D is for Duke
Duke is the gentlest sweet dawggie you’ll ever meet. He’s my favorite dawggie brofur. Duke came to Rikki’s just over 7 years ago,
on May 29, 2007. My Uncle Paul and Aunt
Candy drove him down to Rikki’s from Baltimore.
Why did Duke need to come to Rikki’s?
Cuz he was going to be killed for being blind. It’s not like it’s his fault or nothin. He was born that way. He
couldn’t help it. And it looked like
once he was loved by his family, before he was left to die.
He was found in a park in Baltimore with a collar and leash, running
around, lost, all alone, unable to find his hooman. Somebody caught him and turned him into the shelter. The shelter got in so many animals, nobody
could stay for very long, had to get adopted or killed pretty quick. Back then, many shelters had policies of
killing the “unsightly” or “defective” animals. Like me too, I’d probably gotted killed in most shelters. Me and Duke is so glad to have Rikki’s
Refuge who not only wanted to save our lives, but love us whole lots too.
So anyway here was Duke, scared and blind in a shelter waiting to be
killed if nobody answered the “found dog” ads or called in to say they’d lost
their beloved companion. And nobody
called. Duke would be killed to make
room for a “perfect” dog that somebody might adopt.
Lucky somebody made a call to Rikki’s Refuge and Duke was able to come
to us. Paul and Candy volunteered to
drive up and get him and give him a ride down ... it was really way to far for
a Dawggie to walk and anyway, being blind and all, it would have been a really
difficult trip for Duke on his own. He
couldn’t even read his GPS !
When Duke went to see nice Dr Meredith Vargas at “our” animal hospital
so she could teuter him, she found out he had a bleeding disorder. Yikes ... he needed lots of blood and drugs
to save his life. Just from a simple
teuter. But luckily our wonderful doc
acted quick and saved our Duke ..... then
once she caught her breath, she called to tell us. Boy were we glad he was ok !!!
Not too much longer later Duke had a seizure. He was fine by the time he got to the doc .... and it’s hard to tell what’s going on if
seizures are quick and over with. So
we’d wait and watch. No reason has ever
been found, but a few times a year Duke will have a seizure. We have meds that gets him up and on his
feet real quick. And they are
infrequent enough that the drugs to prevent them would be worse than the
occasional seizure. My hoomans think
they can often sense when one is coming and give him his meds and then he’s
fine and doesn’t have one.
Duke is like me, he’s a spokes critter.
He’s the Official Spokes Dog. He
and me goes to schools to teach little hoomans to be nice to differently abled. We don’t care what species you are ... we
know that if you’re differently abled you’re just the same on the inside as the
so called purrfect of your species ....
it doesn’t matter if your eyes work or your ears work or you can walk
like others ... it just matters what’s in your heart. Yup ... it’s all about what’s in your heart.
And Duke has only nice in his heart.
He’s so gentle and he’s so sweet.
Yes he is .... he’s a fine fine dawggie and I’m glad he’s
here to work with me and go to places to help teach da hoomans. Sometimes I think they need lots of lessons,
big or small, it’s our job to teach da hoomans to be nice to da planet, da
aminals and each other.
If you love Duke, would you help him and his friends at Doggie Downs out
with a little donation? $1 buys them 4
meals. $12 keeps the fleas and ticks
off Duke for a month. $67.50 supports
Duke or one of his doggysibs for a whole month !!!! Will you help out? www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe
Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival
If you can come out and help us this SATURDAY the 27th please
let us know asap, we need VOLUNTEERS to help set up, hand out brochures, man
the booth and take donations in exchange for merchandise, T shirts and more,
and to be Opie and Sylvestra’s companions to meet the public !! And of course, at the end of the day when
we’re all tired, to help take down.
THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU
For your hard work and votes !!!!
YOU placed Rikki’s Refuge second in the Tractor Supply. Coming up soon you’ll see Opie accepting the
great big prize !!!!
The Shelter Challenge Contest is over for this round ..... in just a few days ... we’ll know where YOUR hard work and voting
placed Rikki’s Refuge !!!
Contests are such an awesome way to raise money to feed the animals !!!
NUMS for YOU
brought to you
by Maria Appleby, Rikki’s Social Media Director
you share with
me, and I’ll share with you
try this
wonderful vegan recipe today
Duke says, “Almost as good as dog cookies !!!”
THANK YOU
FOR HELPING ME TO
SAVE SO
MANY LIVES
... with your support we’re
able to help so many into their new furrever happy homes .... and to give that life long home to those not
quite so fortunate ... Thank you for your
support
Without
YOU
none
of us would have been alive
to
be looking forward to this fall !!
THANK YOU !!!!!!
Your donations saved Duke
and every other animal who lives at Rikki’s Refuge !!!! AND your donations
are giving them happiness today !!!
Pledge to work each and every day to make the planet just a little bit
better. Please make a donation to give
everyone here a happy tomorrow !!! www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe
COMING UP SOON!!
What did Opie do at the
National Capital Cat Show?
How much Pizza did Ingido
eat?
Opie accepts a the PRIZE
from Tractor Supply !!
See Opie Dress Up at the
Fredericksburg Pet Expo!
Meet the new arrivals at
Rikki’s, quack, woof, honk, meow !!
Birthday and Special Day
Contests !!
Memorial to our friend Greg.
STAY TUNED TO OPIE TIMES
!!
Love,
Opie
Rikki’s Web Site:
www.rikkisrefuge.org
Help the Animals:
www.rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe
Re-Tail our thrift store:
www.facebook.com/ReTail.org
Location: 3503
Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg VA 22408
Phone: 540-891-5300
Hours: 10 am - 6 pm Monday - Saturday
noon - 5 pm - Sunday
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