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Good Morning Good News !!!! December 6, 2014

Are YOU ready ??

Start this music playing before you read any further ......

At Rikki’s, we are known for never doing anything in a small way.  And so for our 1297 critters of 22 species .....  12 Days of Christmas would never be enough .....  we present to you ....   the 28 Days of Christmas at Rikki’s ....  follow along daily ..... 

On the Second Day of Christmas  .....

Look What Came to Rikki’s,

Two

Rabbits a Mating,

AND

.....   a Chukar in a Cherry Tree!

Well let’s talk about the birds and the bees for a moment here, and please don’t cover your ears !!! 

Those rabbits got “fixed” right away !  Fixed is often used to described speutering, the unisex word for  spaying and neutering. 

Yes, rabbits, like everybody else, get speutered at Rikki’s Refuge.  As a matter of fact NO reproduction is permitted at Rikki’s Refuge.  You may ask why?  Well it’s cus there are so many homeless animals in the world who are dying because they don’t have homes.  No matter what the species or the breed ... somewhere, somebody is without a home and will be put to death as if it’s a crime. 

So PLEASE remember two very very important things.

First, make sure ALL your animals are Speutered !!!  Even one litter is bad for the planet and devastating to the animals in shelters hoping to get a home.

Second, always adopt.  Never buy.  ANY kind of animal.  No matter what kind of animal you’d like to share your home with, there is one in a shelter just praying you’ll pick them.  Please shop only at shelters and rescues.  Your refusal to “buy” animals, is a huge step towards stopping the wonton breeding of animals.  The behind the scenes of breeding, including, and especially fish and birds, is worse than the behind the scenes death machines at many pounds and shelters.  For some species only one in a hundred survive even long enough to get into a store ....  and even less stay alive int heir new home. 

Speutering is terribly important.  It is the one fool proof way to stop the killing of so many innocent animals in our society.  Stop creating them by the dozens ..... Cuz everyone not born, is somebody that won’t be killed for being homeless.

I know ... I know ...  but Fluffy or Ruffy is cute .....  you’re thinking just one litter ... just one ... so I can have somebody just like Fluffy or Ruffy .... and I’ll be responsible ... I’ll make sure all the others get good homes.  

And you may.  Your kittens or puppies or bunnies or chicks or goats or what ever, may end up going to very good homes.  But think about this.  For every home one of your newly created animals goes to ....  there is one less home for somebody sitting in a shelter .... and that somebody will be killed. 

If there are 4 million homes every year ....  but 10 million animals born ... 6 million of them will be killed .....   only 40% will make it out alive. 

And that’s about what it’s like out there.  In just the United States alone, 6-8 Million healthy happy adoptable cats and dogs .... we’re not even counting the countless rabbits, guinea pigs, mini pigs, parrots, parakeets, goats and horses that are killed due to lack of homes .....    but 6-8 Million healthy happy adoptable cats and dogs killed every year just because a home cannot be found. 

Rikki’s Refuge is one of the many stepping stones leading the way to a NO KILL NATION ....  A nation that takes life seriously, regardless of the species.  A nation that cares.  A nation that supports their homeless animals.  A nation that educates their people to not permit pets to overpopulate.  A nation that supports their Community Cats (feral cats) with TNR (trap, neuter, RETURN to the location they were trapped, THEIR home). 

I don’t know a rescue that doesn’t run at capacity.  Nobody in the business of saving lives sit around with empty beds, not bothering to fill them.  Everyone is filled to 110% (at least) of their budget.  they are always on the edge.  That’s why you see all of us begging for financial help all the time.  We desperately want to save one more.  We can only do it with your help.

And everyday somebody out there is having just one cute litter of something.  STOP.  We can end this problem together!!!   Rikki’s is devoted to seeing a time when no one is killed for being homeless.  NO ONE.  NO ONE OF ANY SPECIES.

How do we work towards this goal?

In many different ways.

Our sanctuary, Rikki’s Refuge, makes a small dent.  We house 1300 animals on a daily basis that would otherwise be killed.  Every sanctuary and rescue specializes in what they do best.  We specialize in the elderly, the problem kids, the handicapped, the ones that fewer other rescues are able to care for.  There are many good adoption organizations, so we leave most of that up to them.  We provide life care for those who need it.

We promote speutering all animals and we are vocal about it, we reach out and educate, and help many people who can’t do it on their own.  Our residents are speutered.  The exceptions are large farm animals where the risk of surgery is great.  In those species, the males are speutered because it’s a simpler less invasive procedure which carries fewer health risks. 

