Sunday, August 14, 2016

GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIKKI'S REFUGE !


HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIKKI'S REFUGE !!!

Eighteen years ago, today, I sat down and signed over my soul !  

My life ... My heart !

After twenty years of cat rescue in Northern Virginia, I was ready to take on everybody !  Well ... lots of 'em.  31 species of domestic and farm animals have called Rikki's home over the years, and 51 species of rehabilitated wildlife have come to live, and many more species of wildlife were already here, and continue to live happily, on our 350 acres of protected woods and wetlands.   WOW. 

Over 10,000 domestic and farm animals have called Rikki's Refuge home.  Some for only a few weeks before finding a new home. 

Many who didn't much care for people, who had personality challenges or physical challenges or were just older and never found adoptive homes, lived here happily their whole natural lives.  A very few from 18 years ago are still with us, living out their senior years happy and loved.

In the beginning I was so excited ... and scared ... and I thought all my friends and family would want to give up their lives and join up in the dream of making Rikki's Refuge a reality.  A few did.  Many thought I was crazy.  Most had other lives they wanted to live.

And so along the way I've met many new friends who've joined the dream of Rikki's to make a sanctuary, a home, a place of peace, for the animals that had been tossed aside.  The ones society leaves behind.  The ones usually killed in shelters.

THANK YOU for being here with me today !! 

We've grown from 330 acres to 450 acres.  From just a small handful of animals, to housing 1300 animals every night.  From the crazy people living on that cat farm, to loved and respected members of the community.  

WHY?  Because YOU cared, and YOU made the dream become a reality for thousands of animals !!!

THANK YOU !!!
da Hooman  aka Kerry
ps.  now I shall turn this edition over to your regular correspondant, Opie the Official Spokes Cat for Rikki's Refuge


Rikki's Refuge, my home, and the bestest no kill life care multi species sanctuary I ever lived at is 18 years old !!!

WOW WEEEEEE 18 whole years of saving lives !!!!    Me and all MY friends !!! 

What's the bestest gift of all you can give us aminals for this big BIRTHDAY BASH ?

One quick sign up that keeps on giving all year round .... and makes sure we'll be safe and sound every single day !!

Would you feed us a meal or two once a month, buy someone's meds once a month, make the commitment for one of us to get flea and tick prevention each month !!!


Sponsor a kitty for only $47 a month ....


Sponsor a doggy for $63 a month .... skip one cup of coffee once an month and give your change to the animals .... when we all work together we are able to make miracles happen .... sign up to join the miracle of Rikki's Refuge ....     http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Donate

Monthly Recurring Donations mean the world to the animals
And you can contribute $1 or $100 a month with one easy sign up
RIGHT HERE !!!
For without YOU none of us would still be allowed to live on this beautiful earth!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CARING ABOUT US !!



Visit our Thrift Shop today... Re-Tail 3503 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg VA  ...  and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIKKI'S REFUGE and get 18% off your purchase !!!!!    And think about bringing in and donating your gently used household items, clothing and furniture !!! 



HEY YOU !!!   YES, you there ....  Patrick here ..... come on out on a TOUR and bring some watermelon  .......   grow a garden?  End up with any extras?  Please bring 'em down for us !!!   I LOVE to eat ANYTHING !!!!    I think that's why they call me a pig !!!


Meet Bub and Goose the unlikely couple.


And don't forget to bring apples !!

AUGUST 17th is
BLACK CAT APPRECIATION DAY


WHY do you have so many BLACK CATS ?  That's a question often asked on tours. 

Did you know that black and mostly black cats, such as torties, and black and whites with just a little white, are the least likely to make it out of a shelter alive?

And that's why you'll find many of them happily living at Rikki's Refuge.

We don't believe in superstition and KNOW they are not bad luck.  We KNOW they are just as wonderful as cats of any color.

Black Cat Appreciation Day was started as an annual appreciation and a education day to save the lives of Black Cats everywhere !!!   

