Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 19, 2013



We are just popping with
            good news,
                        good donors,
                                    good volunteers, and
                                                GOOD ANIMALS !!!

I'm back !!!! I went to school this morning!!! Yup ... went with Lena and Melissa to teach dem kids some humane education !!! They was nice and humane to me and hugged me and loved me and gave me treats !!! My pal Gertie Priggy came too, she's a guinea pig. And Lena was telling the story about how her family dumped her at the pound cuz they didn't want her no more .... well guess what .... her little girl was there in that very school and said OH That's my guinea pig and she had pictures on her phone !!! So they got to do some kissing and love each other more. Tomorrow I getz to be on TV !!

Young Guinea pig in need of furrever home !!!!    Would YOU like to adopt?



Teach kindness everywhere you go
every living creature matters !


YEAHHHHHH The Deck on the office trailers just passed final inspection !!!!!!   Thank you Dennis and Spotsylvania County Schools REACH Program !!   Now it's time to get the electricity run over to them .... any nice electricians out there who'd like to help us ????


WOW .... a real genie pot !!!! And it's on ebay with proceeds going to Rikki's .... What are YOUR three wishes ? Would YOU like to see them come true? Will a nice genie come out if you stroke this pot and offer you three wishes? You all be very careful now .... wish wisely !!! Place your bid NOW to discover ... do genies convey with their pots on ebay??? I can't promise you'll get your three wishes if you win .... but I know you won't if you don't bid !!! So bid away !!!!!



THANK YOU my successful donors !!!  YOU won the whole jackpot on the Double Your Donation Challenge!!!  GOOD JOB !!!!


Let’s give a BIG HAND to Dennis and the REACH team at Spotsylvania High ... they recycle thru Terracycle for Rikki's and we just got a check that will cover four trips to the vet !!!! Yaaa hooo


I'd like you all to salute our wonderful volunteers who represented Rikki's Refuge at the Vegetarian Festival in Richmond Saturday .... lead by our fearless Events Leader Ron Herfurth .... thank you Melissa Felts, Donna Savory, Toni White, Grace White, Denise Leaghty Halderman, Diane Moore, Cynthia Wright, Walker Wright, Mariza Soliman, and Angela Soliman. That was the biggest team ever all working towards one common goal .... helping the animals of Rikki's ...

Your efforts will feed EVERY SINGLE resident, every one of the 1296 critters, every single one of the 22 species .... for a full day !!!! WOW

.... now if you'll please come out tomorrow and clean up the poop .....

Just kidding !!! YOU make the money, YOU feed the critters, we'll scoop the poop, well I'll instruct my hoomans to take care of it .....

Ron was on the look out for Kroger shoppers ..... if they get a Rikki’s Kroger Card ....  EVERY TIME they shop Kroger’s will make a donation to Rikki’s !!!   Is totally FREE to the shoppers !!!!   Here’s all the details http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2011/08/kroger-care-card.html

Come have fun with at volunteers at events !!!
They travel all over the state to tell people about Rikki’s Refuge, sell our tshirts, coffee and vegan chocolate !!!   Want some ... just ask !!!



How about a BIG HAND for Valerie from Brittany Commons at the Spotsylvania fairgrounds charity event Saturday !!! Thank you Nora Eldridge and Deb Barrett for telling Valerie about Rikki’s and for helping out.   They raised enough to buy flea drops for all the dogs and the cats of the 9th Life Center for a month !!!


Duke Thomas Peabody Celebrated his 7th Birthday
on Monday !!!!   Just click his pic if you’d like to send him a birthday present! 

Did you know Duke has his own stores??  Well maybe not a whole store .... but a booth at a mini-mall.

ANOTHER BIG HAND to Dennis and the REACH team at Spotsylvania High ... who run the booth at Minureman Minimall in Culpeper, the Duke Thomas Peabody Shop!