What about the birds, people ask?  We use egg control for them.  Speutering is terribly risky due to their anatomy.  Yes, our wonderful vet has done extensive research.  Some species lay all the time, their natural instincts have been breed out of them.  Those are easy, the dogs eat the eggs, the skunks come round about midnight and scarf down any left over.

Some lay only a few eggs and have that instinct to sit on them.  In the emu, it’s the male that sits on the eggs, guarding them with his life.  It’s a little tricky to get those eggs and escape un-eviscerated, but so far we’ve been successful !  

Some birds, like the pigeons, must sit on eggs or they will keep laying eggs till their bodies are calcium depleted.  They are given artificial eggs or boiled eggs to sit on.   Eventually when the season is over, they give up and they move on. 

There is so much more to caring for 1300 animals than just feeding and cleaning !!!

We educate.

When people understand the ramifications of having a litter of animals, they are more likely to take measures against letting it happen.  We speak in schools and at groups and teach visitors to the refuge about the value, the necessity of speutering ALL animals. 

Our Life Center is a wonderful new avenue for education.  We’ve started yet another wonderful program.  Kitty-Litter-ature, where kids will learn compassion and caring while reading with the animals.  The younger kids are read to by Opie, Duke and their friends.  Then when they are tired of reading, the older kids will read to the animals!  There will always be a lesson of compassion and speutering is a hugely compassionate gift you can give any animal.

I spoke at a school once and told the fairly young kids about ways to stop your cats and dogs from having babies all the time.  it was spring and many of them were talking about too many cats and dogs and the trauma of seeing their parental units kill the excess.  I told them to have their parents call us or call the local shelter for help with speutering if needed. 

With all the speuter clinics springing up everywhere, with all the programs for assistance, it’s almost impossible for some one to truly not be able to get their animals speutered at a rate they can afford or thru an assistance program.   If you’re having trouble or know someone who is, email us mail@RikkisRefuge.org and our volunteer who helps people line up speutering will help you find a place that it can be done affordably. 

Anyway, so later in the year during a tour this little boy ran up to me and threw his arms around me.  He was hollering, mom, mom, here’s the lady who said we don’t have to keep having kittens and puppies and dad doesn’t have to kill them ....  she can tell you how to make them stop having babies !!!!   

Mom looked most skeptical as I told her about speutering.  It seems almost impossible in this day and age and in the society you live in that anyone could possibly not know about speutering.  But a lot of folks just need education.  Who would have told them before?  If nobody tells you and you aren’t in the animal circle with all the latest news ....  how would you know ?

I got mom all set up with some vouchers to get her critters speutered.  She seemed so happy to know about this.  the endless cycle of birth and death had taken a toll on her as well as her son. 

I can only hope that the mom and son told other people about this great idea and they too wanted to stop the endless cycle.  I think that little boy might keep our conversations in his head and he might grow up to be a more caring, sharing, loving person. 

For every person who truly loves an animal, the world will be changed, just a little bit more.  It may be one animal at a time.  But it’s happening.  I see it every day.  How many rescues are there now?  Many many more than there were 30 years ago when I first learned about rescue.  Once upon a time I had no idea how many animals were killed for being homeless. 

When I learned 30 years ago that the numbers were 38-40 MILLION every year ....  it changed my life.  I knew I had to be a part of that change.  Today it’s 6-8 million ....   that is still 6-8 million too many .....   but it is also 30 MILLION + FEWER .... 

and all thanks to everyone of you who rescue,

those of you who volunteer,

those of you who donate,

every one of you !!!

You have made that change !!!

Help Rikki’s Refuge head into another year of change and wonderful news for the animals.  We can only do it with your support.  www.RikkisRefuge/Donate  There is NO government funding, NO big grants, NO support but for your donated dollars. 

Here’s a few of our special programs for compassion, education, or speutering you may wish to support.  You can make a gift in honor of anyone, just mention tell us their name and address and we’ll send them card letting them know you did !!  When making your donation, just include a note telling us where you’d like your funds use.  We always follow your wishes. 

AND best of all, our overhead is less than 2% of our expenses.  So that means better than 98% of your funds are going directly to our programs.  How can we do that?  Only because of our wonderful volunteers who donate their time doing all the things many organizations have to pay for.  Things like accounting, fundraising and so on.  Thank you, you wonderful volunteers.  You don’t only help Rikki’s, you are helping EVERY donor too!

Kitty-Litter-Ature -- Animals and Kids reading and learning compassion together.