Please join the Juniors Girl Scout Troop 3721 on August 17th at Rikki’s Refuge Re-Tail Thrift Store between 10am and 2pm for crafts, games, and fun bringing awareness to the low adoption rates of black cats. The Juniors will be earning their Bronze award through community action, education and awareness.

Help these girls spread the word and help them help black cats get adopted.  Meet Mia a lovely black tortie in Re-Tail's adoption room.

Check out all the fabulous items for sale at Re-Tail, 3305 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg. 

Bring gently used household items, clothing and furniture to donate.  Every item donated is turned into cash to buy food and supplies for the animals of Rikki's Refuge.

AND we'll have specials in the store all day long for YOU !!!!!   

AUGUST 17 ...  Rikki's Refuge's Thrift Store ....  RE-TAIL ... is the place to be ... put it on YOUR calendar !!!



AUGUST 19 - 28
WIN PRIZES
THRIFT SHOP HOP

At Rikki's Refuge we think ALL charities are important.  Charities are organizations that help where help is needed and there is no government funding.  It's private people who gather together to give their time, their money, their supplies, to make life better for others. 

Many charities have thrift shops that they rely on to bring in donations that can be sold to raise money for their causes.  That's what Re-Tail is ... it's Rikki's Refuge's Thrift Shop ....  you can make tax deductible donations of items .... we sell them ... and the money goes to help the animals at Rikki's Refuge.

Rikki's wants to help other charities in the area too .... and so we came up with the idea of the THRIFT SHOP HOP to bring awareness to 11 very special stores with very special missions in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area.


If you pick up a card and map at one of the 11 participating stores between August 19th and 28th and then visit all those stores and get your card stamped ....  you could win lots of cool prizes !!!

Just visit all 11 stores during the Shop Hop, Aug 19-28, and you'll be added to the drawing for lots of great prizes! Shop while you support great causes! Check out the map for locations of all the charities, and how you can help them AND get even bigger discounts!!!

Have you never shop-hopped before? Or, has it been a while? Now is the time to try it! You will find new with tag items, gently used items, vintage items, and more!!

Each Thrift Shop will be benefiting a special charity during this event. 

Stores will have discounted items and special sales throughout the event.




Ugggggg ..... mom says I have to tell you bout this .... shivers .... this auction is to help with the expense of buying flea/tick stuff for all of us .... yeahhh .... I know ... SHE complains about how much it costs to go round every month and put icky stinky gunk on all of us ..... I say .. so don't bother ... just buy Fancy Feast wif your money ... but no .. SHE say ...

I can't let you have bugs biting you my precious little Opie .... I says ... well if I be so precious ... you feed me Fancy Feast and not put icky stinky no bug goo on me ..... but SHE always wins .... it's those opposable thumbs I tell you ... soon as I get a transplant ... yeahhh .....


anyway ... so PLEASE COME TO OUR AUCTION ... and even add something you'd offer up for sale if you'd like to see me get icky stinky gooey anti bug goop ..... Thank you for coming and for SHARING this auction !!! I do Love you .... even if you help them make money to buy icky stinky bug be gone gunk ...


Do YOU have any idea what it costs to keep the bugs off 1300 animals?  With 650 domestic critters costing about $10 per month in flea/tick product and another 650 farm animals averaging about $2 per month .... the monthly cost of just flea/tick product is staggering !!!!


Any item you can donate and list in the auction will keep SOMEBODY from scratching for a WHOLE MONTH .... and might keep the itches away from several critters !!!

If you'd rather help with a donation, just mark it "Bug Be Gone" and I promise I'll give it to mom to buy the icky stinky bug goo .....    http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Donate

Or mail to
Keep the Bugs Off MY Friend, OPIE
Rikki's Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960


I love you,
  Opie

Don’t forget to SAVE A LIFE TODAY !
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960

And please come see me soon !!

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