Saturday, December 19, 2015



GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- IT’S STARTING TO FEEL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

Brrrr it’s COLD out there today !!!  It’s been feeling like winter and like Christmas is coming lately !!!  

Are YOU getting ready ?  Have you made YOU Christmas List ?  Have I been naughty or nice ?  Shut up Duke .....  you tell on my ... I’ll tell on you.  Yup Iz been real nice !!!!  Duke too ....  all us aminals .... and  wez really hopin to be on your Christmas List !!!

You know all gifts to Rikki’s Refuge are tax deductible ....  so do those numbers now ....  and see what will make a difference to YOU ....  would you rather give it to dem hoomans in government or help the aminals to have a happy life?  Gee that seems like an easy choice, huh?

VOTE VOTE VOTE --- TODAY AND TOMORROW ....  only two days left !!!  Tell all your friends ....  there is TWO THOUSAND dollars at stake ....   and that’s a great big huge number ...  Please make it happen !!!!


Here’s somethin fun, nummy and helpful to the aminals TODAY


Get in the spirit by wrapping !!
NORA nelmg@aol.com in FREDERICKSBURG
Saturday       12/19      1:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sunday         12/20    12:00 PM - 800 PM
Tuesday       12/22       3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday  12/23      3:00 PM - 9:00 PM

FRED fred@z9a.com in FALLS CHURCH
Saturday   12/19    10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday     12/20   10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Pick a shift and HELP THE ANIMALS --- email the volunteer at YOUR store TODAY !!


Yeah Yeah Yeah ...  I’m trying to get in the Christmas Spirit ....  but ya know ... every year Santa brings us lots of broccoli .....  and it’s more than we can eat all at one time ....  so those darn pigs end up eating most of it .... I mean you just can’t save broccoli for 11 months and divvy it out so we get some every day. 

So what happens?   We feast for a month or so .... and then don’t get much good and fresh for months ....  Wouldn’t it be cool if Santa could just bring a little bit of it every month.

I mean if somebody would just make a $30 donation every month .....  we’d always have fresh broccoli for breakfast !!!!   Nummy !!!!

You silly emu .... you’re just a bird brain ....  of course they can ....  and I’d like to get to eat well EVERY month .... not just during Christmas when hoomans is feeling happy and generous. I'm Baby and I'm the biggest kitty in Cat House number one .... come on our Christmas Tour and you'll meet me !!!

I'm the ruler of Cat House 1 .... and I'll tell you how this works.

Some of our hooman friends DO know how to help us every month.  It’s called Recurring Monthly Donations .... they can sign up ONCE and without any notice, any pain, any more work .... 
 

Just CLICK http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate and scan down till you see RECURRING DONATION 3 minutes of YOUR time ....  give us happiness each and every month !!!!  

You have no pain, we get all the gain !!!  And you’re building up that tax deduction all year round !!!   Now if that don’t sound like one of them WIN WIN things ....

And if you check out the Drop Downs at http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate you’ll see PUPPY PALS where for ONLY $15 you can make a monthly recurring donation and that will feed ALL us doggies canned food for the day.  We LOVE canned food .... but when there’s not enough money ....  we only get crunchies. 

I mean I’m not complaining or nothin.  I’m so thankful that you feed me and take care of me.  But it really is nice to have that nummy tasty soft mmmmmmm good canned food too ....  specially as I get older ....  

And for ONLY $63 a month .... YOU can provide ALL the care -- I mean everything -- food, housing, loving care, sanitation, preventative meds -- EVERYTHING for one doggie for one whole month !!!! 

I think that’s what I’d like for Christmas !!!


Hey you dog face !!!!  Tell 'em about VINCENT VITTLES on the drop down too .....   for only $15 YOU can feed one cat house canned food for the day too .... so sign up and feed one cat house for one day each moth !!!!   If only 30 of you signed up for each cat house ....  that's be all our nums every day !!!!    Opie.   