746 Germanna Hwy at the intersection of 29 and 3.   Stop in and visit us!!

Rikki's gets a check every month to help the doggies out !!!   They specialize in selling animal oriented things ... stop in and visit ... or let us know if you have items to donate !!!! Yaaa hooo



Hip Hip Hurrah for Buttons
He made it safely to Texas Sunday night.  He was living in a shelter in West Virginia.  His adoptor was in Texas.  It was going to take some time to arrange a volunteer train to get him home.  But the shelter said Buttons was out of time. 

So Buttons came to vacation at Rikki’s for a couple weeks while all the legs of his trip were filled with volunteers.  Bright and early Saturday morning .... he started his journey with his first driver.

One driver after another handed Buttons off for the next leg of his journey .....

And Sunday night he got to sleep in the arms of his new furrever mom !!! 


June is adopt a shelter cat month  --- have you gotten yours yet?

Buttons was adopted thru our Black Cat Appreciation Day.  Helping black cats the world over get out of shelters and into homes.  Learn what it’s all about  ... 76,000 people can’t be wrong ....

This poster is from another organization who’s joined our effort to dispel the myths about black cats and give them the chance to be adopted.  Since we starting this even two years ago, countless cats have been save  the world over.  Click on the kitties above to read all about this growing global phenomenon.


A big huge Thank you to Jan Chetnik for spreading the word about our need for supplies !!!  The quantity of food we go thru with 1300 animals, and the quantity of cleaning supplies would stun you !!!  Fill your car up ... and it will only last days !!  Not the year or two you’d expect.  And Jan knows this.  So she rounds up all her friends and co-workers to help out and buy supplies.  She even makes deals with stores just for Rikki’s!!!   360 Feed in Fredericksburg will sell 40# bags of cat food for only $21 if, and ONLY IF, you are donating it to Rikki’s Refuge.  You need a secret code to make that sale ... so ask us first !!!

When ever you shop let the store owner or manager know that you’re a part of Rikki’s and ask if they have any broken bags to give away, or they’d like to make a special deal!!  You’ll be surprised how often they want to help when you tell them about Rikki’s. 

Jan filled her car to the max and brought out the goodies on Monday.  Thank you Jan.   She also keeps an eye on collection cans in several stores and picks up the change ... which adds up ... and brings it out to Rikki’s.  Yippee.  That’s easy -- you can do that too -- make up a pretty jar and ask if you can put it at your favorite store.  Be sure to promise to come and collect the money every week or two !!!!

Thanks to you supply donors .... the pantry isn’t looking so bare !!!


Paws up to Deb Barrett who heard the plight of our pantry and began advertising for nums on facebook.  And to Wayne Morris who created one of those “a picture speaks a 1,000 words”
and to everyone who shared the photo and the donate site http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php and to everyone who donated .....  you’ve bought a pallet of cat food !!!! 



Up Close and Purrsonal - Visit the Neighborhoods of Rikki’s Refuge
Chicken City, Rabbit Rotunda, Cavy Castle, Pigeon Palace, Bovine Boulevard, Capri Corners, Horsey Haven,
Feline Fields, Piggy Paradise, Emu Estates, Doggy Downs, Turkey Terrace, and MORE ....
June 22, 2013 Saturday, tour at noon, Nature Hike at 2 pm
July 4, 2013 Thursday, tour at noon, Nature Hike at 2 pm


Tours are two hour, all outdoors, walking tour covering 2-3 miles and start at noon
Limited space on each tour so tickets must be reserved in advance
Reserve by email mail@RikkisRefuge.org or phone 540-854-0870 x3
The tour is an outdoor event, dress for the weather, and the animals (which means that for your safety, no sandals so your feet don’t get stomped by big hoofed animals, no short pants / dresses / skirts or bare shoulders so you don’t get scratched, no jewelry nothing shiny or dangly so the emus won’t injure you by grabbing)
Admission for Tour only is $12 per person, $5 for ages 12 and under!  If this is financially difficult for you let us know, Orange County residents may qualify for a scholarship. 

