GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS - YOU make THE difference
Wanda, Buttercup, Rick, Reese, Clarence, Buzz, Catina, Norman, Beauty,
Doug, Tony, Obie .... missing from
photo but working hard, Lauren, Katie, Willie, Opie, and on the roof Peter,
Paul, Perry, and Pat.
Good Morning !!! I want to take a few moments --- out of that
cold and the constant breaking up of ice and refilling water bowls -- to sit
down here with a warm cup of tea and chat with you. Opie seems to have taken over all the fun parts of running the
refuge, like talking to YOU.
The Three Little Pigs first winter ! Destined for market at four months old ...
they'd never know the feel of snow under their hooves if it wasn't for YOU !
Did you know that in sub
freezing weather, the humans here at Rikki's need to work thru the night to
keep everyone safe and protected? And
they do it without a complaint. They
spilt up, they take shifts, they each take a section. Water gets checked and changed every 4 hours .... all thru the day and night.
Did you know that, especially with elderly animals, going even a few hours
without being able to get some water can harm their kidneys? And what if somebody tosses somebody else
out of the warm nest in the middle of the night?
Being a cat is GOOD. Not only do I have an all natural fur coat that keeps me
warm. I can just WATCH as the hoomans
carry hundreds and hundreds of buckets of water to fill water when the hoses
are frozen. Did you know it takes 20
buckets to fill just one of dozens of livestock water bowls?
It's not just water ... food consumption goes up the colder it
gets. Where do you get the fat and the
fur and the feathers and the energy to burn to keep you warm .... FOOD
!!!! Be it corn ... oh so much cracked
corn in the winter for the birds ....
or hay ... or canned cat and dog food.
Consumption all the way round is UP and the temp goes DOWN.
By fall, Rikki's funds drop
so low we worry every day, we beg, we borrow.
Giving picks up as the holidays approach and as end of year giving and
getting for resolutions in the new year approach.
Milo, our official unicorn (really, it was a
botched home de-horning job before he came to know the safety of Rikki's
Refuge) and CJ (who's been grinning ever since you saved her life) grinning at
the snow !!
We must supply a steady level
of care ... and lots of food ... all year round. Not just the last month of the year! We must keep up the feeding, medical care, housing and cleaning
of the animals in the months our donors are vacationing and don't have spare
money for the animals. In the months
they are struggling with bills. When
they're outfitting their kids to go off to school. Every month is just as important as the next here at
Rikki's.
Seriously, Hooman? YOU still have to scrub everything clean when it's snowing? I'm glad I'm a cat. Hoomans never quit workin round here! Goliath .... happy at Rikki's where he can run and climb trees and be a wild
boy, at tried the adoption route and being indoors and it wasn't for him,
returned and returned .... till he made
his way to HIS HAPPY HOME at Rikki's Refuge !!
And that is why we count on YOU to help us with the big end of year DOUBLE YOUR
DONATION challenge. The fund is
calculated to get us thru the winter, to keep the pantries filled, to feed
meals of hay and grain when there is snow on the fields, to keep every one warm
and happy and well fed. To provide for
those emergency medical issues that come up so unexpected.
Always together .... no matter what .... absolute
loyalty and devotion .... You find it
in the strangest mixes at Rikki's Refuge where love blossoms in so many ways !
If you help us real our goal with this end of year challenge ..... together, we'll make it thru 2018 !!!
Thank you for always being there. So
many of you I miss being able to sit down and talk to. Who knew when I left to "do"
Rikki's almost 20 years ago ..... Yes,
Aug 14, 2018 will be the official 20 year mark .... that it would become the obsession of my life.
Do I ever get tired of it? Tired of the
hard work, tired of the long nights, tired of seeing the sad faces that come to
us? Yes, oh yes I do. Tired of seeing those sad faces become
happy, tired of seeing someone they said would never walk again out climbing
trees !! No, oh no I don't !!!! And it makes all the hard parts so totally
worthwhile !!!!
The geese never tire of any weather .... let it rain
... let it snow .... they LOVE nature .... and they love YOU for letting them
live a beautiful natural life.
At Rikki's, the Christmas Goose is a HAPPY goose !
Thank you for loving the animals like I do ..... You keep sending those funds to make this happen, and I'll keep
scooping that poop, breaking up that ice, carrying the sick ones to their
doctors, and sending you photos of the smiling faces YOU have given that second
chance of happiness !!!
Nooooooo ..... DADDY .... what IS that horrible
white stuff all over ??? Don't make me step in it !!!!!!! Mouky, who came from
Egypt a couple of years ago, once paralyzed hind legs, now leaps to tall
shoulders in a single bound when he stepped out this morning and discovered
.... snow ..... !!!!!