SOCCER - SHEEP vs GOATS

We love to play.  When you visit us on a tour, you might think we do nothin but sit under the trees and chew cud ... but that’s not true ...  in the morning we love to play ....  and after we’ve digested our cud .... we love to play again in the evening.  We get accused of being lazy a lot .... but that’s just not true ...  we have to relax and let out stomachs do the work ....  and then we team up and PLAY !!!!


Christmas Tour and Reception
Tours@RikkisRefuge.org to reserve your tickets
Come to one or both !!!  We look forward to showing you what your kindness has built !!!


BOOMER AT TRACTOR SUPPLY LAST WEEKEND

Please come out and see us tomorrow and next weekend !!!



Rikki's Refuge has giving trees up at several stores throughout Central Virginia. These trees will be decorated with ornaments that feature pictures of some of our animal ambassadors, along with some background information about each one. By way of these ornaments, each animal will be requesting what he or she most wants to get from Santa this Christmas for themselves and their friends at Rikki’s. (Not surprisingly, it’s usually something edible) **If you would like to donate to Rikki's Refuge but cannot get to one of the listed stores, here are some links for you to use: www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate Paypal: mail@rikkisrefuge.org Opie’s Corner Store: www.OpiesCornerStore.bigbig.com  Mail a check or money order: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960

Angel Tree at Re-Tail

Angel Tree at Giant Hilltop Center

Angel Tree at Petco Harrison Crossing

Hi, my name is Crabby Patty.  You know why?  The shelter where I was said I was crabby all the time and not very nice and nobody would ever want me and I should be disposed of.  Yeah ... disposed.  Like trash.  Thanks a lot.  And you wonder WHY I was crabby?

That and my butt hurt all the time.  I have what is often called manx syndrome.  It means cus the end of my spine isn’t formed right it affects my .... mmmm ... you hoomans are sensitive about this stuff aren’t you?  Well let’s just say my butt isn’t formed quite right and it means with out proper care three times a day, I’ve got problems and I hurt .... yeah ... like raw bloody HURT ....   Just imagine if every time you sat down it hurt ....  every time you walked around it hurt .... and every time you went potty it hurt so awful bad ....  you’d be pretty crabby too I bet.

But when I get my medicine and I get my soothing ointment on my butt 3 times every day, then I feel good, I don’t hurt .... and I’M HAPPY ....  I’m so glad to be at Rikki’s ....  if I never told you THANK YOU .... you didn’t just save my life ....  YOU made it all worth living.....   cuz it’s no fun to live in pain all the time.  When I’m taken care of properly, my butt heals and nothing hurts and I feel so good .... I thank my hoomans for helping me ....  you didn’t just give me life ...  you gave me a happy pain free life !!!

All my friends want is nums for Christmas ... yeah ... I like nums too ....  but I really like my medicine ....  I need about $22 in medicine every month .... and a hooman to help put it on my butt ...  I tried once ... but without thumbs I had to squeeze the tube with my teeth .... and it got all holes in it and gushed out all over ....  so I have to ask for kind and gentle help ....

For $22 a month on one of those recurring donation things ....  YOU can make my butt comfortable ALL MONTH LONG !!!!   www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

thank you !!!!!  

Friends Don’t Let Friends Spend Christmas HUNGRY !!!

We are so grateful for you. Please remember Rikki's Refuge in your year-end giving. www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate

Love,
   Opie

  
Thank you for being there for us !!  YOU have made our very lives possible thru your kind and generous donations !!!! 

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




Saturday, December 12, 2015

GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- IT’S MR MISTER’s BIRHTDAY



GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- IT’S MR MISTER’s BIRTHDAY


Mr Mister is 22 years old today!!

Will you help him celebrate this big day??

His birthday wish is to feed everyone at Rikki's Refuge today!

Will you be his birthday hero??

If ONLY 59 of you donated $22 each .... it would MAKE HIS DAY !!!!




Here’s the goats doing what goats do while the reporter was interviewing Lolly and Birttney for the tv show ....
Here’s that story in case you missed it ...



With a little imagination (ok, a whole lot of imagination) you can imagine this cherry tree 20 or 30 feet high and covering Rainbow Overlook in shade.

