HELPING ANIMALS AT OUR SANCTUARY AND AROUND THE WORLD!
RIKKI’S REFUGE IS A MULTI-SPECIES LIFE-CARE NO-KILL SANCTUARY
FOR THE MEDICALLY AND SOCIALLY CHALLENGED
SUPPORTED BY DONATIONS FROM KIND AND GENEROUS PEOPLE LIKE YOU !
Katarina Galvin, with T. J. at Rikki's Refuge, has put ornaments with pictures of needy animals on trees at local stores. ROBERT A. MARTIN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR
Teen coordinator at Rikki's Refuge launches a different kind of Angel Tree-one seeking gifts for animals
Date published: 12/20/2010
BY ROBIN KNEPPER
Angel trees are not uncommon this time of year, but Katarina Galvin has put her own spin on the tradition.
She has made and placed animal-angel ornaments, each with the wreath-surrounded picture of a needy non-human recipient, on Christmas trees throughout the area.
Galvin, 23, is the volunteer coordinator for Rikki's Refuge in Orange County, and the ornaments picture some of the 1,200 rescued animals that live on the 367-acre farm. The nonprofit sanctuary is home to more than 20 different species of abused, neglected and abandoned animals.
At the Petco store in Harrison Crossing in western Spotsylvania County, the Christmas tree is adorned with cat, dog, rabbit, guinea pig and turtle angels--domestic animals for which gifts can be purchased right there. The ornament can then be attached to the gift, returned to the tree or taken home as a memento.
At Booth Feeds' stores in Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, the angels are cows, horses, pigs, sheep, chickens and other farm animals. Other trees decorate offices, and there is one at Confederate Ridge Animal Hospital in Fredericksburg.
In Orange, there are trees at the Orange-Madison Co-op, Village Feeds and the LaRue de Beauty salon. In Culpeper County they can be found at the Culpeper Animal Hospital and the Culpeper Co-op.
Galvin was in the seventh grade when a friend's family took her on her first visit to Rikki's Refuge. That was seven years ago, but because she lived in Fredericksburg and didn't drive, she didn't get back to Rikki's until 16 months ago.
"I always remembered that it was a place with loving people taking care of animals," she says. "After I revisited it, I kept going back."
She was asked to be the sanctuary's first youth volunteer coordinator.
"It was really fun," she says. "I got to take disabled animals to schools and teach students how to take care of them, since some of them were differently abled kids."
Last summer, Galvin set up a teen volunteer program at Rikki's Refuge that attracted 15 teenagers who went to the farm on Thursdays to clean cat boxes, train dogs, organize trailers, paint buildings and care for animals. She helped organize monthly tours and open houses.
Starting next month, there will be Sunday tours of the sanctuary.
"Kerri Hilliard [the sanctuary's executive director and founder] supported me through everything," Galvin said. "This was the first time I had worked with animal rescue, and she helped me learn the operations and encouraged me to do more and more."
This isn't Galvin's first volunteer experience. At 16, she started as a junior volunteer at Mary Washington Hospital. After a month she was hired to work in the dietary department after school, during the summer and, later, during college breaks.
After college, she was promoted to an office job and is still employed by Mary Washington Healthcare.
As the volunteer coordinator for both teens and adults, Galvin finds her work challenging and rewarding.
"I love doing it," she says. "It's helped me become way more confident, and I've learned management skills and even how to train dogs."
This is the first year of the animal-angel tree, but probably not the last.
"I always feel good when I throw a fundraiser and it's a success," she said. "It blows me away every time."
Good Morning my Friends!
So the Shelter Challenge is closed!!!
Now we sit on paws till Wednesday when they announce the winners!!!!
I think it's gonna be YOU !!!!!
And what shall I do with myself now?
I don't know what to do if I'm not voting!
OH I know!