Nature Hikes take you thru the trails to discover who’s watching you from the thicks of the forest !!!   From birds to bears .... who you meet is different on every hike.  Some experts have recently been cataloging species of wildlife out there.  The last guy who spent the night camping out to learn who lurks in the darkness burst out of the woods around 2:45 am screaming about a giant creature chasing him.  The next day several experts went in to investigate .... they found no Bigfoot ... only some huge prints and other markings commonly found at Bigfoot sightings ... they are being investigated by a team now.

And in the meantime .... while we await the news ... will Rikki’s Refuge be adding their 23rd species, Bigfoot?

You can come explore the woods with us!  Our trails thru the woods are not like cultivated paths in a park!!  Expect to get snagged on pricker bushes and get your feet wet jumping stones or walking logs to get across creeks.  Lots of up hill ... and down hill hiking.  It’s relatively strenuous and we’ll be covering several miles.  Be sure to bring water.

Use the same dress code as for Tours, but add sturdy hiking boots !!!

Not suitable for little ones who’ll tire climbing the hills.  You know your kids better than we do, so you decide.  Please remember there is no way to get vehicles back into the woods, so if they tire, you’ll have to carry them!! 

Nature Hikes always start at 2 pm and run for two hours .... or until we find our way, a few times our hardy hiking guide has gotten lost and lead the troops out after about 4 hours !! 

Admission for Nature Hike only is $12 per person, $5 for ages 12 and under!  If this is financially difficult for you let us know, Orange County residents may qualify for a scholarship. 

Combine the Tour and the Hike for a special price, $20 for adults, $7.50 for those 12 and under.

Limited space, RSVP NOW by email mail@RikkisRefuge.org or phone 540-854-0870 x3
Tickets sales STOP 48 hours before event !!!!  So sign up NOW !!!!!




We never forget that YOU are our LIFE SAVERS ... our lives depend totally on your donations!!!

Love you bunches,
           Vincent and Opie



2013 is the Year of the Purr ....

Join the movement ... we’re adding purr to planet earth !
 Look! It's a great car magnet with the world's most loved cat -- Vincent Cat!!!!
"What Would Vincent Do?"
He'd "Purr More, Hiss Less".

Magnet is $5 each, plus shipping (65-cents for 1 magnet, $1.05 for 2 for U.S. addresses). For other shipping costs (international, or for more than 2 magnets) contact Melissa Felts dogslife24@comcast.net  with your zip code and how many you want.     Purchase your magnet TODAY right here http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php


Don't be the LAST person on your block
to have a PURR MORE HISS LESS magnet on your car!
Order YOURS today !!


Saturday, June 15, 2013

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 15, 2013

Randolf is Outraged !!!!
Do you know WHY Randolf R. Rooster is outraged?

Well you know about those nice sponsors who offered up a $15,590 DOUBLE YOUR DONATION challenge, right?    And so far we’ve collected $10,875 on the challenge.  AND the challenge is OVER at midnight TONIGHT !!!! 

And now our wonderful sponsors are flipping thru a cruize magazine right now .... thinking about what they'll do with their LEFT OVER CASH if they don't have to come clean on their $15,590 challenge ...

we have till midnight .... dollar for dollar ... they'll match donations .... Are we going to let them have a $4,715 VACATION ....

or will we make them FEED THE ANIMALS !!!

YOU decide their fate ....














click here for the animals ....                    or here all the hoomans can eat on a CRUISE ????



Watch YOUR donation get DOUBLED here: http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Thank you !!!


Shelter Challenge Voting
Please take a few seconds to vote today !!
Enter Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
The top FIVE shelters with the most votes by the 18th of June -- just 4 days -- will win $1,000
So please vote daily !!