Wild and Feral -- educating and promoting TNR of Community Cats (feral cats), this division of ours is located in Pulaski, Virginia

Pana Speuter Clinic -- we help to support Mayan Families’ Speuter Clinic in Panajachel, Guatemala.  We helped to set the clinic up in 2008 and it has been running successfully ever since.  Funds designated for this program help the indigenous Mayan people Speuter their cats and dogs. 

We’d like to expand our global reach to Speutering in other countries, especially in rural, isolated, poor communities, like Pana.  If you work with, or know of organizations in such places, let us know, we may be able to add them to out Helping Paws Abroad program.

Speutering New Residents -- this is mandatory for all new residents.  Often being able to accept a new resident is contingent on the funding for their initial medical care and quarantine, including Speutering. 

This week, 8 animals will be visiting the Virginia Kinchloe Speuter Clinic in Fredericksburg.  The five pyrenees who joined us from a sheep farm in Alabama that went out of business.  They found themselves in a world of trouble in a high kill and luckily found someone willing to drive them here.  They’ve been thru heartworm treatment and treated for lyme and other tick diseases and are now ready for speutering !!!

Big Mac is a beagle spaniel mix who was left at the emergency vet clinic to be killed, he’d been attacked by other dogs three days before and had festering wounds and now the owner just wanted rid of him.  The emergency doc said, I’ll fix him up, if you can take him.  The wounds are nasty, but not life threatening if treated asap, and he’s such a nice guy.  He’s all healed up but now needs neutering.

Ebony is a black kitty who turned up at the Life Center, living in the barn.  It’s possible she’s been a barn cat who came with the property and has eluded being seen, or she’s found her way to a safe place.  She’s semi feral semi friendly, I’m guessing never been a real people lover but used to seeing them around.  And it’s time to get speutered.  We’ve been working on the compliment of barn kitties that were left at the Life Center and as far as we know ....  she’s the last ....  hopefully she was that final one hiding out !!!  

We believe strongly in TNR, Trap Neuter Return.  For everyone should be returned to their home (when ever possible, exceptions do apply in dangerous situations).  But following our belief of Zero Population Growth , Ebony must get “fixed” before re-joining her friends !!!

The bill for speutering these 7 dogs and cats?  $860 ....  WOW ....  to us that’s pretty huge.  But on the global scheme of things, it’s quite cheap.  Speuter clinics are life savers.  Very seriously.  For every speuter surgery they do .....  countless lives are saved down the road.  Bless you, everyone who works in, who volunteers in and who supports Speuter Clinics everywhere. 

If you’d like to contribute to any of these programs, you can leave your mark, and make the world a better place right here www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate  if you don’t see a drop down for the program you’d like to support, just write it in the comments !!!   

And Please, if you can, help us raise the $860 this weekend, as we must pay the full amount, no credit at the Speuter Clinic !!!

Thank you so much !!

If you have time over the holidays,

even a few hours, volunteer at your local shelter, take them some much needed food or other supplies.  Every shelter needs our help.  Spread the love.  Share your caring.  Let’s see how few years it will take us to reach the goal of ZERO homeless animals killed !

And remember, speuter your pet.  Give gift certificates to speuter clinics to folks who haven’t speutered.  Just imagine if everyone with an un-fixed animal received a gift certificate for speutering instead of some silly or unnecessary object !!!  

WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

ONE DAY AT A TIME

ONE ANIMAL AT A TIME

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF

RIKKI’S REFUGE

A PART OF A POSITIVE FUTURE

Click the rabbit in the photo above to make her dream come true !!!!

RIKKI’S UPCOMING EVENTS

It’s all right here http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2013/04/upcoming-events.html

Photos With Santa -- at Re-Tail, starts TODAY !

Gift Wrapping in Charlottesville, Fredericksburg and Falls Church - please volunteer to help !

Christmas Day Tour - RSVP Tickets now !

New Year’s Day Nature Hike -  - RSVP Tickets now !

Would you Like Santa Opie, Duke or another Rikki’s animal to send an authentic letter to your child (or to a friend)?  Send me an email and I’ll send you the details.  Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Gift Certificates Available at Re-Tail --  THE best gift of all, give the gift everyone will want, from Rikki’s Wear to a special Treasure !

At Rikki’s we don’t care who threw you out, who left you homeless, where you came from.  We only care about making your future bright and happy.  Will you drop a penny in our favorite cat’s hat this holiday season to make the days bright and happy for the 1297 animals YOU have saved !!!   Thank you !!

click on Vincent’s hat to make our dreams come true !!