I'm gonna take mom's truck and go Christmas Shopping!
in Virginia with 38.22% of the votes. That's AMAZING - that's YOU ! The runner up in second place has 4.69% of the votes, so we are WAY in the lead. YOU ARE SO AMAZING! Planet wide we are ranked at number seven with 1.01% of the total votes. Best Friends is, of course number one with 2% of the votes. Only DOUBLE the number of votes that we have! Not bad for us HUH? The runner up, at eighth planet wide is has 0.99% of the votes, pretty close on our heals. Please vote till midnight PST so we don't lose our lead!
HELP!!!! MORE RAPPERS NEEDED
Just a couple of days away from our wrapping at Barnes & Noble. Steve, our friend from Barnes & Noble, called tonight, and told me there were extra sessions available on Monday and Tuesday from 11 am to 4 pm, and would we like to have them. I said YES!!!.
Barnes & Noble has been very good to Rikki's Refuge. They called us to offer the additional hours. That means money for us.
Now, I know that a lot of you have signed up for our other times. Would anyone like to help Fred and me fill these additional hours? PLEASE????
I'll take Monday, since I'm supposed to bring the newsletters, posters and handouts and do the first 5 hours ( from 11 am to 4 pm) and then my scheduled 4 pm to 7 pm. Fred has said that he would cancel his plans in Tuesday, and be there at 11 am and continue to his scheduled shift from 4 pm to 7 pm. Can anyone else help us fill these additional hours? It means money for the animals, and DOUBLE the funds with the matching challenge. Please help!
Thank you for your support of Riikki's Refuge. The animals send their love.
Catnip Candy paulcandy214@verizon.net
Does anybody
use a P-Active or wacom cintiq touch pad? If you do what do you think of it? What do you use it for? Does it do what you expected it to? Why'd you choose the one you did? Any comments on which is better and so forth? Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org
Anya is SAFE
Anya really scared us today. She's been here a couple weeks. An elderly gal dumped at the pound all matted and unkempt. She had to be shaved down. She’s lovely, gentle, loving, gets along with everyone, likes to lean against your legs. She looked out the cage and begged for a home. And still nobody would adopt her. I cannot stand the seniors just left behind to be offed. Once loved and cared for and here she sat, now loved by no one.
She's lucky and got to come to Rikki's to spend her golden years. She has to wear a coat when she goes outside till her fur grows back. She wants to be out all the time, but we don't let her, except on warm days, and then she must be in a fenced area or with someone.
Well this morning somebody took her out to potty. Something happened, they ran for something else, one of those distractions that could happen to anybody, and when they realized it - Anya was gone.
Already too many tracks in the snow to track anybody. All hands on deck and everybody went searching. Soon all the 4wd vehicles were on the hunt too. Then people were trekking in the wood.
She had on a bright orange coat, so she should be easy to spot. After an hour and a half her coat was found. And she wasn't in it. It'd gotten caught on branches and she'd wiggled out. Oh no, now this poor old gal, sight failing, not really knowing where home was, maybe trying to go home to her owners who’d abandoned her was alone, lost, no doubt cold, and trekking thru the snow covered woods and fields. What would become of this poor gal.
A couple volunteers showed up and started the hunt too. We circled the perimeter road in case she finally came out the woods. Thankfully we’re very secluded and surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of acres of woods and at least a mile from any road .... but .... we were scared. really scared.
We called all the neighbors. Went to the county shelter to let them know - they’re very close by and in case they got a call or somebody picked her up. Nobody had seen her. The nightmares going thru everybody’s heads were really scary.
After two and a half hours Valerie saw her and chased her down and called for a 4 wd truck to come pick them up as close as they could get to where they were in the woods. Joe zoomed off and soon there was Valerie and Anya climbing out from the back of the truck.
And what did Anya want to do? Not go inside and sit by the heater and warm up. Not dry her feet and thaw her toes. No. She wanted to head right back to the woods! She fought like heck being hauled back inside!!!
Soon as she was safely inside all the hoomans began to notice their freezing body parts and they wanted to hunch up by the heaters!!! But no luck for them either! Everybody’s work was two and a half hours behind schedule and it was time to hop to it!!! Luckily Anne and Katarina and a group of volunteers were here to help!!!