That’s what Ron said, after planting what will become a lovely tree for many to enjoy in a future years. 

See the fencing laying there?  You can’t just plant a tree at Rikki’s .... you have to fence it in .... a number of our residents think young trees are for eating !!!

Ron’s signature slogan is "A society grows great when crazy old cat people plant trees whose shade the next generation will enjoy"

Thank you Ron !!!!

Read on .... and PLEASE help my Uncle Ron wrap it up in Charlottesville !!!!



YOU ALL ARE AWESOME ....   you did it on Giving Tuesday !!!!   We met our match !!!!    Fabulous Job !!!!

And your hard work and kindness and generosity made it possible for us to get over 30 kitties speutered this week !!!  

We blood tested a lot of cats this week.... The blood test kits cost us $13.95 each so just that is an expensive proposition with all these cats ... thank goodness ducks don't need to be tested ... well not blood .... for anything before they merge with the crowds !!!!

And we have done intake processing on many of the new feral cats. Doing their id photos, face, sides, top, bottom, distinctive markings, writing descriptions, worming, vaccinating, cleaning ears, checking teeth -- yeah ... they got good ones. Taking in a cat isn't just putting it in a cat house  !!!!   Oh no sireee ...  there’s lots more to it than that !!!



Hope to see you there !!!!   Please come for fun ....  Volunteer to help if you’d like !!!   Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org

Here’s the story that appeared about Rikki’s in the Scottsville Weekly
click on the article above to read the story on line


VOTE VOTE VOTE --- we’ve dipped to 5th ---   get us back up to 4th !!!   QUICK ....   you just gotz to vote EVERY DAY !!!!!   Tell all your friends ....  there is TWO THOUSAND dollars at stake ....   and that’s a great big huge number ...  Please make it happen !!!!




Please come out and see us tomorrow and next weekend !!!

Chicken Little might be allowed to go !!!
She’s gotten good at evicting kitties and taking our beds away !!!!



Look who else had a birthday !!!

She’s happy as a pig in mud !!!!
Oh .. wait ... she IS a pig in mud !!!!



Will YOU Please VOLUNTEER to
Wrap Gifts at Barnes and Noble ?
CHARLOTTESVILLE - FREDERICKSBURG - FALLS CHURCH

RON topcat@cstone.net in CHARLOTTESVILLE
Monday      12/14   5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday     12/15   5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

NORA nelmg@aol.com in FREDERICKSBURG
Saturday       12/19      1:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sunday         12/20    12:00 PM - 800 PM
Tuesday       12/22       3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday  12/23      3:00 PM - 9:00 PM

FRED fred@z9a.com in FALLS CHURCH
Friday       12/18    10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday   12/19    10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday     12/20   10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Pick a shift and HELP THE ANIMALS --- email the volunteer at YOUR store TODAY !!



The baby pigs have a new home !!!  They’re still getting formula, but are now drinking out of a bowl, and they are eating ... and eating ... just like ... ummm ....well  PIGS !!!!   They’ve already about doubled in size and outgrown tea-cup status ...  now they’re miniature pigs .... and soon they’ll outgrow that. 

They’ve got a nice new outdoor home where the can spend these beautiful days !!!  Happy piggies ....   but they still need to come in the 9th Life Center at night.

They’ll be getting speutered on the 22 .... and they they would be happy if no contributions came in to make it possible ....   WE need your help, cuz we don’t need 20, 30, 40 .... more piggies !!!!   www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

 

Christmas Tour and Reception
Tours@RikkisRefuge.org to reserve your tickets
Come to one or both !!!  We look forward to showing you what your kindness has built !!!

EVERYBODY wants to get in on one of Mr. Ken's awesome tours... Even the critters! If you come visit for one of our tours, YOU could be getting this view!  Ken will be leading our Christmas Day Tour.

How Awesome! Doesn't this look like paradise?  That’s what our recent guests who came all the way from England to see the sanctuary in person, had to say as all the critters came out to give them an escort !



Is there a Turkey in your life ?