NUMS for YOU

brought to you today by the Rabbits of Rikki’s Refuge

you share with us, and we’ll share with you

Click on a leaf of kale in the photo above to make the rabbits dreams come true !

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME TO

SAVE SO MANY LIVES

... with your support we’ve been able to save so many animals ... it’s only with your continued support that we can continue to care for them each and every day ....  Thank you for your kind and generous support for food, medicine, doctors, cleaning supplies ... and love !!

http://rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe

Without YOU

none of us would be here

thinking about what the holidays might bring this year !!

THANK YOU !!!!!!

Your donations saved every one of us and will keep us all alive the rest of this year and into 2015 .... we pray.  Please HELP US as we stock our pantries for another winter at Rikki’s Refuge  !!!!   Take the Opie Pledge and promise to work each and every day to make the planet just a little bit better.  If the pictures of the animals you have saved in this issue have made you smile, please take a few moments to make a donation so we can keep them smiling!!!  www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe 

Love,

    Opie

PS I want you to know something very important.  We always spend your funds very wisely and frugally.  We buy the basic necessities, we buy generic in bulk, volunteers drive many miles, donating the cost of gas, to get the best deals, we use day old produce, recently expired products, others left over construction materials and recycled products. 

We don’t need luxury, we don’t need the best ... we just want to save lives and create a world of happiness and contentedness.

When we can meet our basic needs, we are happy ... so very happy.

Thank YOU for making that happen.

www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

Join us on

Facebook:         www.facebook.com/RikkisRefuge\

                  www.facebook.com/vincent.cat

                  www.facebook.com/Kerry.Hilliard

Rikki’s Web Site: www.rikkisrefuge.org

Blog:             www.rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/

Help the Animals: www.rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe

Re-Tail:          www.facebook.com/ReTail.org

   our thrift store

   Web Site:  www.rikkisrefuge.org/?page_id=6330

   Location:  3503 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg VA 22408  

   Phone:     540-891-5300

   Hours:     10 am - 6 pm Monday - Saturday

              noon - 5 pm - Sunday

Good Morning Good News !!!! December 2, 2014

ARE YOU SEEING DOUBLE TODAY?

I was supposed to welcome you to December yesterday .... but I was so confused.   I woke up and it was spring ....  and I was thinkin I missed all of winter ... it was warm and beautiful and sunny and just wonderful outside .....   And so I catnapped in the sun.

Today I wake up and it’s certainly December !!

WELCOME to December on Planet Earth !!!   

My FAVORITIST planet of all !!!

Did you know they call today Giving Tuesday ? 

I didn’t know bout that till I gotz a call from a special somebody early early this mornin.  And that special somebody said ... I give you special deal Opie, my friend. 

And I say, oh yeah?  What?  I love special deals!  Specially if they got Fancy Feast on them!!  

My friend said ... well not xactly Fancy Feast ... not right directly now, but I bet a smart boy like you could find a way to turn it into Fancy Feast.  You see I heard that you’ve had a tough time this year ... and that the year is almost over ... and you gotz so many bills to pay that you’re worried about how you’re going to stock the pantry before it gets really cold. 

And I said to my friend, You is right.  It’s been pretty hard.  It was so wet so long and that made the fields get mushy and so the grass got trampled and didn’t grow so good.  And I had to give lots of my Fancy Feast money to the cowas for hay.  And to the Donkeys and the Sheep and the Goats and the Horses ....  Yeah ... they gotta eatz too so I feedz them. 

And, my friend said, I herd you had to replace a sewer line and I know that’s big bucks.  And Mrs Donkey has needed a lot of care.  Isn’t the doc coming to see her about every two weeks?  And the farrier a lot too?

Ha ha ha, I saidz, you’s a hooman and you said herd ... not heard ... heeee .... but I gues it was a herd of bucks we had to pay for dat sewer line.  I told mom just to leave it, who needs da sewer, they can all use litterboxz but mom said it was for the washing machine to make my beds nice and clean and for the dishes so I don’t gotta eat of moldy old icky bowls ... so I said, ok then, I Chief Cat authorize you to get new sewer line.  Yes I do, I gotta have a nice clean bed and I don’t wanna eat not moldy icky stuff neither.    And yeah, BeBe has had lots of problems with her legs, but the docs have been makin her better so that’s ok to spend the money, we want everybody here to feel good and be healthy.  Just maybe no more shots no more, huh?

