RIKKI’S REFUGE
HAIRBALLS AND HAPPY TAILS
The newsletter of thanks from grateful animals
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!
Do YOU know what April is?
Good News Round the Refuge
Hurray ! Your Clicks Really Count !
Winners in the Bissell Photo Contest
Cat House Roofs are well Underway
Rabbit Rotunda Two Roof
Thief is Sentenced to 10 Years
March Madness, Filled the Pantry
Tribute to Rachel
It’s Spring - Again
Culpeper Pharmacy
Over the River and Thru the Woods
Fiddler in a Box
Want to Keep up with the Good New Every Day?
Animal Artists
Meet Mystique the Kitty Artist
Easter Egg necklace, "pawtographed" by Rikki's Mystique
YOU can be an Animal Artist Assistant
At Rikki’s, Size Doesn’t Matter
From Guinea Pigs to Cows
Bunny Bonanza - April 16th - 1 - 5 pm
Lena’s Shopping List
Viral Videos Make Money
Help Vincent go Viral
Help me spread this about!!!
Tractor Supply Outing, April 9th, 9 am - 2 pm
Waugh Harley Dealer Pet Days, April 16th, 9 am - 4 pm
May 21st - Yard Sale
Too Hot For Spot
Business Opportunity?
More Voting?
Another Chance to WIN
And Another - Vote Walkie Way
Live on Video
Meet some of our residents in action!
Are you missing a Pill Popper?
Great New Nums Nums in Orange County
Do YOU Dine at Red Lobster?
Will Pigs Drink Soy Milk?
Prince the Abandoned Piggy Grows Up
This Little Piggy Needs a Home
Upcoming Events
Take a look at some of our ebay items!!
Could we ask you for a little help?
Thank you for your love and support.
Together we’re making a marvelous difference!!!
Without YOU, I’d be alone and cold, living in an igloo in Siberia.
Thank you for paying my rent at Rikki’s Refuge.
The Fine Print
Do YOU know what April is?
April is the Official Cats vs Dogs Month!!!
Who will Rule the Refuge for the Next Year??
Vincent and the Cats
or
Duke and the Dogs?
Is it Cats Rule and Dogs Drool?
or
Is it Dogs Rule and Cats Drool?
It’s Up to YOU !!!
Your votes will be counted all month .... and at the end of the month, the winner - Vincent and the Cats or Duke and the Dogs - will be announced and crowned the Ruler of the Refuge.
You’ve always voted ME, Vincent, and the Cats in, forever and ever!! I RULE not DROOL!! That’s really important, right?
I love you and I work hard to make you happy and to make you smile! That’s really important, right?
You love me and want to see me happy .... right?
Please Vote Vincent and keep me in place as Refuge Ruler !
I can count on you to do it again this year .... can’t I ?
Be sure to select Vote Vincent as Ruler of the Refuge
or
if you don’t love me you can select Vote Duke as Ruler of the Refuge
Where do YOUR loyalties lie?
Who will you vote to Rule the Refuge for the next year? Vincent or Duke? Vincent promises Fancy Feast in every dish! Duke promises peace and love! Put your money where your mouth is, designate your donation for Vincent (by selecting Vote Vincent as Ruler of the Refuge) or Duke (by selecting Vote Duke as Ruler of the Refuge), http://bit.ly/VoteCatsVsDogs! YES, for the undecided 50/50, is acceptable!
Give 25 or more votes to Vincent and get either a coupon for $3 off Arm & Hammer Clumping litter (expires 12/31/11) or a coupon for buy one/get one free Whiskas tray (expires 11/30/11) - be sure to tell us which you’d prefer.
Give 25 or more votes to Duke and get either a coupon good for $3 off 8.8 lb or larger bag of Pedigree dry (expires 9/30/11) or a coupon good for $2 off Pedigree Little Champions Pouch Variety Pack (expires 9/30/11) or a coupon good for $1 off Pedigree Good Bites treats (expires 9/30/11) - be sure to tell us which you’d prefer.
Of course, while supplies lasts, and all those other fine print kind of terms!
Good News Round the Refuge
Hurray ! Your Clicks Really Count !