Up Close and Purrsonal - Visit the Neighborhoods of Rikki’s Refuge
Chicken City, Rabbit Rotunda, Cavy Castle, Pigeon Palace, Bovine Boulevard, Capri Corners, Horsey Haven,
Feline Fields, Piggy Paradise, Emu Estates, Doggy Downs, Turkey Terrace, and MORE ....
June 22, 2013 Saturday, tour at noon, Nature Hike at 2 pm
July 4, 2013 Thursday, tour at noon, Nature Hike at 2 pm


are two hour, all outdoors, walking tour covering 2-3 miles and start at noon
Limited space on each tour so tickets must be reserved in advance
Reserve by email mail@RikkisRefuge.org or phone 540-854-0870 x3
The tour is an outdoor event, dress for the weather, and the animals (which means that for your safety, no sandals so your feet don’t get stomped by big hoofed animals, no short pants / dresses / skirts or bare shoulders so you don’t get scratched, no jewelry nothing shiny or dangly so the emus won’t injure you by grabbing)
Admission for Tour only is $12 per person, $5 for ages 12 and under!  If this is financially difficult for you let us know, Orange County residents may qualify for a scholarship. 

Nature Hikes take you thru the trails to discover who’s watching you from the thicks of the forest !!!   From birds to bears .... who you meet is different on every hike.  Some experts have recently been cataloging species of wildlife out there.  The last guy who spent the night camping out to learn who lurks in the darkness burst out of the woods around 2:45 am screaming about a giant creature chasing him.  The next day several experts went in to investigate .... they found no Bigfoot ... only some huge prints and other markings commonly found at Bigfoot sightings ... they are being investigated by a team now.

And in the meantime .... while we await the news ... will Rikki’s Refuge be adding their 23rd species, Bigfoot?

You can come explore the woods with us!  Our trails thru the woods are not like cultivated paths in a park!!  Expect to get snagged on pricker bushes and get your feet wet jumping stones or walking logs to get across creeks.  Lots of up hill ... and down hill hiking.  It’s relatively strenuous and we’ll be covering several miles.  Be sure to bring water.

Use the same dress code as for Tours, but add sturdy hiking boots !!!

Not suitable for little ones who’ll tire climbing the hills.  You know your kids better than we do, so you decide.  Please remember there is no way to get vehicles back into the woods, so if they tire, you’ll have to carry them!! 

Nature Hikes always start at 2 pm and run for two hours .... or until we find our way, a few times our hardy hiking guide has gotten lost and lead the troops out after about 4 hours !! 

Admission for Nature Hike only is $12 per person, $5 for ages 12 and under!  If this is financially difficult for you let us know, Orange County residents may qualify for a scholarship. 

Combine the Tour and the Hike for a special price, $20 for adults, $7.50 for those 12 and under.

Limited space, RSVP NOW by email mail@RikkisRefuge.org or phone 540-854-0870 x3
Tickets sales STOP 48 hours before event !!!!  So sign up NOW !!!!!





Please help us now and make a donation that will be matched dollar for double !!!

Love you bunches,
           Opie and Timmy

2013 is the Year of the Purr ....

Join the movement ... we’re adding purr to planet earth !
 Look! It's a great car magnet with the world's most loved cat -- Vincent Cat!!!!
"What Would Vincent Do?"
He'd "Purr More, Hiss Less".

Magnet is $5 each, plus shipping (65-cents for 1 magnet, $1.05 for 2 for U.S. addresses). For other shipping costs (international, or for more than 2 magnets) contact Melissa Felts dogslife24@comcast.net  with your zip code and how many you want.     Purchase your magnet TODAY right here http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php


Don't be the LAST person on your block
to have a PURR MORE HISS LESS magnet on your car!
Order YOURS today !!


Friday, June 14, 2013

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 14, 2013


                           Happy Flag Day to YOU !!!


URGENT    URGENT    URGENT   


My friends, I need your HELP.  Opie has been working.  He’s a good kid.  But he’s really let me down on this one.  Some wonderful donors put up a $15,590 DOUBLE YOUR DONATION challenge .....  and so far Opie has only raised $5,545.  Just over 1/3 of what’s needed.