Give your holiday season a new meaning this year ... the meaning of Love, Life and Hope !!

Let the world know how you feel. Turkeys are our FRIENDS and should be treated with love and respect. If you don't have a turkey friend, you absolutely must visit Rikki's Refuge no-kill life-care sanctuary and meet some very wonderful turkeys! You'll be glad you did.

Each T-shirt sold during this campaign will help to care for the Turkeys, Chickens, Geese, Ducks, Guinea Fowl, Peacocks and Pigeons at Rikki's Refuge over the winter when they need so much more food.

We hope you'll make some time to come and visit our happy birds .... and all the other animals, too!

Get your very own shirt right here: http://www.tfund.com/TurkeyFriends

ONLY available for the next four days -- so hurry !!!


Friends Don’t Let Friend
Go To Bed HUNGRY !!!

Love,
   Opie

Thank you for being there for us !!  YOU have made our very lives possible thru your kind and generous donations !!!! 

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








Tuesday, December 01, 2015

GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- SPECIAL TUESDAY



GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- SPECIAL TUESDAY

GIVING TUESDAY is a nationwide push to kick off the holiday season with a day of giving back to causes that matter to you.  Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays really sets in, please take a moment to make a gift to RIKKI'S REFUGE.

AND IT GETS BETTER !!!!
A SPECIAL SPONSOR will DOUBLE ALL DONATIONS MADE TODAY - no gift too small or too large ~ it ALL makes a difference and we can't do this without you!

With your help, we will continue to go above and beyond for animals in need.
CLICK http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate?purpose=Giving  AND WATCH YOUR DONATION DOUBLE !!

The fine print:  DOUBLE YOUR DONATION is available thru midnight Tuesday, December 1, 2015.  Our Special Sponsor is dangling $5,000 within easy grasp ...  but YOU need to make it happen ...  he will ONLY donate that $5,000 if YOU collectively also donate $5,000 ....  SO CHIP IN AND MAKE IT HAPPEN !!!!!


             LOOK WE’RE ON TV !!!!
Click the goat to watch the show !!

Here’s more details - click a kitty !



This is Chance, he’s the kitty who ended up in the emergency room
 
He thanks you VERY MUCH for saving his life ....   not once .... but twice !!!!   He’s quite an elderly gentleman, and warming up quickly.  He must not have started life as a feral kitty.  He was once loved and cared for.  Maybe someday he’ll tell me his story.  For now, all he’ll say is he was abandoned and forgotten about and spent many years living with a feral colony.  He’s got old battle scars, not many teeth, ground down fangs.  He’s so thankful for canned nums now  ....  so much so ....  he needs small meals every hour or he gobbles up all he can and gets sick.  Poor baby, he’s been starved for so long ....  but never again Chance .... never again.   Our wonderful sponsors will make sure YOU have HAPPY EVER AFTER !

DOUBLE A DONATION for Chance so he can have DOUBLE THE MEALS !!! 




Martha writes in: I am a long-time friend of Rikki's, after you so kindly took some ferals my friends and I sent your way.  Thought you would like to see my neighbors, Sally and Anna (who pet sit for me when I travel) - in their Sullivan shirts! Keep up the fine work !
THANK YOU Martha !!!  We love to hear from fans and love photos !!!!


PLEASE PLEASE keep up those DAILY VOTES ....  if YOU will keep voting daily for Rikki’s Refuge in the Shelter Challenge, we will win $2,000 !!!!   IT’S FREE .... IT’S EASY ....  IT’S QUICK   and IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE !!!!

           DUCK UPDATE

They’re checking out the SIZE of the newly DONATED Duck Pool !!!! 


WOW is that HUGE !!!  Lots of room to swim around and have a blast !!!!    Thank YOU for caring so much about these ducks !!!!   They are SO happy now.

Here we were picking the pool up at Tractor Supply !

Here’s the happy ducks, once so frightened of humans they’d run and bunch together or beat their heads against the fencing trying to get away.
Now they come to talk to us and are happy to take treats !!!!   How quickly they’ve learned to trust again in their new magic kingdom at Rikki’s Refuge !!!