Click to Vote and just watch those clicks turn into $s.
THANK YOU for voting for Rikki’s Refuge at the Animal Rescue Site’s Shelter Challenge. Because YOU voted so hard, YOU won $1,000 for Rikki’s Refuge!!! Happy News, Happy Dance !!!!
It only costs $1 per day per animal to run Rikki's Refuge. Pretty amazing huh??? I think we do the most on the least budget of any animal place ever. With 1259 animals, this will feed and care for everybody for most of a day!!!!
We are a no-kill, multi species, sanctuary housing 1259 critters each and every day and we feed & love every one every day. We so much need $s to care for our animals, you know how tough the economy is, donations are down, we need to make it up in prize winnings
Please, please help us, and all animals, in these contests where companies are giving away the money - it’s easier to click and vote than to click a pen and write a check !!! Your votes DO COUNT. They COUNT BIG TIME.
Check http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2011/02/vote-for-animals.html from time to time to keep up on the various contests we’ve entered to win money!! These contest are free for us to enter and free for you to click and vote on. We will never suggest that you enter or vote for any contest that would cost you money or have any other consequences unless we have warned you up front before you click.
Winners in the Bissell Photo Contest
both Vincent
and Duke
came in second place in their weeks. Each received a $25 gift Visa card to buy food! This also puts them in the finals! If Bissell picks one or both of them, they’ll win $10,000 for Rikki’s Refuge.
Duke has already won free publicity for Rikki’s Refuge. The Central Virginia Paper has picked up the story of his win and will be interviewing him soon !!
Thank YOU for making this happen!
Cat House Roofs are well Underway
Thanks to all of you who contributed and thanks to Sedwick’s who gave us a wonderfully low bid on the materials and who delivered them FREE !!! Because of YOU, the cats will all be safe next winter during snow and ice storms!
Click here and scroll down to Live From Vincent Video to watch Vincent supervise the lumber delivery.
http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2011/03/good-morning-good-news-march-3-2011.html
Rabbit Rotunda Two Roof
A huge THANK YOU to Dave for months of hard work and donation of thousands of dollars of materials. Soon Rabbit Rotunda Two will be home to doves who’ve been living in a small cage, pigeons who’ll have lots of room to fly, rabbits and guinea pigs who’ve been on the waiting list begging to come live at Rikki’s Refuge.
The new roof structure is going up and YOU can be a part of it. Please come out Saturday and Sunday, April 2 and 3 to help out with the roofing. 8 am - 4 pm - providing it’s not raining! It is supposed to be warm and sunny --- you know you can’t resist helping the animals, come on out and lend a hand to save a paw!!! This is a great event for you to learn some serious building skills. Skills you can take home and use not only for animal enclosures but sheds, outbuildings, patios, etc.
Click here and scroll down to The Residents of Rabbit Rotunda to meet some of the Rabbits and Guinea Pigs and see them dining on fresh apples, oranges and parsley.
Thief is Sentenced to 10 Years
Finally it’s over! Remember the lady who stole our executive director’s ID and checks and credit cards back in October? She was sentenced to 9 years and 12 months of jail time to serve if she violates any terms of her probation in the next 5 years. These were the crimes she was convicted of:
FORGERY, felony, two years
UTTERING, felony, two years
OBTAINING MONEY THROUGH FALSE PRETENSE, felony, two years
IDENTITY THEFT, felony, one year
CREDIT CARD FRAUD, felony, two years
CREDIT CARD FRAUD, misdemeanor, 12 months
The commonwealth attorney said they were recommending such harsh punishment for a first time offender because she had done so much damage to Rikki’s Refuge, operated by good people doing good things!! Thank you, everyone who worked for many months on this case!
March Madness, Filled the Pantry
Thank you Jan for dreaming of the March Madness Fill the Pantry Contest! It was lots of fun, there were lots of wonderful participants, and it filled our pantry shelves! Congratulations to Jan who was the top winner!
Click here for all the details, participants and winners.
Tribute to Rachel
Rachel, one of the first residents of Rikki’s Refuge was elderly when she rescued in 1999. Adopted to a wonderful home in 2000, she lived a long and joyful life, repaying the kindness given to her with visits to nursing homes.