Starr Suds Up
Poor little Starr. I tried to help by sitting on the edge of the tub and explaining to her that the hoomans weren't really trying to drown her and if she’d hold still it’d be over a lot quicker than if they had to keep stopping and cleaning up the blood and bandaging themselves. But she wasn’t listening to me!
Poor kitty. All she wanted to do was help wash dishes and she jumped right under the pouring dish soap. Uh Oh, she had a big streak of soap down her back. You know what happens if you eat soap! So mom and Valerie had to hold her for a bath and she didn't like it one little bit!
Of course, all volunteers are GOOD !!!! Cindy came and took care of doggies, like she does every Saturday!!! Happy Doggies!! Katarina came and had a photographer come and take pictures of her. The paper is doing a story of her Angel Trees!!! Bob came out brought lots of dog food to donate!! Num num num. He helped out around the farm and then too the generator that isn’t working so he can fix it and bring it back. Yippee !!!!
Zoe is 13 years old. She met me at the National Capital Cat Show
and we fell in love!!! She kept coming back for hugs and purrs!!! Mmmmm I love you Zoe.
She’s become a volunteer and has gotten her family and friends to help too. Yesterday they came to clean up cat runs. That’s a big job and lots of hard work. All that pooper scooping smells better when it’s below freezing but their toes and noses were getting cold - and they kept right on working all day!!!
Today Katarina had a group volunteering and Ann came to help too. That was real lucky cuz with all the extra things going on, we were all way behind schedule. Thanks to them - my meals were served right on time!!!
Lucky Cat Smiles on Volunteers
Vincent’s Very own 25 Days of Christmas
On the Nineteenth Day of Christmas
wouldn’t it be wonderful if
all the doggies got wonderful long walks
nineteen dogs a walking
We never have enough dog leashes and collars to walk the dogs who live in Doggy Downs! Having a bunch of spares would ensure that the Doggy Downs dogs (as opposed to our mascot dogs) get walked regularly. Any color and any brand will do, as long as it is a nylon leash – not retractable – and the collars should be wide and snap close. No need to buy matching sets – unless you want to.
Click on a doggy to feed him or her, click on a collar or leash to send a gift
eighteen extra eyes on the lookout
seventeen ears a listening,
sixteen healthy hoomans a caring
fifteen seniors breathing easily,
fourteen feral kitties happily helped to the speuter clinic
thirteen terabytes of memory,
twelve glorious gift cards,
eleven wondrous packets of warmth
ten hooman helpers illuminated to see,
nine domed doggy igloos,
eight cozy kitty condos,
seven guinea pig garages,
six months of warm and wonderful heat,
five gentle, soothing, healing musical CDs,
four lights to help us see all the creatures at night,
three nummy cans food for each of the doggies,
two snuggy pads to keep us comfee,
and one VINCENT eating FANCY FEAST ....
You can have Amazon send it right on it’s way to
Anya
Rikki’s Refuge
10910 Barr Ln
Rapidan VA 22733
AND it even counts towards Amazon point for Rikki’s cuz you’ll be going in thru our site with this link!!!!
Interested in buying other items from Amazon for yourself or for gifts for all your friends and family? Use this link to make your shopping shop for Rikki’s - it doesn’t cost you a thing - Amazon will make a donation to Rikki’s when you enter their site thru this link!!! http://www.amazon.com/?&tag=wwwrikkisrefu-20&camp=212361&creative=392013&linkCode=wsw&
If you missed any of Vincent’s Shopping Suggestions - here they all are!