Ok little fellar, said my hooman friend, let me get to the point.  It’s Giving Tuesday, and I’ll make a deal with you.  You tell all your friends .... and for the 24 hours after they hear about it, I’ll DOUBLE all their DONATIONS to you !!!  How about that my friend?  They give you one can of Fancy Feast and I’ll give you one and than you’ll have TWO !!!!  What you think?

And I said, I think I love you whole lots !!!!  Yes I do, yes, that’s what I think.  I love you more than mom, if en you’ll give me TWO cans of Fancy Feast and she only give me one!!! 

But Opie, my friend said, Just one last thing ........

Yes?  I merowed ...  thinkin oh no ... don’t take way my wonderful suprise, pleaz?

You gotta promise me you’ll share, and you’ll use this money to pay some of those bills.  It’s really important that you get those bills paid.  You’re going to need propane to keep warm very soon.  And filling that tank is a whole herd of bucks .... and you don’t got that now ... and you can’t take the propane and say Bill me Later .... you’re gonna have to pay for it ... so you gots to get these bills finished and away and then be ready to pay your new bills.  Bills come and go, it’s just the way of the world.  And my little fellow, you gotta get caught up.  And you need to do that quick.  You can have TWO cans of Fancy Feast every day .... but the rest has to feed everybody and pay those bills .... OK, my man?

Yes siree I said !!!  Yes, I will do that.  I promise.  Now I have to scurry off and write to my friends about this !!!!

Ok FRIENDS wez got 24 hours from the time you read this .... to DOUBLE YOUR DONATION ....   HURRY .....  QUICK .....  you can do it right here www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate .... or you can do it by mail if you like that better ....  my address for this special DOUBLE YOUR DONATION DAY is

Giving Tuesday

Rikki’s Refuge

PO Box 1357

Orange VA 22960

But if you gonna mail, you need to tell me that NOW in an email, Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org, to make it count in the next 24 hours !!!  So HURRY !!!!!  On your mark ....  get set ......  DONATE for GIVING TUESDAY and DOUBLE IT !!!! 

Yeah !!!!!!!

Hi Timmy here ....   I'm just sitting round hoping for enough to eat this holiday season ... would YOU help me kick off Giving Tuesday ???   AND we have a very special deal at Rikki's Refuge today ....  ALL donations for the next 24 hours will be DOUBLED !!!!   Don't feed one of us .... when you can feed TWO of us !!!!   www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe ....  mention Giving Tuesday to DOUBLE YOUR DONATION !!!!  Love you !!

So YOU know what season it is

Don’t YOU ??

Start this music playing before you read any further ......

At Rikki’s, we are known for never doing anything in a small way.  And so for our 1297 critters of 22 species .....  12 Days of Christmas would never be enough .....  we present to you ....   the 28 Days of Christmas at Rikki’s ....  follow along daily ..... 

On the First  Day of Christmas  .....

Look What Came to Rikki’s,

.....   a Chukar in a Cherry Tree.

Chuck, pictured above, was the first Chukar to ever come to Rikki’s.  Well, unless one out there in the wild had happened on by to visit.  Though we’ve never seen any wild Chukars here.  Chuck and his wife had been rescued several years before.  Chukars are slow and gentle birds.  And so they are often used to train hunting dogs on.  The larger multi colored pheasants are more desirable as hunting trophies.  You’ve never seen a Chukar hanging on someone’s wall have you? 

It’s exciting for dogs to chase a bird, and when training a dog to hunt (please do not do this at home, or anywhere else, it’s not a very nice thing to do to any birds and we don’t think a nice thing to teach dogs either) they often start with Chukars.  The dog has a better chance of catching -- and killing -- a Chukar tossed his way, than a faster bird. 

Well that’s exactly what Chuck and his wife were being used for.  They were injured and tossed aside.  A wonderful person saved them and took them to a guy who rehabs birds.  He had them for a while, and Chuck’s wife passed away.  He feared Chuck would be lonely, and so Chuck came to live at Rikki’s Refuge with other birds who’d also been so lucky and saved. 

We have many homing pigeons .... and if they home and they get lost .... nobody wants them.  Nobody that is, except Rikki’s Refuge. 

At Rikki’s we don’t care what your background was.  We only care about making your future bright and happy.  Will you drop a penny in our favorite cat’s hat this holiday season to make the days bright and happy for the 1297 animals YOU have saved !!!   Thank you !!

click on Vincent’s hat to make our dreams come true !!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME TO

SAVE SO MANY LIVES

... with your support we’ve been able to save so many animals ... it’s only with your continued support that we can continue to care for them each and every day ....  Thank you for your kind and generous support for food, medicine, doctors, cleaning supplies ... and love !!

http://rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe

Without YOU

none of us would be here

thinking about what the holidays might bring this year !!