Click here and scroll down to Round the Refuge to read her story.
It’s Spring - Again
We were certainly having a wonderfully spectacular spring ... when winter came back! And now we’re getting another spring all over again! An extra beautiful season to enjoy. Thank you Mother Earth.
Culpeper Pharmacy
Culpeper Pharmacy is Good People doing Good Things. They work hard to get the best possible prices for Rikki’s Refuge on all our pharmaceutical needs. They are always helpful and wonderful. Doing research to help our animals and to help us save money. And at Christmas time, they made a wonderfully huge donation to help the animals. Thank you Bill and Gordon.
Click here to read the full story.
Over the River and Thru the Woods
Every few months Mike gets that much appreciated phone call from Purina’s packaging plant. He rushes out and rents a great big truck and heads off two states away. Then he arrives at Rikki’s Refuge with Christmas for the animals. Dog food, cat food, and treats - anything left over at the factory. Sometimes the items are not packaged right for resale, sometimes the expiration date is close, sometimes it was promotional or seasonal items that didn’t sell out. All the time it’s wonderful and delicious! Thank you Mike for those 11 hour days of driving and thank you Purina for caring about our animals.
Fiddler in a Box
Yesterday our new experimental kitty litter, Fiddler in a Box, arrived. Two whole pallets. We’ll be doing the very first test study ever in rooms A and B of the 9th Life Center. Did you guess what it’s made out of??? Nobody got it right yet!! Come on, give me your guess! Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org Thank you Robert, for letting the cats of Rikki’s Refuge be the first to test this product!
Want to Keep up with the Good New Every Day?
Just drop me a note Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org and I’ll be happy to give you a free subscription to Good Morning Good News. Published daily to make those of you who care about the animals smile and be happy, it’s Good News all the time! Fun things going on at the refuge, animal stories, meet the animals thru photos and videos as well as a place to share fun pictures and videos and happy stories. If you don’t get enough laughs and smiles in your day - it’s time to get your own subscription!
Animal Artists
I’ve been working for years to help the hoomans keep Rikki’s Refuge running. It’s good to get up in the morning and know I have a task that’s so worth while. Don’t you love knowing that your life matters to others? Well it’s important to us too. And so We’ve banded together with a new idea!
Animal Artists. We’re taking turns doing pieces of artwork that can be sold to raise funds for the refuge. Hey, I heard of an elephant who gets thousands for slashes of bright paint across canvas. Well some of us are really talented!!
Little Mystique is the first Animal Artist of Rikki’s Refuge I’d like to present to you.
Mystique is one of a litter of 5 who came to Rikki's Refuge. Only she and one of her brothers is still surviving. They have a genetic heart defect, and Mystique, at age 7 months, has lived far longer than anyone would have expected. She is petite for her age, but otherwise shows no hint of having a problem. Her brother, who is a black and white tuxedo, is the same. Mystique is one of the favorites at Rikki's, and likes to ride on the shoulders of Valerie, one of the employees at the Refuge. She will also volunteer to eat anyone's food, whether they want a volunteer or not. Heaven forbid that anyone is eating cheese -- Mystique won't beg, she will simply jump on the table and try to help herself!
Meet Mystique the Kitty Artist
Mystique has worked hard to create a line of lovely jewelry for Easter!! What a lovely gift for everyone on your list! Safe and durable, the recipient will remember you forever! Lovely to wear or hang in any setting. Each piece is purrsonally painted by the artist!!
Easter Egg necklace, "pawtographed" by Rikki's Mystique
Your choice of color (shown in pictures) of Easter Egg necklaces. The pendant is made from a 1 3/4" wooden egg, which has been painted either green, pink, peach, blue, yellow, or purple. Then, Mystique, a feline resident of Rikki's Refuge, added her paw print in black. I wrote her name, and Rikki's Refuge on the back of each. Then, a clear sealant was added. Each comes on a 26" ribbon, the color of which coordinates with the color of the egg. You choose the color of egg that you would like. I have 4 of each color, so you tell me how many of each color you would like. Colors may sell out fast, so act fast!