This challenge MUST BE MET before midnight Saturday June 15th .... or IT’S GONE !!! 

That means .... for every dollar missing in the challenge we will lose two dollars ....  two dollars that could be put to great use all for the animals.

This is a real shame .... 

HELP ME make these good donors pay up !!!! 
                            DON’T LET ‘EM OFF THE HOOK !!!!

You can donate as little as $1 or enough to guarantee we meet that challenge !!!

My BELOVED FRIENDS Will you help me NOW?


can MAKE MY DREAMS COME TRUE !!!

Thank YOU !!!!
     With all my love,
       Vincent D. Cat



Meet one HAPPY bird !!!


Introducing Mr. Pitty Pat  !!!! 

Poor Mr. Pitty Pat, the swan, was shot and lost part of his wing.  He was rescued and had surgery and has recovered.  But he’ll never fly again.  He recently arrived at Rikki’s Refuge where he’ll live protected, for the rest of his life

Miss. Pitty Pat has lived here for years, as our solitary swan.  She was born with a defect in her wings and cannot fly.  She gets along with the geese and the ducks, but she’s never had a real bonded friend.

But when Mr. Pitty Pat arrived ....  it was like love at first site or like they'd known, and remembered each other from long, long ago.

They came from the same pond on a farm but 4 or 5 years apart. Miss Pitty Pat is THRILLED to have a friend of her own kind.

It’s so wonderful to see out animals not only protected and healthy, but happy too !!!!

Sometimes you’d just think this place was going to the birds !!!



This time - a Miniature Shelter Challenge
               But still the BIG bucks !!
Running for only a few days to test out the new and “improved” voting site .

It’s really changed!  But you still enter Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
The top FIVE shelters with the most votes by the 18th of June -- just 4 days -- will win $1,000
So please vote daily !!



The Girl Scouts ....
     Came .... and they Saw .... and they PAINTED !!!!










If you've got ANYTHING in your home
           that isn't SPEUTERED ....
there's no time like NOW to get it taken care of ... looking for low cost clinics ... we're teeming with them everywhere ... check our home page www.RikkisRefuge.org for a search, put in your zip and it'll turn up your closest ones ... no luck? Send an email to mail@RikkisRefuge.org and we'll do the research for you !!!! Hurry pick up the phone NOW and call your Speuter clinic for an appointment today !!!



From Nora ....
Hey, all you Rikki's supporters and animals lovers in the Fredericksburg / Spotsylvania / Stafford / King George / Caroline area - and beyond!

Check out the Fredericksburg Charity Event at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 15th - that's tomorrow!

My apartment complex, Brittany Commons, is participating and they have chosen Rikki's Refuge as their charity!!

How wonderful is that!!

There are terrific prizes, raffles and a dunk tank at the Brittany Commons booth. The very good sports on the maintenance team at Brittany Commons will be dunked!!

Proceeds go to Rikki's Refuge, so come on down and have some fun while you help the animals!!

Brittany Commons is a terrific apartment complex, a great place to live and they're animal-friendly! Go check them out!!

Fredericksburg Fairgrounds
2400 Airport Ave.
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
June 15, Saturday, 9 am




Meet Walker the Love Hound
            at the Richmond Vegetarian Festival ....

You’ll also get to meet several of our volunteers.  T-shirts, magnets and all kinds of good things will be on sale .....  and we’ve got something NEW and EXCITING this year we will be selling
VEGAN CHOCOLATE

Yes, you got that right !!!!   Incredibly hard to find, unbelievably delicious, and too fragile to ship .... so show up to get your taste !!!!   You’ll be saying Mmmmmmm all the way home !!!

Welcome to the Richmond Vegetarian Festival Website!
Saturday, June 15, 2013 - Noon to 6:00 pm
Azalea Gardens at Bryan Park




Can I ask you a VERY purrsonal question?
Do YOU like cats? 
   Do you LOVE cats?
      Are you just Crazy In Love with cats?