THANK YOU !!!!!!

Your donations saved every one of us and will keep us all alive the rest of this year and into 2015 .... we pray.  Please HELP US as we stock our pantries for another winter at Rikki’s Refuge  !!!!   Take the Opie Pledge and promise to work each and every day to make the planet just a little bit better.  If the pictures of the animals you have saved in this issue have made you smile, please take a few moments to make a donation so we can keep them smiling!!!  www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe 

Love,

    Opie

PS I want you to know something very important.  We always spend your funds very wisely and frugally.  We buy the basic necessities, we buy generic in bulk, volunteers drive many miles, donating the cost of gas, to get the best deals, we use day old produce, recently expired products, others left over construction materials and recycled products. 

We don’t need luxury, we don’t need the best ... we just want to save lives and create a world of happiness and contentedness.

When we can meet our basic needs, we are happy ... so very happy.

Thank YOU for making that happen.

www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

Join us on

Facebook:         www.facebook.com/RikkisRefuge\

                  www.facebook.com/vincent.cat

                  www.facebook.com/Kerry.Hilliard

Rikki’s Web Site: www.rikkisrefuge.org

Blog:             www.rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/

Help the Animals: www.rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe

Re-Tail:          www.facebook.com/ReTail.org

   our thrift store

   Web Site:  www.rikkisrefuge.org/?page_id=6330

   Location:  3503 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg VA 22408  

   Phone:     540-891-5300

   Hours:     10 am - 6 pm Monday - Saturday

              noon - 5 pm - Sunday

Happy Thanksgiving From Opie and Friends ! November 28, 2014

Thank you for saving lives!!!

Love, Opie

Thanks to YOU we all had a WONDERFUL and PEACEFUL ThanksLiving Day Feast with ALL our friends ....  Furry or Feathery ....  Thank YOU, we LOVE you all  !!!!

And now Have I got a SPECIAL for YOU !!!

Black Friday Food Bowl Buster - 20% Off All Donations !!!

20% Off Your Donation Shopping at Rikki's From NOW thru Midnight 11/28 Black Friday, we've got the best shopping idea ever. ALL donations -- no caps my friends -- ALL donations -- are topped with 20% .... YOU donate $80 and our Black Friday Donor drops in $20 .... The animals get FEED $100 of food !!!! Is this cool or what?? Spread the word .... Feed 'em all !!! www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate

OH MY GOSH !!!!!   Rikki’s 20% off Donations Shopping Spree just got BETTER !!!!   How many folks on your Christmas list?  Tired of shopping, spending money on gas or postage, fighting over parking spots, getting mugged in malls?  Well ....  Look what we’ve got for YOU today, donations of $25 or more will get an email Christmas card from Rikki’s (or Thanksgiving if you prefer, just let us know which), tell us who it’s for, anything special you’d like us to say from you, their name and email address ... we’ll take care of the rest ....   AND it still qualifies for the 20% Off Your Donation Shopping at Rikki's From NOW thru Midnight 11/28 Black Friday, we've got the best shopping idea ever. ALL donations -- no caps my friends -- ALL donations -- are topped with 20% .... YOU donate $80 and our Black Friday Donor drops in $20 .... The animals get FEED $100 of food !!!! Is this cool or what?? Spread the word .... Feed 'em all !!!   AND get your Christmas Shopping ALL DONE TODAY with no trouble, no hassle !!!   Can you possibly think of a better gift to give someone than saving a life in their honor?    www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate

My Uncle Ron came by for Thanksgiving Nums yesterday and LOOK what he brought !!!!  

I sure think he wins Donation Dynamo of the Week !!!    Thank you Uncle Ron !!!

Remember Saturdays, like tomorrow, are Donation Drop Off ....  just top in at the Life Center and drop off some nums.  Mom requires that I also tell you we need cleaning supplies, like paper towels, bleach and laundry detergent.  But what’s really important if Fancy Feast for Opie, and tuna for the sick kitties in our hospital, and meat baby food tood.  Purina has been very nice lately and we have lots of daqggie nums in the pantry.  But we’d like to see the pantry filled up more for us cats.  Both canned and dry.  And the Guinea Pigs are asking for oranges !!  Thank you !!

Love you bunches,

           Opie

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day !!

