Sunday, December 18, 2011

December 18, 2011


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 
You can make Duke’s and Vincent’s job easier  http://bit.ly/BeMyHero

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. 


Just like Little Timmy in the Christmas Picture with me.
Merry Christmas and thank you so much for the gift of Timmy’s life!!!!   That’s the best gift you could give him and me !!!!  Timmy is going to work with me in humane education.  He can tell you how urgent the need is to educate folks!

When Little Timmy was about a month old, somebody driving down the street in Winchester, VA, USA, saw him “fall” our of the window of a moving vehicle.  Yes, right there, into traffic.  Ouch.  Little Timmy was hurt real bad.  The nice person who saw this, rushed to help him.  So worried about this poor little kitten, she didn’t think to catch a license plate number.

She rushed Little Timmy to the closest vet who immediately started saving his life.  He was very badly bumped and bruised and cut up.  No bones were broken.  Though the swelling from spinal injuries made him unable to use his hind legs.  The doctor there worked on Timmy and healed up all the wounds.  But Timmy’s hind legs still didn’t work.

Rikki’s board member Ken Lickliter works at this vet clinic, and when he saw that Timmy was no longer improving he knew there were two things left to do.  Both were at Rikki’s Refuge, and so he called, and Little Timmy came for a visit. 

The plan was that Rikki’s would do physical therapy with Little Timmy for a few weeks and see how much improvement could be made.  If he was able to walk he’d get adopted.

And the fall back plan was that if he couldn’t he’d become Vincent’s sidekick!!  He’s travel alongside Vincent and teach kindness and humane education!! 

Who better to do that, than someone who’d needed so much help and kindness from loving people just like you !!!!

Thank you for Timmy’s Christmas Gift !  It’s thru your kind and generous donations that we are able to save animals like Timmy and give them a wonderful, enriching and loving home forever!

Please help us help others during this holiday season.


Timmy, doing one of his favorite activities!
Helping Mary Walker with the mail,
and hoping to find a Christmas Card from YOU!!!


Physical therapy with Velcro!
No better exercise for those hind legs!
Timmy can now make it up to the first rung
of Snicker’s ladder to HER loft. 
Snickers is not amused!




Would you help Sandy Claws come to Rikki's Refuge?
We have a wonderful opportunity and our time is running out!
A fabulous friend and volunteer and donor has put a $10,000
DOUBLE YOUR DONATIONS challenge on the table.
Can we do it by the December 20th deadline?
We’re almost there!  With your help we can make it!


Or jump right in with your donation!  http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/Vincent/sandyclaws

Remember your donation gets DOUBLED!!

Thank you !!!!!


Click to open your Christmas Card!


Thank YOU Winners! 
Fancy Feast and Shelter Challenge

Everyone of you on TEAM VINCENT is a great big tremendous wonderful winner!!!!!

YOU won the Fancy Feast contest!!!!!   By two points!!!!  That means each and everyone of you was vitally important!!!  Yes it does!!!  And I love each and every one of you!!!



Learn More about what you won for Rikki’s!  http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2011/12/thank-you-winners.html



Holiday Happenings
Everything you need to know and what to do at Rikki’s Refuge over the holidays !!!  Sunday Tour, Christmas Tour, Donation Drop Off, New Year’s Day Tour, New Year’s Day Nature Hike ....  read all about it !!!



Pet Pictures with Santa
And a special picture time with Vincent ...



Beautiful Christmas Quilt


Get your raffle tickets in person at Rikki’s Refuge or click on the quilt to buy them on line!  All tickets will be turned into food for the animals!  Drawing 2 pm Christmas Day, you do not need be present to win.  But we’d love to see you on Christmas!




Letter from St. Vince or St. Duke

Wowser! I just heard from Santa!

It seems he and the elves are so busy getting ready for Christmas that he needs
help responding to Christmas letters and he’s asked me and Duke to help. 

Do you know someone who
would like to get a Christmas letter from me or Duke? 




Great Gift for Friends with Diabetic Pets!!!



Angel Trees 2011




Going great again this year, thank you Katarina Galvin!!!
We have trees up in many stores where you can pick an animal ornament and buy a present for one of us!! Leave it under the tree and our volunteers are running around filling their sacks and bringing the goodies out to us at Rikki’s Refuge.

Grab some goodies and put it under one of our Tree!!!!