I just wanted to tell you that I survived my first scooter drive here in Thailand! Grampa is still in the hospital. He is feeling a bit better, but might still need a day or two more in there. That is actually kind of good since we need to work under his bed to finish getting the AC running in his cabin. So Kirk and I had rode tandem up to the hospital and had Subway there with Gpa. Then it started raining, so we all fell asleep. The scooter is borrowed from a fellow American yachtie so Kirk wanted it back here for the AM, but he wants to be with Grampa in the AM for when the doctor makes her rounds. I needed to be back here in the AM to work and direct our laborer. We woke up around midnight and saw it had stopped raining. So I said I was game to try my first solo trip. I had done some scooting around general vicinity of the marina complex (you can't actually come in the complex with a scooter) but hadn't yet got up the guts to ride on the main streets. The trip was pretty uneventful and late Sunday night was probably about the least traffic out. It will be a different story the next time I try to ride.
Mary Ellen has been studying Cat Nap Art!
I think my very own brofur Mr. Darcy can top all of them!
Yaaaaawwwwnnnnnn that made me sleepy. I think mom’s got the lectic bankie on and I think I’m gonna have a snack and try a cat nap myself!!!
I haz a happee cuz you’re my HERO !!!!
Love,
Vincent
.... Scoots back to office ..... climbs up on step ladder to turn on light ...... Yaaawwwwnnnnn ... pulls up into chair ..... turns puter back on .......
Hey Hey MY HEROS I’m so excited, I had to come get out of bed to tell you !!!! We’re up to $4,235 of our $15,000 challenge!!! We’re getting closer!!! I so hope we can make the whole $15,000 challenge. It’d help mom so much to be able to pay off the bills and start the new year not still owing for our food and meds. That’s what I’d like to give her for Christmas!!!
If you can help me, or were wondering what to give her for Christmas, this is the purrfect gift. And it’d be purrfect for my Christmas Pressie too!!!! (((my stomach must be full from my midnight snack)))
I’ll even make you deal - give the gift of life to somebody you love for Christmas, make a donation to our Double your Donation challenge and I’ll send them a card telling them what you did!!!
Anya really scared us today. She's been here a couple weeks. An elderly gal dumped at the pound all matted and unkempt. She had to be shaved down.She’s lovely, gentle, loving, gets along with everyone, likes to lean against your legs. She looked out the cage and begged for a home.And still nobody would adopt her. I cannot stand the seniors just left behind to be offed.Once loved and cared for and here she sat, now loved by no one.
She's lucky and got to come to Rikki's to spend her golden years. She has to wear a coat when she goes outside till her fur grows back. She wants to be out all the time, but we don't let her, except on warm days, and then she must be in a fenced area or with someone.
Well this morning somebody took her out to potty. Something happened, they ran for something else, one of those distractions that could happen to anybody, and when they realized it - Anya was gone.
Already too many tracks in the snow to track anybody.All hands on deck and everybody went searching.Soon all the 4wd vehicles were on the hunt too.Then people were trekking in the wood.
She had on a bright orange coat, so she should be easy to spot.After an hour and a half her coat was found.And she wasn't in it. It'd gotten caught on branches and she'd wiggled out. Oh no, now this poor old gal, sight failing, not really knowing where home was, maybe trying to go home to her owners who’d abandoned her was alone, lost, no doubt cold, and trekking thru the snow covered woods and fields.What would become of this poor gal.
A couple volunteers showed up and started the hunt too.We circled the perimeter road in case she finally came out the woods.Thankfully we’re very secluded and surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of acres of woods and at least a mile from any road .... but ....we were scared.really scared.
We called all the neighbors. Went to the county shelter to let them know - they’re very close by and in case they got a call or somebody picked her up.Nobody had seen her.The nightmares going thru everybody’s heads were really scary.
After two and a half hours Valerie saw her and chased her down and called for a 4 wd truck to come pick them up as close as they could get to where they were in the woods.Joe zoomed off and soon there was Valerie and Anya climbing out from the back of the truck.
And what did Anya want to do?Not go inside and sit by the heater and warm up.Not dry her feet and thaw her toes.No.She wanted to head right back to the woods!She fought like heck being hauled back inside!!!