Beautifully renovated home in Alexandria

OPEN HOUSE  November 23, 2014    Sunday  1 pm - 4 pm 

Total renovation and upgrade, open spacious sunny, new kitchen, granite counters, stone backsplash, 42” cabinets, stainless appliances, breakfast bar, brick accent walls in breakfast room, living room and family room, new master suite, new baths, 2 full, 2 powder, 2 fireplaces, French doors, floor to ceiling bay window, 4 large window seats, huge back yard 38” deep, parking spot is owned, 2.5 blocks to rush hour Metro Bus, 2 miles to Van Dorn metro, NO HOA, no dues, no rules!   

Directions:                            

From I395: east on King; right on Menokin; right on Van Dorn; left on Richenbacher; 5409 on left, parking spot out front is owned, on street same side is city permit, on street other side is open parking          

Make

   5409 Richenbacher Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304-2036

                YOUR new address !

This beautiful home has undergone extensive remodeling, it’s almost a new home.

In so many ways better than a new home ! NO Homeowner’s Association, no dues, no rules !  Bigger than most townhomes being built today, a generous 21.5’ wide and 33’ deep, giving you over 2,000 square feet on three totally finished remodeled and immaculately upgraded levels.  And no extra charge for the brick on the front and rear !

In days past land was inexpensive, lots were bigger, townhouses were made bigger, and now YOU will benefit !  Every room here is larger, the back yard is a sumptuously generous, 21.5 feet by 38 feet, that’s over 750 square feet of beautiful back yard for gardening, relaxing and enjoying nature !!   Not something you find this close in very often !

Come ... take a tour thru the house with me !

Mmmm brick front, the mansard roof gives all the bedrooms gable windows with large window seats, perfect for soaking up the southern sun and catching up on your reading. 

Did I mention the fabulous close in location?   A mile from Seminary Rd and Van Dorn St.  Take Van Dorn 7/10^th of a mile southwest, turn left on Richenbacher, cross Vail and Terrill and 5409 is your 4^th on the left.  The parking area right in front of the house is OWNED and is your very own private space, and protected from the road by a grassy strip.  Street parking is by permit with the city, just register to get your sticker.  Parking on the other side of the street is open.  Enough parking for all your friends to come to your house warming party !!

The owner has lived here since 1986 and has loved this friendly neighborhood. He bought the home for it’s size, both inside and the huge private yard and he loved it for the close in convince.  That was a huge draw when he purchased and it’s appeal is even greater today. 

You’re only two and a half blocks to a rush hour Metro Bus line that goes to the Pentagon, that allows access to the subway to downtown or Tysons Corner area.  Just over 2 miles from the Van Dorn Subway Stop.  Close to grocery stores, drug stores and other shopping as well as restaurants; so much within a mile and a half. And easy access to interstate highways and public transportation. Many historic and cultural locations within easy access allowing for entertainment and education opportunities for everyone.

Look at that huge floor to ceiling bay window !!  It’s in the breakfast nook .. just wait till you see ....

Right here from the foyer you have your glimpse of everything new !  New ceramic flooring in the foyer, hall, breakfast area and kitchen and powder room.  All new hardwoods throughout.   Right off the foyer you have a generous coat closet and a brand new powder room.

Come on in the breakfast nook !!  It’s a lot more than a nook, isn’t it ?  Breakfast bar built in with the granite counters.  COUNTERS ... miles of counter space. Accent brick wall with ready mounts and electricity for a flat screen tv. You’ll always have good sunlight with the floor to ceiling 92 inch beautiful bay window, and it extends the room another 2 feet!

OK, I know I’ll never pull you away to see the rest of the house till you explore this fabulous new kitchen. 

Look what you get !

   215 square feet of fabulous kitchen

   26 linear ft of counter space giving you 59 sq ft of working space

   Granite counter tops with stone work back splash

   All new stainless steel appliances (GE Profile series)

   French Door 25 cubic foot refrigerator with in door water and ice dispenser

   Range hood with halogen lights and four speed fan

   30 inch self cleaning convection electric range

   Stainless steel tub dishwasher

   42” new cabinets, soft close drawers, wide pull out shelves, two corner lazy Susans

   Under cabinet dimmable recessed LED lights, great lighting for food prep, nice for night light

   LED ceiling lights with dimmer

   Ceramic tile floor in kitchen, hallway and powder room

I know the kitchen is hard to leave behind ... can you imagine the cooking you can do in this kitchen !!!    But let me pull you away and show you the spectacular new hardwood floors.

All new ... all over ... and aren’t they a pretty light wood ?