Proceeds from the sale of these necklaces will help Mystique and the other 1200+ animals at Rikki's.
Hurry, supply is limited, peach is sold out.
YOU can be an Animal Artist Assistant
Will be doing painting with the animals on Saturday, April 30. We have paints and canvases and picture mats and Christmas ornaments ready to go! Oh, and lots of paper towels! It's going to be messy, but fun. Wear your painting clothes and painting shoes, and let's paint with the animals! The chickens, the pigs, the goats, the dogs, the cats, the sheep, and India the cow! Let's find out how artistic they are! From 11:00 until we are done.
We will need 2 or 3 people to help with each animal that paints. We will also need a photographer to capture it all! Photos of the animal painting will help with making "certificates of authenticity" to go along with each painting.
We hope to have the paintings on display for sale at various locations, and will also sell them online.
Please RSVP to me, so that I will have an idea of how many supplies to bring.
Thanks!
Melissa Felts
dogslife24@comcast.net
PS: painting with the animals will be postponed in the event of rain on April 30th.
At Rikki’s, Size Doesn’t Matter
From Guinea Pigs to Cows
Click here and scroll down to Creature Feature to meet some of Rikki’s Refuge’s many happy residents.
Bunny Bonanza - April 16th - 1 - 5 pm
COME CELEBRATE SPRING WITH THE 1200+ ANIMALS
AT RIKKI’S REFUGE, ESPECIALLY THE BUNNIES!!
Admission is $3 in advance or $5 at the door per person.
Game booths with fun and exciting prizes for the kids.
Buy a tasty treat at our Bake Sale!!
Game Tickets 1 can of cat food each or $.50.
The Great Baldo Baldini will be performing his Magic Show!
Face Painting, Hair Coloring and Tattoos!
One of a Kind Easter Egg Hunt starts at 3:00 pm
Hint: Be prepared for lots of confetti and fun!
Rikki’s Own 5’ Tall Easter Bunny Will Be There for the Kids
All donations made at this event will go directly to care for the 1200+ animals at Rikki’s Refuge. Thank you for your generosity and see you there! For more info and to purchase your tickets please visit our website www.rikkisrefuge.org
We need Volunteers for the day, help with set up, clean up, bakers for the bake sale. Please contact Katarina katarinagalvin@yahoo.com if you'd like to help out or if you want more information about the event!!
Lena’s Shopping List
Do you know what the biggest and most often asked question I get is? What supplies to you need me to bring this weekend? Well here’s a bunch of stuff.
We always need wet cat food. Right now we have lots of dry that Purina donated. About 4 weeks full !!!!
Mary has alerted me to a great deal. Food Lion and must use your MVP card - if you don’t have one you can get one at customer service. The big bag of Purina Cat Chow for $8.99 this Friday, Sat. and Sunday; $9.99 the rest of the week (through 4-5-11) AND if you’re up to doing some shopping for Rikki’s Refuge - I have 11 $1 off coupons in the office - mix and match and that’s only $7.99 each for 11 bags of cat food!!!
We always need bleach, paper towels - DESPERATE THIS WEEK, laundry detergent, dish detergent, right now we need garden hoses and nozzles too and the little swimming pools - not for ME - they have the purrfect size at Dollar General for $8 right now.
We need alcohol, triple antibiotic ointment, vet wrap, super baby itty bitty preemie diapers for my sis Callie, dustpans, brooms, hoes that we use for pooper scoopers - a nice company gave us the container part.
Hmmmm let see, what else, stamps, HP in cartridge 56, spiral binders, chinchilla food and chinchilla dust bath, YES the Chinchilla Food is really important, we’ll be out by tomorrow.
Hmmmm fresh rabbit produce like carrots and spinach and oranges for the guinea pigs, that's all I can think of now but that's a big list to pick and choose from!!!!
Viral Videos Make Money
Help Vincent go Viral
Lena thinks I should be in the movies!!!!
Or is that the Moovies.....
And not the kind of show I had in mind!!!
Lena has a crazy idea!!! She says let's make “Vincent Taking a Shower” go viral !!!!
If we can get 1,000,000 viewers she will donate her paycheck!!!