Then you belong in my Crazy Cat Club!!!
It’s free and soon you’ll be getting special Crazy Cat Lovers Special Deals !!!

Love us CATS ?    Join the CLUB !




Please help us now and make a donation that will be matched dollar for double !!!

Love you bunches,
           Vincent


2013 is the Year of the Purr ....

Join the movement ... we’re adding purr to planet earth !
 Look! It's a great car magnet with the world's most loved cat -- Vincent Cat!!!!
"What Would Vincent Do?"
He'd "Purr More, Hiss Less".

Magnet is $5 each, plus shipping (65-cents for 1 magnet, $1.05 for 2 for U.S. addresses). For other shipping costs (international, or for more than 2 magnets) contact Melissa Felts dogslife24@comcast.net  with your zip code and how many you want.     Purchase your magnet TODAY right here http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php


Don't be the LAST person on your block
to have a PURR MORE HISS LESS magnet on your car!
Order YOURS today !!


Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 4, 2013

 


I'd like you to meet Pepe ....

I know he’s little ... but he’s really a doggy, not a kitty !!!   We have big dogs and little dogs and black dogs and white dogs !!   

Mostly, we have old dogs!!

Pepe was once upon a time an active young energetic doggy who’s leap up to greet his owner and jump for joy at the thought of going for walks. 

As time wore on, Pepe’s owner got older ....  and so did Pepe.  The thing is, dogs get older quicker than people.  And sometimes people aren’t very nice to the older doggies.  If only they’d stop and think about when they get older .... do they want somebody to be nice to them?

Teaching love and compassion at home is where it all starts.  When you teach your kids to love and appreciate their grandparents and older neighbors and friends and older pets ... well you know .. it really pays off.  The kids who see their parents loving and respecting the old doggy or kitty are going to be the kids who grow up and love and respect their parents when they get old .... and you know ..  it just might come in handy !!!   So before you toss that old dog or cat out .... teaching your kids a very valuable lesson about our older citizens ....  think real hard and ask your self a few questions.  Am I going to get older?  Will I want to be tossed out like the trash?  Do I want my family to love and cherish me no matter how old I am?

Anyway ... Pepe and his owner got older, every day.  Pepe’s owner would come home and instead of jumping up to greet him, Pepe would look up from his comfy bed and smile and wag his tail.  When the owner would say, come on Pepe let’s go out for a walk ... instead of bounding up, Pepe would slowly get up and head for the door.

And so Pepe’s owner said, Hmmm well maybe I’ll just trade in the old dog for a younger one !  After all, his wife had done it last summer, when she ran off with that lifeguard.  So off to the pound they went. 

Pepe loved riding in the car !!!  And it was fun getting to meet all the other doggies at the pound.  But being locked up in a cage wasn’t fun.  And watching his beloved dad walk out with a young ball of fluff ....  well that really hurt.  Pepe howled and barked .... and his beloved owner never even looked back and waved.

The day turned to night ... and the night to day .... and still his owner never came back.  He was feeling sad and depressed.  People would come into the shelter looking for a new doggy to take home ....  Pepe would look up and wag his tail ... most of them would pass by and not even notice him ....  occasionally somebody would bend over and pet him and say, you poor old dog, what are you doing in a shelter?  And Pepe would say, I’ve been trying to figure that out myself, but you could fix it, you could take me home.  And he’d look at them with pleading eyes ... as they walked away and chose a young energetic pup to take home.

And then the day came when Pepe came to Rikki’s Refuge!!  His feet on the grass, marking tires, sniffing other doggies, nose kissing kitties and best of all ... a whole passel of hoomans to love him and fawn over him and to play when he felt like it and to let him nap when he felt like it. 

Naps on soft beds, naps with furry friends, naps in the sun ....  now THIS was the life !!!!

Pepe, at almost 21 years old, needed some pretty expensive eye surgery last week.  Some folks would have looked at him and looked at his age and said .... you know ... why not just put him to sleep ... I mean how much longer will he last ... a few months .. maybe a year .... is it worth it?