Soon as she was safely inside all the hoomans began to notice their freezing body parts and they wanted to hunch up by the heaters!!!But no luck for them either!Everybody’s work was two and a half hours behind schedule and it was time to hop to it!!!Luckily Anne and Katarina and a group of volunteers were here to help!!!
If you know any papers who haven’t done an article on Rikki’s, why not ask them if they would? The more people who know about us, the bigger we can grow and that means we can save more lives!!! I just LOVE doing that!!!
came to help yesterday. Candy went to pick up a truck load of produce and bread for the critters and then drove it all the way out here. With all the traffic her round trip was about 10 hours long. Thank you Candy. Petunia says it’s wonderful to have some fresh fruit during this cold weather.
Ann, who loves guinea pigs and has adopted a few, came to help out. She checked up on her favorite guys and then washed dishes and dishes and dishes. Did you know that we have enough dishes to fill the bathtub THREE times !!! Every day!!!!
Poacher Patrol
Efforts have been so good the last couple years and the catching trespassers and poachers leading to arrests seemed to have quieted things down this year. They’ve been caught patroling at our borders - and chased off. One night they were on the property, off and on all night, and it was a full night watch to keep the animals safe.
They are out in droves this morning. They released the hunting dogs onto the property before sun up. And they won’t let up. First from one side of the property, then to the next.
If you’re legally armed, have a small 4wd vehicle or atv, please contact us about helping with poaching patrol for the next couple weeks. Last day of hunting season should be the first Saturday in January - thankfully the First of the month!!!!
Sure does tie in with the shopping suggestion for the 18th - and that wasn’t planned!
Wrapping Christmas Presents
Candy, Fred and others will be giving it a try at Barnes and Nobles Book Store in Falls Church, Seven Corners, Virginia on Monday and Tuesday from 4 pm to 10 pm. So Save up your book and music shopping till then!!! I think they’ll even let you bring in other presents to have wrapped. 100% of all donations for wrapping goes to the animals !!!! There’s standard Christmas paper and Candy also supplies fun kidz paper, Hanukah paper and more. And lots of pretty bows!!! Let the pros take care of it for you!!!
Somebody needs to come and rescue me NOW - I heard dem hoomans talking about needing their very own "Wrap a Vincent" video .... get me out !!!!!!
Hop on in and help
A wonderful donor has pledged up to $15,000 in matching funds to meet your generous Christmas Donations.
For every dollar you donate - this special donor will match your donation - up to a total of $15,000 !!!!
You donate $1 and the animals get $2, you donate $5 and the animals get $10, you donate $25 and the animals get $50, you donate $100 and the animals get $200, you donate $250 and the animals get $500, you donate $500 and the animals get $1,000, you donate $1,000 and the animals get $2,000 !!!!!
Please help us meet this challenge and help us help the animals !!!!
Is all it takes us to care for the animals. That’s ONE DOLLAR PER DAY PER ANIMAL. I think that’s pretty good, don’t you? Nothing, but nothing, goes to waste here. Every penny is stretched and then stretched again. Our volunteers work tirelessly begging for donations of food and other supplies, then they drive miles and miles, buying their own gas, to pick up the supplies and deliver them to Rikki’s. This is how we can do it on only $1 per day per animal.
With 1,259 mouths to feed every day, 1,259 bodies to keep warm and safe and healthy every day, 1,259 piles of poop (or more!) to clean up every day, it’s a big big chore. And we get it all done, and done well, for only $1,200 a day. Pretty dawg gone good huh????
So we need your help. A little here and a little there. I know how hard it is for most folks right now. Income is down, expenses are up. You’re all cutting back.
We’re in the same boat. Income, which only comes from donations, is down. The price of everything we have to buy is up. Food, medicine, propane, everything. And we’ve cut back as far as we possibly can. The only thing left to cut back on is lives. And we won’t do that. We promised our residents that once they came to live at Rikki’s, they were guaranteed a wonderful home forever. We’re not going to take that back to reduce our expenses.
And so we must count on you to continue to help us feed and care for all 1,259 critters. If we can fulfill this $15,000 challenge ..... it will cover our expenses for almost a month. This means the world to us.