This is embarrassing but let's go for it!!!
Her paycheck will buy lots of Fancy Feast!!!
to everybody you know and ask them to watch it and to send the link on.
When a video goes viral you get a lot of notice and that notice will be for Rikki’s Refuge. This brings in money in lots of different ways. You know how hard it is to make ends meet around here - so we’re doing crazy things to get money coming in from lots of different places!!!
Help me spread this about!!!
MUST CLICK OVER AND VIEW ON YOUTUBE
FOR THE VIEW TO COUNT
Tractor Supply Outing, April 9th, 9 am - 2 pm
Rikki’s Own 5’ Tall Easter Bunny Will Be There for the Kids from 11 am - 1 pm.
Meet the animals and have some fun!!
Too Hot for Spots safety thermometers will be on sale
Purchase pre event discount tickets for Bunny Bonanza!!
13226 James Madison Highway (Route 15), Orange, VA 22960 (540) 661-3525
Waugh Harley Dealer Pet Days, April 16th, 9 am - 4 pm
We’ll be attending again his year. It’s right down the street from Rikki’s, in Orange. The date conflicts with Bunny Bonanza so I’ll only be there in the morning since I promised to be at Bunny Bonanza in the afternoon. I’m trying to convince mom to let me “work” in the bunny pen. Heee hee hee. Lady Godiva has volunteered to be our spokes animal of the day.
Stop in and visit our display!!
385 Waugh Boulevard (and corner of route 20), Orange, VA 22960 (540) 672-5550
May 21st - Yard Sale
Community yard sale to benefit Rikki's Refuge will be held on Saturday, May 21, 8 am - 2 pm, at the West Stafford Ruritan building, Mountain View Road, Stafford (at intersection with Rock Hill Church Road), Virginia.
Donation drop-off days are all Saturdays, April 30, May 7, and May 14, hours are 9 am - 2 pm, at the West Stafford Ruritan building.
Items must be clean and in very good condition, and in good working order. Sorry, exercise equipment, large furniture items, mattresses or adult clothing will not be accepted. Sponsored by the West Stafford Ruritan Club.
For more information or to volunteer to help with this fundraising event contact Donna cairn993@comcast.net
Too Hot For Spot
We were blown away when we saw this product. Why had no one thought of it before? So obvious! So needed! It will save countless lives. Could it be for real? So we tested it, and tested it. And it’s wonderful! We’re now making it available to all pet owners! Check it out!!
This is one of those products you can’t believe hasn’t been on the market for years. Too good to be true. And only $12.90 including S&H. If that saves the life of just one dog it’s worth it many times over. We’ve tested it under different conditions and we’re convinced, it’s going to be the best life saving device in 2011. Check it out and tell us what you think? Too Hot For Spot - Safety Device
Our first shipment sold out almost instantly. We’ve just gotten some more in but have a limited supply, so if you want yours in time for summer, grab it now!!
Business Opportunity?
I’ve got a friend here in Orange, Virginia who wants to start a plant business. She’s got the know how and the entrepreneurship and she needs a partner and some equipment. Interested? Have a big wood chipper, band saw, wood mill and or 40-45 hp tractor you’d like partner with, sell or even give to somebody to start up a biz?? If so let me know and I’ll put you in touch!!! Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org
More Voting?
The Shelter Challenge voting starts up on Monday again!!!! My paws get tired of voting, how about you? But I always keep up the voting cuz I know how important it is. I have to stay on my toes - all four of them - to keep this refuge running!!! Yes siriiiee I do. And every penny we win is a great big hairy deal. So vote I will and I hope you’ll join me again, starting Monday!!! http://bit.ly/VoteVincent Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
Another Chance to WIN
Discount Pet Medication is having a contest and the groups with the most votes at the end of June will win some bucks!! It’s really simple, no signing up, just click and vote for Rikki’s Refuge and be sure to answer the question at the end of the page, something like what is 7 minus 4, they’re just checking it’s not automated votes.
Please ask everyone to vote for Rikki’s Refuge today and again in May and June. It’s only one vote per person per month!! Winning money is a great way for us to get help!!!