Thank YOU for making this possible !!!



JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS AUCTION
HURRY AND BID, AUCTION ENDS DECEMBER 6th
Just in time to ship, so you’ll have your WINS in time for Christmas.
We’ve got some really fabulous gifts in here !!!   HURRY and get your BID in TODAY !!

And a sneak preview ....  click the link above to get a better view and to BID !!!





WINTER IS COMING
And that means animals will be looking for places to get warm. HELP SAVE LIVES.  Before starting your engine, be sure to check ON, IN and UNDER your vehicle for animals.  On top of the tires in the wheel wells is a favorite hiding place, under the hood stays nice and warm long after the car’s been turned off, so give the hood a WHACK to scare them out before starting up.  The fan can cause horrible injuries, even cut someone in half.  I like to WHACK the hood, then walk around the vehicle and whack each door and the back end, then get on my knees and look underneath.  If I’m about to drive something I can’t see the top of the tires, I bend down to check each one too.  And watch out, if you leave your windows open for a stop ... somebody might have crawled in ...  always best to make sure windows are up, doors are closed and trunks are only open while you’re right there.  A little extra caution can save lives.
ONLY AT RIKKI’S !!!!!


LET’S WRAP IT UP !!!!
Here’s another great way YOU can earn money for Rkki’s !!  It costs you NOTHING ...  you MEET new friends ....  and you have a lot of FUN !!!!

Join us GIFT WRAPPING !!   We’ll be at THREE Barnes and Noble Bookstores .... so pick the one closest to YOU.  Fredericksburg, Charlottesville and Falls Church.  You wrap -- INSIDE where it’s warm .... and there’s NO POOP  .... well ... there’s not supposed to be !!!!  

YOU WRAP --- THEY PAY RIKKI’S !!!    WIN-WIN !!!   You can even get your shopping in while helping out !!  Usually shifts are two hours long ....  Can only do an hour ?  Want to do a full session?  That’s just fine .... contact the volunteers listed below for shifts at the different sites.

RON topcat@cstone.net is looking for volunteers to help in CHARLOTTESVILLE
Thursday    12/3     4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday     12/8     4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Friday         12/11   5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Monday      12/14   5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday     12/15   5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

FRED fred@z9a.com is looking for volunteers to help in FALLS CHURCH
Friday       12/18    10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday   12/19    10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday     12/ 20   10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

NORA nelmg@aol.com is looking for volunteers to help in FREDERICKSBURG
Saturday       12/19      1:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sunday         12/ 20    12:00 PM - 800 PM
Tuesday       12/22       3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday  12/23      3:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Pick a shift and HELP THE ANIMALS --- email the volunteer at YOUR store TODAY !!



CHICKEN LITTLE LAYS HER FIRST EGG
You read about chicken little in our last edition of Good Morning Good News
 
She laid her first egg .... she selected the trash can as the place to do it ... Skully watches in wonder ....

Chickens don’t need a mate to lay eggs ... it’s something that occurs from time to time without a boyfriend ....   I guess our Chicken Little is a big grown up girl now !!!   

What do we do with the eggs at Rikki’s Refuge?  Usually the chickens will eat their own eggs if they aren’t fertilized ... it’s good protein and good calcium.  The ones they don’t eat, are scarfed up by the dogs and if any are left over at night, the skunks come round for a snack !! 

The mothering instinct has been breed out of domestic chickens ... so they just drop the eggs any old place .... and keep on strutting along !!!


Thank you Shannon for this lovely painting !!!
Opie admires Shannon’s work !


Thank YOU for CARING and SHARING
 
Every body of every species matters !!!!   You show your caring by supporting the animals at Rikki’s Refuge who LIVE because of YOU !!!!   Thank you pumpkin pickers !!!

YOU MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE !!!

Love,
   Opie

Thank you for being there for us !!  YOU have made our very lives possible thru your kind and generous donations !!!! 

Don’t forget to DOUBLE YOUR DONATION TODAY !! 
http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate?purpose=Giving
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960