But at Rikki’s Refuge we look at things differently.  We look at the WHOLE doggy .. not just the “problem” part .... and what did we see ... a happy guy who loves to eat ... even if he is picky and has certain he holds out for ... a guy who loves walking around the farm ... a guy with friends ... a guy who wags his tail and ...  well a guy who really seems to be enjoying retirement life. 

So what did Rikki’s do?  Rikki’s said do the surgery and make our little Pepe feel better !!


And so that’s just what happened ... Pepe is now recovering very well from surgery .... 

And he’s just got one problem ...

He needs help paying his bill !!!!

Every dollar you donate to help Pepe ... will be DOUBLED ... every single dollar ....  so hurry and click right here to VANQUISH Pepe ‘s Vet Debt  http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php?purpose=Vanquishing%20the%20Vet%20Debt

Wonderful donors have put up a $15,590 DOUBLE YOUR DOLLAR challenge .... so far our wonderful friends have contributed $1,957.86 !!!!   Please help us make it to the double challenge and not lose any of that great big carrot they’re dangling for us !!!! 

Every dollar counts !!!! 

Please help out !!!



Lots of our dogs come to us because they are old .....

But not everybody !!! 

Juan came to us cuz he had too much energy.  He was left behind in a shelter by a family that said he was just out of hand.  Nope ... they’d never tried any training and they sure weren’t going to bother with that now !!!  Poor Juan.   And he went nuts in a small kennel at a shelter. 

Nobody wanted to take him out to play.  He was too rough and pulled too hard on the leash.  He jumped and he ran.  

Cooped up in a kennel, it didn’t take him long to develop kennel fatigue ....  he wasn’t going to make it ... he needed to go somewhere less stressful.

And so he came to Rikki’s Refuge.  Here he got to share a huge kennel, 20’ x 20’ with a couple friends and they’d get to go to the quarter acre playground to romp and run.  And Juan loved it.  hard working volunteers worked with him on leash and taught him some manners.

And guess what happened?


Here he is riding home to his new forever home !!!!!

Where I think he’s very very happy ....  what do you think?


Another doggy YOU saved !!!! 

Thank YOU Rikki’s supporters !!!!   YOU make it all possible !!!!   Without YOU, Pepe and Juan and all the others would never have had their second chance !!!!

Kick up your heals and dace for joy !!!!   YOU are saving so many lives !!!!


Isn’t it wonderful what we can do together? 

Please help us now and make a donation that will be matched dollar for double !!!

Love you bunches,
           Opie

2013 is the Year of the Purr ....

Join the movement ... we’re adding purr to planet earth !
 Look! It's a great car magnet with the world's most loved cat -- Vincent Cat!!!!
"What Would Vincent Do?"
He'd "Purr More, Hiss Less".

Magnet is $5 each, plus shipping (65-cents for 1 magnet, $1.05 for 2 for U.S. addresses). For other shipping costs (international, or for more than 2 magnets) contact Melissa Felts dogslife24@comcast.net  with your zip code and how many you want.     Purchase your magnet TODAY right here http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php


Don't be the LAST person on your block
to have a PURR MORE HISS LESS magnet on your car!
Order YOURS today !!


Monday, June 03, 2013

Good Morning Good News, June 3, 2013



Socrates here .... I'm Vincent's cousin and I live at Rikki's Refuge.

Vincent asked me to move in to help Opie run the Refuge.

Cousin Vinny was very talented. He could wear several hats at a time.

Opie's a good kid, but still young and inexperienced ... so I'm here to help out and to spread the word of the wise ....

Please .. please ... speuter EVERYBODY !!!

It's the single most important thing you can do to save lives.

My poster here is FREE FOR THE ASKING to anyone, just ask for a pdf copy that you can print out and hang everywhere -- be sure there is one in EVERY shelter, EVERY vet hospital, EVERY pet supply store, at EVERY adoption site. Print them out in post card size and hand out to kids in schools. Please help me spread the word.