And Another - Vote Walkie Way
Then post to the wall "Rikki's Refuge, Virginia"
and we can win $$$$s WOW WEEEE
You can only vote ONCE !!!
Get your vote in before it fills up and it’s over.
The first 10,000 people can vote!!
Current entries 3,963
If 6,000 of you voted for Rikki’s Refuge
right now - we’d be the winners!!
$$$ This is really FREE MONEY $$$
Live on Video
Meet some of our residents in action!
Are you missing a Pill Popper?
A couple months ago I promised to send pill poppers to some of you. I have two on my desk so either I miscounted (easy to do with only three limbs and five on some and four on the other) or I missed two of you. If YOU were supposed to get one and didn’t - tell me now!!! Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org
Great New Nums Nums in Orange County
This is the best news ever in Orange County !!!!!
Delicious Vegetarian Platter - all organic, natural, way healthy eating!!!
Friends say the American side of the menu is just as good.
Nice setting, long late hours, fabulous owner and staff.
Internet Cafe & Wi-Fi available.
Please eat here every chance you get! Let's keep them in business!
Stay tuned in
we’re working on scheduling a Rikki’s Buffet Benefit
here in the very near future!
Do YOU Dine at Red Lobster?
Somebody sent us three cards for Red Lobster. Each one is $10 off if you are using your Discover Card to pay. One of them says $10 off two adult entrees, the others just say 410 off your meal. You have to use a Discover Card if you’re gonna get the $10 off your meal. You can only use one card per meal. I have three cards right here. Vincent hooked up the goat cart last night and made Nanny take him all the way to Fredericksburg cuz Red Lobster serves Fancy Feast on a platter. After being out in the cold and the rain for hours, the hoomans at Red Lobster turned him away. Some nonsense about not feeding cats! Who in their right mind would not feed a cat?
So who’ll give me a donation, no matter how small, as long as it covers my postage and a can of Fancy Feast for Vincent, and I’ll mail you these $10 off Red Lobster cards. Exp date is 4/29/11 so HURRY!! http://bit.ly/FeedVincent Good to the first three donors who mention the Red Lobster cards.
Will Pigs Drink Soy Milk?
Do you know what the most important part of taking care of the animals is??
It’s feeding them!!! So it’s a great big help when food gets donated. Donate your left overs, stale crackers, blemished fruit, day old bread. Ask businesses to donate to us too. Every time you’re in a store ask if they have any expired or nearly expired product, damaged product, broken bags, returned items. So much stuff is wasted and tossed out. That’s bad!! Collect it for the animals to eat - that’s GOOD !!!!!
Click here and scroll down to “Round the Refuge” to find out if Pigs Drink Soy Milk
Prince the Abandoned Piggy Grows Up
Remember little Prince? Rejected by his mother at birth. Raised by humans, then cats. Read his story of growing up at Rikki’s Refuge.
Click here and scroll to Round the Refuge
This Little Piggy Needs a Home
This little pink guy comes with a 100% guarantee that he will not grow any larger. Adorable, palm sized little piglet, absolutely guaranteed not to grow up and dismantle your home or yard. Little Paul is a very light eater so he won’t eat you out of house and home. Very well mannered and trained, Little Paul excels in sit and stay. Never has he pooped outside his little litter box and we guarantee he never will.
How often do you have the opportunity to adopt that purrfect pet! Guaranteed to never be sick. No vet bills - ever! Food bill virtually non-existent! Will never go outside the litter box - guaranteed! Will never grow, get sick, grow old, or die!!! The absolutely purrfect pet!!!
Available to YOU today!
Click on Paul’s photo above, the Purrfect Pig to Adopt! Adoption Fee will benefit Prince at Rikki’s Refuge.
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. 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
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. 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. 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. 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.
4/30, 5/28, 6/25, 7/30, 8/27, 9/24, 10/29, 11/26, 12/31
April 2, 2011 SATURDAY Rabbit Rotunda II Roof Raising - it’s a big project and we need your help to finish up!!! 8 am till 4 pm, please come and help out for a bit.
