couple of bucks to buy a few meals, please go to http://www.paypal.com/ and use our email address of mail@rikkisrefuge.org . We do accept checks, money orders, cash and stuff, too! Thanks for your support. Rikki's Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Your donations directly support the Critters of Rikki’s Refuge. Rikki's Refuge is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc., an IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Virginia Corporation. Federal Tax-ID 54-1911042. We hold membership in all Combined Federal Campaigns in Virginia #77674, Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign #3163, PetsMart Charities #1377, iGive, Benevolink, paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org), your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs.