You have a generous 333 square foot Living and adjoining Dining giving you the space for your piano, to arrange a music alcove, media area, study nook.  The floor to ceiling brick working fireplace with slate hearth gives the area a warm glow.  French doors lead to your perfectly private and roomy back yard !  This is just what you were dreaming of, a big back yard, and the convenience of close in city living.  What a wonderful place to escape to !  Where is that hammock ?  

Step out on the Patio with me.  WOW !  So much room !  What do you see yourself doing out here next summer?  Parties?  Gardening? Hammock? Relaxing dinner? Morning coffee while listening to the birds sing?

I didn’t leave the patio furniture here cuz I knew you’d sit down and stay a spell ....  and I want you to see so much more this house has to offer ... come on ...

Back inside, here’s your Dining Room right off that beautiful Kitchen and with two large windows looking out to the greenery of your very own back yard !

Need a stop in the Powder Room before we head upstairs ?  All beautifully and tastefully remodeled in here too.

Come on ... up the sweeping hardwood stairs we go ......

Oh !  Look at that Master Bedroom !  Two big windows with generous window seats !  Beautiful brand new hardwood floors.  Not refinished, Brand New ! 

WOW - two 50” south facing window seats, what a wonderful place for that first cup of morning coffee, to read the paper  ..... wide enough for two ....  or long enough to really cozy up with a book.

Step around the corner here to the dressing area.  Three generous closets, two with sliding mirrored doors.  Enough space for you?  You don’t see this kind of spaciousness in homes being built today. 

And take a look at the all new bathroom !  Clever use of space with the packet door, don’t you think?  You have a sink, acres of counter, tons of drawers and cabinets here in the dressing area.

In the Bathroom we switch from hardwood to stone and ceramic.  Have you ever seen a lovelier shower ?  No no no ... hang on ... you can’t try it out just yet !   Another sink with more counter and cabinet space.

We’re only about halfway thru the house !

Two more bedrooms.. Generous.  Nice closets.   Wonderful Window Seats ! 

These rooms share a fully remodeled bath.

Kids ? Exercise room?  Office?  Craft room ?  What will YOU do here ?

You’ve already seen more space in this home than you will in most .... and there’s more !  Let’s head downstairs to the Family Room.

WOW !  This house is just full of WOWs.   The entire basement was just done in floating vinyl simulating hardwood ....  almost impossible to tell where the wood stopped and the vinyl started, wasn’t it? 

Your Family Room is HUGE ...  with a full brick wall, hearth and working fireplace.  And you get a walk out to the beautiful back yard.  This could be a spectacular multi media room, playroom, game room, plenty big enough for a pool table or ping pong.

New LED ceiling lights for no heat and low energy, with a dimmer in Family Room for romantic fireplace time or movie watching.

Oh, and did you notice all that build in storage?  Absolutely miles of shelves. 105 square feet of shelving to be exact. Room for big things, little things, holiday decorations, out of season items, and .....  Automatic lights that come on when you open either of the two storage area doors !

In addition to all the storage in the here ... look under the steps ... and they even finished the floor.  That’s the kind of love and care that was taken when this house was remodeled. 

So what do you think?  Ready to head up?  Need to stop in this lovely remodeled Powder Room?  Yes, a bathroom on every level sure makes it convenient for you and guests alike!

Oh, wait ... one last room ...  here is your Laundry and Hobby room !!  Beautiful floors, great lighting, nicely finished, beautiful floors.  Washer and dryer convey.  No dingy dark depressing laundry room in this house !!! 

So what do you think?  Is this home lovely?     Will your next address be 5409 Richenbacher Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304-2036?  Are you ready to move in?  Talk to your Real Estate Agent or call Kerry Hilliard at Rikki’s Realty at 540-854-6166 TODAY !

YOU could be living here by Christmas !   Imagine this home decorated for YOUR holidays !!

If you haven’t been inside to see this house yet, have your Realtor visit with you today !! 

Kerry Hilliard

Rikki’s Realty

540-854-6166

MRIS MLS# AX8496598

PS: This home is seeking the purrfect new owner !!!    Ideal for pet lovers !!!  Spectacular kitty home, and great for your dawggie too !!  BIG beautiful sunny windows, four giant window seats, huge bay window, French door to giant privacy fenced back yard.  Easy clean all new hardwood floors.  Miles of granite counters in brand new kitchen. Best of all ... NO HOA, no rules, no dues !!!  2 blocks to merto bus, 2 mile to Van Dorn Metro Rail.  OPEN HOUSE, come by and visit, 1 pm - 4 pm Sunday, November 23, 2014 !!!   You won't be sorry !!!  It's really a very lovely home.