April 2, 2011 SATURDAY SILLY SPRING PHOTO CONTEST - Come with your camera and see who can get the best spring shots of the critters acting all silly and happy, finally glad to be warm again.
April 3, 2011 SUNDAY Rabbit Rotunda II Roof Raising - it’s a big project and we need your help to finish up!!! 8 am till 4 pm, please come and help out for a bit.
April 3, 2011 SUNDAY Warming up for Spring, help the animals get ready for the season change
April 9, 2011 SATURDAY Orange Tractor Supply Outing 9 am - 2 pm - come visit us or volunteer to help us out. Meet the animals and have some fun!! Too Hot for Spots safety thermometers will be on sale, purchase pre event discount tickets for Bunny Bonanza!! Rikki’s Own 5’ Tall Easter Bunny Will Be There for the Kids from 11 am - 1 pm. 13226 James Madison Highway (Route 15), Orange, VA 22960 (540) 661-3525
April 9, 2011 SATURDAY DADS & DAUGHTERS DAY - come out as a team and see how much you can accomplish in one day. Who can do more? Moms and Daughters? Dads and Sons? Moms and Sons? Or Dads and Daughters?
April 10, 2011 SUNDAY Honey Do Day - a little bit of this and a little bit of that, no matter what your talents we can use you!
April 16, 2011 SATURDAY Bunny Bonanza 1 pm - 5 pm http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2011/03/bunny-bonanza-april-16th.html We need Volunteers for the day, help with set up, clean up, bakers for the bake sale. Please contact Katarina katarinagalvin@yahoo.com if you'd like to help out or if you want more information about the event!! Admission is $3 in advance or $5 at the door per person. Game booths with fun and exciting prizes for the kids. Buy a tasty treat at our Bake Sale!! Game Tickets 1 can of cat food each or $.50. The Great Baldo Baldini will be performing his Magic Show! COME CELEBRATE SPRING WITH THE 1200+ ANIMALS AT RIKKI’S REFUGE, ESPECIALLY THE BUNNIES!! Face Painting, Hair Coloring and Tattoos! One of a Kind Easter Egg Hunt starts at 3:00 Hint: Be prepared for lots of confetti and fun! Donations made at this event will go directly to care for the 1200+ animals at Rikki’s Refuge. Thank you for your generosity and see you there! For more info and to purchase your tickets please visit our website www.rikkisrefuge.org or call 540-854-0870 x3, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan, Va 22733. This is an outdoor event don’t forget to dress for the weather!! Rikki’s Own 5’ Tall Easter Bunny Will Be There for the Kids.
April 16, 2011 SATURDAY Waugh Harley Pet Day 9 am - 4 pm - come visit us or volunteer to help us out. Meet the animals and have some fun!! Too Hot for Spots safety thermometers will be on sale, stop by in the morning so you can make Bunny Bonanza in the afternoon!
April 17, 2011 SUNDAY DOG DAY CHANGING OF SEASON - Clean out the winter bedding and prepare for the warm weather.
April 23, 2011 SATURDAY EARTH DAY GARDENING - Pick a garden spot you can call your own and cultivate it into everlasting beauty. Grow a beautiful display of flowers, maybe one aimed at attracting butterflies or bees or birds. How about a rock garden? Veggies for the critters? We need to plant trees and ivy and grape arbors for future shade. What ever you like to grow - would like to grow at Rikki's! How about stopping by your favorite nursery and asking them to donate a plant or tree or shrub or some flowers or seeds for the refuge?
April 23, 2011 SATURDAY RABBIT & GUINEA PIG BIRTHDAY PARTY - Celebrate for all the rabbits, help beautify Rabbit Rotunda - paint the rabbit house, bring a small can of your favorite color and a brush, donate or transplant a bush or tree or even a berry bush, build shade areas, donate and plant ivy or grape vines for natural shade cover, use your imagination and do something great for the rabbits.
April 24, 2011 SUNDAY Easter Sunday - special treats for bunnies and chicks and all their friends, help give them fresh bedding
April 24, 2011 SUNDAY MOMS & DAUGHTERS DAY - come out as a team and see how much you can accomplish in one day. Who can do more? Moms and Daughters? Dads and Sons? Moms and Sons? Or Dads and Daughters?