Here’s where you can find trees and learn more about this program! http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2011/12/angel-trees-2011.html








Vincent!!!   
What are you up to now?
Watch Vincent get all “wrapped up” about Wrapping for Rikki’s !!!!!

and learn how you can help earn donations for Rikki’s Refuge by wrapping gifts!!!




We Know Vincent will do about anything
to take care of his friends at Rikki’s
....... Look at what his friends are doing!!!

I’m sure you know all too well these days how difficult things can be.  When making your own ends meet, how do you reach out and help others?  The tougher the times ... the more creative the friends get!!! 

Jayne a friend of Vincent’s on Facebook, lives in Birmingham, United Kingdom and writes in: I wanted to do something special for the animals. I used to do so much when I was able. I’m no longer able to do these things as my health doesn’t allow me to. 

I know its hard deciding who to help, but I have to narrow it down Rikki`s Refuge and My Local Birmingham Dogs home. Rikki`s care for SO MANY animals, it must cost a fortune to feed them everyday, vet bills, upkeep of the refuge itself, etc., etc.  As im sure many of you have seen its a tough time at the refuge right now so naturally I felt like I had to help.

Paul and I sat discussing how we could help and we came up with the idea of me having my head shaved as a fundraiser.  So Im hosting a Christmas Party on the 22nd (please see link below) and we will do the shave via video on that day during the party itself.

I know with Christmas being just a few weeks away money is tight but all we are asking for is a dollar or two off everyone. Just think how quickly that will add up. Of course you can donate more if you want too.

So as well as joining in the fun watching me have my hair shaved you also know that you are helping animals.

The link for the chip in below also!

Lets make this a Very Merry Christmas for all the animals and staff at Rikkis Refuge and Birmingham Dogs Home. All monies raised will be split equally. Paul will actually take me to the Dogs Home to give them the money personally so we can take lots of photographs :) And Vincent Cat and Rikkis Refuge money will be transferred to him on the same day. And please dont worry about me i have plenty of hats :) :) :) :) Thank you, Jayne

Sponsored Head Shave for Rikkis Refuge and Birmingham Dogs Home

Best Christmas Party On Facebook

Chip In




Ornament Auction  
Closes at 8 pm eastern USA Sunday 12/18


28 Days of Christmas ...
Rikki's Style ....
On the first day of Christmas,
Look what they brought to Rikki's,
a Chukar in a Cherry Tree,

on the Second Day of ......





Thank you for your love and support. 
Together we’re making a marvelous difference!!!

LOVE,
VINCENT
December 18, 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.

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. 




Ornament Auction


 
Cat and Dog Ornaments QUICK AUCTION
This is a super quick 24 hour, five item, auction to raise money to buy Christmas goodies for the animals of Rikki’s Refuge!

Bids open NOW! Auction closes promptly at 8 pm eastern USA Sunday December 18.

Payment thru http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php using paypal or credit card, ONLY. No time for reminders to pay! Check the listing to see if you won and make payment within 24 hours!! Winning bids not paid for in 24 hours (by 8 pm eastern USA Monday December 19) are forfeited.



To see the full album of available items click here:

How to bid - To place a bid, enter the amount you are bidding under the photo of the item, as a comment. Do not place a bid here, on the album cover page. Place your bid under the individual pictures in the album!  This auction is taking place only on facebook - it’s free and quick to set up, if you don’t have an account.  Or ask me and if I’m on line I’ll help you!

Good luck !!!

Love, Vincent

Wrapping for Rikki’s




We'll be wrapping for Rikki's at Barnes & Noble Seven Corners, Falls Church, VA, USA on Wednesday & Thursday, December 21 & 22, from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM. We need help! If you can do a 2 or 3 hour shift helping us wrap during those times, please email Fred at fred@z9a.com


And in Charlottesville, VA, USA, Monday December 19th from 5 pm till 9 pm and again Friday December 23rd from 9 am till 1 pm. We need help! If you can do a 2 or 3 hour shift helping us wrap during those times, please email Ron at topcat@cstone.net

ALSO, stop in to get YOUR gifts wrapped !!!!!  

This is a wonderful fundraiser!!!  Volunteers have no poo to clean up, it’s warm and there’s no snow in the store!  You can contact your local Barnes & Noble and set up a date to wrap for Rikki’s too!!!   This is a way you can help the animals of Rikki’s Refuge no matter where in the USA you are!!!

Thank you, and much love ... Vincent






Merry Christmas from Rikki’s Refuge