Team up with me and Opie and Vincent and be a Socrate's Soldiers and help me save animals by spreading the word. Thank you !!

And love, Socrates

PS I have three legs. Well don't we all. But I ONLY have three.

I lost my 4th in some kind of accident that's been wiped from my mind. My former owner would "put the cat (that’s me) out at night" and being a rather horney little devil cuz I hadn't had the chance to go to the speuter clinic ... I was out catting about and came home with a crushed leg and torn up ear one morning.  Couldn’t remember a thing ... must have indulged in too much catpnip at the local hang out. 

Getting speutered really made me wise up. Now I want to help everyone else get speutered. It's really good for you. Trust me ... and sign up today !!!! Love, Socrates



I’d like to introduce you to a Million Dollar Baby !!!  

It takes an average of $47 a cat and $63 a dog to care for them every month.  That’s their usual preventative care, feeding them delicious nums, keeping their houses nice and clean, and giving them all the kinds of things you’d expect to get at home. 

But then the unusual happens .... and sometimes it costs big bucks.  And that’s how some of our residents make it into the Million Dollar Club!!!!   We’ve had lots of Big Buck things happen lately.

Meet Sampson, poster child for our Double Your Donation - Vanquish the Vet Debt special program.

When he came to Rikki’s, he scrunched way down on his back legs and kind of scooted along.  At first we thought he was scared and slinking.  But the legs stayed scrunched up when we picked him up.  And he was super friendly and lovey.  Hmmmm  pulling gently we couldn’t get the legs to straighten out.  Off the see the doc he went. 

And the news was bad.  Both knees were deformed, his kneecaps out of place, he’d never walk normally, and as he grew, he’d probably be in pain with every step he took. 

Well that just wouldn’t do.  He’d need complicated difficult surgery on both knees.  But he was underweight and too frail.  Being an expert at it, Opie spent a month teaching Sampson how to eat well .  And when the time came he was ready for the surgery.

The doc went to work on the first knee ... and it was even more complicated than it looked from the outside ... and it took a long long time to get it all right so the leg would work properly for the rest of his life .... and by the time one knee was done, he’d just been under anesthesia too long and the other knee couldn’t be done that day. 

So after a couple weeks of healing and recuperating and physical therapy Sampson started to walk real lopsided .... one knee working like it should .. and the other all hunched up.  He’d started jumping a little, but really awkwardly and often missing his target. 

Now he’s had the second knee fixed too and he’s successfully healing ..... and he’s left a great big huge debt behind.  

But you know what?  We think it was worth it?   Don’t you?  Is there any better way to spend your money than to see a kitty made whole and happy and pain free?  A kitty who now can go on and get adopted into a wonderful loving forever home and live a happy normal life !!! 

Isn’t it wonderful what we can team up to do?  Would YOU like to have YOUR donation DOUBLED to help pay for Sampson to walk and run and jump and play normally, for ever after?  Just click here http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php?purpose=Vanquishing%20the%20Vet%20Debt and that is exactly what will happen !!!!   

Next you’ll meet Pepe .....  the poor old dog nobody wanted .....  except Rikki’s Refuge.

Read all about our Double Your Donation - Vanquish the Vet Debt special program here

Thank you SO much for helping us out at this most difficult time.

Love you bunches,
           Vincent

2013 is the Year of the Purr ....

Join the movement ... we’re adding purr to planet earth !
 Look! It's a great car magnet with the world's most loved cat -- Vincent Cat!!!!
"What Would Vincent Do?"
He'd "Purr More, Hiss Less".

Magnet is $5 each, plus shipping (65-cents for 1 magnet, $1.05 for 2 for U.S. addresses). For other shipping costs (international, or for more than 2 magnets) contact Melissa Felts dogslife24@comcast.net  with your zip code and how many you want.     Purchase your magnet TODAY right here http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php


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