April 24, 2011 SUNDAY PHOTO CONTEST DAY - in honor of the first Polaroid camera being sold
April 21, 1948, come and get your best shot of your favorite critter - winner's photo on the web.
April 30, 2011 SATURDAY CAT DAY CHANGING OF SEASON - Clean out the winter bedding and prepare for the warm weather.
April 30, 2011 SATURDAY NATIONAL ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING - Donate or dig up and transplant a tree to provide future shade for the animals. We have plenty of small trees at the wood line that would love to be relocated. Bring just yourself and work gloves, we have the shovels.
April 30, 2011 SATURDAY BE AN ANIMAL ARTIST ASSISTANT - doing painting with the animals. We have paints and canvases and picture mats and Christmas ornaments ready to go! Oh, and lots of paper towels! It's going to be messy, but fun. Wear your painting clothes and painting shoes, and let's paint with the animals! The chickens, the pigs, the goats, the dogs, the cats, the sheep, and India the cow! Let's find out how artistic they are! From 11:00 until we are done. We need 2 or 3 people to help with each animal that paints. We will also need a photographer to capture it all! Photos of the animal painting will help with making "certificates of authenticity" to go along with each painting. We hope to have the paintings on display for sale at various locations, and will also sell them online. Please RSVP to me, so that I will have an idea of how many supplies to bring. Melissa Felts dogslife24@comcast.net PS: painting with the animals will be postponed in the event of rain on April 30th.
April 30, May 7 and May 14, 2011 SATURDAY DROP OFF ITEMS FOR THE YARD SALE - Community yard sale to benefit Rikki's Refuge will be held on Saturday, May 21, 8 am - 2 pm, at the West Stafford Ruritan building, Mountain View Road, Stafford (at intersection with Rock Hill Church Road), Virginia. Donation drop-off days are all Saturdays, April 30, May 7, and May 14, hours are 9 am - 2 pm, at the West Stafford Ruritan building. Items must be clean and in very good condition, and in good working order. Sorry, exercise equipment, large furniture items, mattresses or adult clothing will not be accepted. Sponsored by the West Stafford Ruritan Club.
May 21, 2011 SATURDAY YARD SALE - Community yard sale to benefit Rikki's Refuge will be held on Saturday, May 21, 8 am - 2 pm, at the West Stafford Ruritan building, Mountain View Road, Stafford (at intersection with Rock Hill Church Road), Virginia. Donation drop-off days are all Saturdays, April 30, May 7, and May 14, hours are 9 am - 2 pm, at the West Stafford Ruritan building. Items must be clean and in very good condition, and in good working order. Sorry, exercise equipment, large furniture items, mattresses or adult clothing will not be accepted. Sponsored by the West Stafford Ruritan Club.
Take a look at some of our ebay items!!
Could we ask you for a little help?
It takes a lot of hard work to provide for the needs of 1259 animals every single day. No matter what they need. A clean house, food, bowls washed, litter boxes scooped, floors scrubbed, medicines administered, veterinarian care, flea preventative, and lots of love. We work to provide this each and every day. We work in the rain and the snow and the heat. We work day and night. Our job is endless.
We ask you to help us care for the animals by providing the money that makes it possible. To put it simply, we cannot do it without you. We spend only $1 per day per animal. That seems so little. Yet with 1,259 animals, it becomes so much. Keeping up with the daily expenses is our hardest chore.
Please help us if you can. No donation is ever too small. Your dollar will care for one animal for a day. We need YOU. We need YOUR help.
Thank you for your love and support.
Together we’re making a marvelous difference!!!
LOVE,
VINCENT
April 2, 2011
PS: Please help me, I’ll try anything to keep the Refuge Running. I need your continued support.
Without YOU, I’d be alone and cold, living in an igloo in Siberia. Thank you for paying my rent at Rikki’s Refuge.
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.
If you know others who'd enjoy reading about the exciting adventures at Rikki's Refuge let me know and I'll be happy to include them. If you are one of those strange humans who does not wish to laugh and cry with us, simply reply with "REMOVE" and nothing but "REMOVE" in the subject line.