If you can spare anything at all, please help. If you have someone you’re looking for the purrfect gift of love, make a donation in their honor. It’s a great Christmas present. Every animal lover on your list would be very happy to have us fed lunch on Christmas in their honor!!! Give us their address and we’ll send them a card!
You have choices!!!
You can choose to spend your money supporting Sam, Iggy
and their 1,257 friends with your tax deductible donation
Adam and Eve said, 'Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.'
And God said, I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.'
And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.
And it was a good animal and God was pleased.
And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.
And Adam said, 'Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.'
And God said, 'I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.'
And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.
And they were comforted.
And God was pleased.
And Dog was content and wagged his tail.
After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, 'Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.'
And God said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration.'
And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.
And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.
And Adam and Eve learned humility,
And they were greatly improved.
And God was pleased..
And Dog was happy.
And Cat . . .
Really did not care either way !!
Baby Margaret
Her eyes are beautiful. Most babies measuring 5 ft would be considered big, but newborn giraffe, Margaret, at Chester Zoo , UK is seen as unusually small for her species. She is one of the smallest giraffes ever born at Chester Zoo but pint-sized Margaret will soon be an animal to look up to.
Little Margaret, who is the first female Rothschild giraffe born at the zoo, is being hand-reared by her dedicated keepers. The first calf for six-year-old mum Fay, Margaret, who was born two weeks early, tipped the scales at just 34 kilos (75 lbs) and is a mere 5 ft tall.
Tim Rowland's, team leader of the Giraffes section, said: 'Margaret is one of the smallest giraffe calves we have ever seen. Fay isn't the largest of giraffes and Margaret was also early which might go some way to explaining her size. 'Margaret was having difficulty suckling so our keeping team are now hand-rearing her'.
I'm sure you'll agree that she is precious!
Vincent's 25 Days of Giving
with Love at Christmas
On the Eighteenth Day of Christmas
Rikki’s welcomed eighteen extra eyes on the lookout
eighteen extra eyes on the lookout
Now its time to think about our wildlife. Unfortunately, we have poachers who come into the woods around the sanctuary to hunt – despite our NO TRESPASSING / NO HUNTING signs. This poses a danger not only to our wildlife, but also to our dogs, staff and volunteers. We routinely have volunteers patrolling our property to keep the poachers out, and a few pair of these waterproof binoculars would surely help!
Click on DEER to feed the wildlife or the binoculars to send them as a gift.
seventeen ears a listening,
sixteen healthy hoomans a caring,
fifteen seniors breathing easily,
fourteen feral kitties happily helped to the speuter clinic
thirteen terabytes of memory,
twelve glorious gift cards,
eleven wondrous packets of warmth
ten hooman helpers illuminated to see,
nine domed doggy igloos,
eight cozy kitty condos,
seven guinea pig garages,
six months of warm and wonderful heat,
five gentle, soothing, healing musical CDs,
four lights to help us see all the creatures at night,
three nummy cans food for each of the doggies,
two snuggy pads to keep us comfee,
and one VINCENT eating FANCY FEAST ....
You can have Amazon send it right on it’s way to
Vincent D. Cat
Rikki’s Refuge
10910 Barr Ln
Rapidan VA 22733
AND it even counts towards Amazon point for Rikki’s cuz you’ll be going in thru our site with this link!!!!
Interested in buying other items from Amazon for yourself or for gifts for all your friends and family? Use this link to make your shopping shop for Rikki’s - it doesn’t cost you a thing - Amazon will make a donation to Rikki’s when you enter their site thru this link!!! http://www.amazon.com/?&tag=wwwrikkisrefu-20&camp=212361&creative=392013&linkCode=wsw&
If you missed any of Vincent’s Shopping Suggestions - here they all are!
help me make it happen. Spread a little joy this holiday season. Do something special for somebody. A tiny effort on your part, a small part of your heart, makes you a HERO to somebody. Be a HERO today !!!