May your 2018 be as wonderful
as the 2018 YOU will give to Rikki's Refuge !!! Back to the salt ice mines! Kerry
LAST MINUTE DONATIONS
ON-SITE
The Rikki's Refuge LIFE
CENTER will be open for last minute donations ($$, food, goods for our thrift
shop!) from 11:30 - 2:30 pm SATURDAY (Saturday, December 30).
We are at 21410 Constitution
Hwy, Rapidan, VA (at the corner of Route 20/Quarterhorse) with a row of
mailboxes in front). The gate will be open!!
Drop off your check for the
End of Year DOUBLE Your DONATION Challenge!
mail@paypal.com thru your
paypal account
or mail a check dated in 2017
to
Rikki's Refuge, PO Box 1357,
Orange VA 22960, USA
When you visit the Vincent D.
Cat Memorial Life Center for Donation Drop off on Saturdays between 12 and 2 AND
drop off your donation .... you can
visit with the cats there, and with the sheep and goats and horses and the cows
!!!! It's not a full a tour, but you
can bring treats of fruits and veggies to feed them ... well not the cats
... but only healthy natural fruits and
veggies .... no bread or cookies please
!!!
APPRECIATED SECURITY
DONATIONS MAKE GOOD GOAT SENSE
Would you like a year-end tax
deduction that may SIGNIFICANTLY lower your tax obligation AND help Rikki's
Refuge too?
Consider donating stocks,
bonds or mutual funds.
When you give a gift of
publicly traded stock that you have owned for more than one year and has
increased in value, you may realize greater tax benefits than by giving a cash
donation. YOUR charitable income tax
deduction becomes equal to the fair market value of the appreciated stock. You may also avoid paying capital gains tax
on any increase in the current value over the original cost of the stock. AND because you are transferring ownership of
the stock, not selling it, you may save the brokerage fees, too.
When you donate stock directly to Rikki's, your contribution and tax deduction
may instantly increase over 20%. When
you donate bonds or mutual funds, the same rules apply.
It's a win-win strategy!
You get a tremendous tax break and the 1,300 residents of Rikki's get food,
shelter, medical care and lots of love! Get out that portfolio and put your stock broker or accountant to
work at the end of 2017!
HELP KEEP
SMOKEY JOE SINGING!
—Donate now at www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe !!!—
AMAZING END OF YEAR DOUBLE YOUR DONATION CHALLENGE
We have a generous sponsor who is wants a tax break as
much as YOU do! They will DOUBLE all donations UP TO $52,775 NOW through
December 31 at 11:59 pm! Wouldn't you rather donate your money to Uncle Vincent
Cat at RIKKI'S REFUGE (yes!) than to Uncle Sam?!
FA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA!
SINGS SMOKEY JOE !!!!
Donate now at www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe
!!!!
Hurry Hurry Hurry
LAST CHANCE !!!!!
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION !!!!
HELP Rikki's Refuge No-Kill
Life-Care Multi-Species Sanctuary raise the funds they need to continue
operations in 2018.
All Donations thru 2017 will
be MATCHED and DOUBLED by special donors.
mail@paypal.com if you'd like
to go thru your paypal account
or mail a check dated in 2017
to
Rikki's Refuge, PO Box 1357,
Orange VA 22960, USA
These funds are absolutely
vital to our on-going efforts to save lives each and every day in 2018 !!!
Please, won't you help? NO donation is too small. Just $1 feeds four meals !!
Please help, donate and SHARE
.... urge all your FRIENDS to help and SHARE TOO !
Thank you from the almost
1300 animals of 22 species who call Rikki's Refuge HOME !
NEW YEARS DAY NATURE HIKE
It's gonna be a COLD one folks !!!! And it might be white! Absolutely positively last chance to sign up for the traditional wild and wonderful, all pristine, get lots in the woods, nature hike !!! Not for the feint of heart or if you're not up to serious trekin! Noon on New Years Day. RSVP events@RikkisRefuge.org
OR STAY WARM AT RE-TAIL
Thank you for making Re-Tail
.... Rikki's very own thrift shop so
very successful !!! We thank you for
your gently used donation of furniture, household items, toys, clothing and
equipment !!! It's been a wonderful
success selling your items so we can buy food for the animals !!
THANK
YOU FOR LOVING
ALL OF US AND
TAKING THE TIME
TO SAVE A
LIFE TODAY
CUZ EVERY
ONE OF US MATTER S
DON'T
YOU THINK ?
Love,
Opie
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960
And please come see me soon !!
In the mean time, Keep up with us on Facebook and
you'll get the minute to minute details about what's going on at Rikki's Refuge
.... you'll be the first to see the new residents .... and the first to know
about up coming events !!!
Rikki's Refuge
Opie and
Vincent's Page
Duke's Page
Re-Tail Thrift Store in Fredericksburg
The Duke Thomas Peabody Antique and Collectables
Shoppe in Culpeper
Opie's and Mom's Purrsonal Profile
Vincent D. Cat's Gathering Place, a place to hang
out, chat, and have fun
Kitty Litter-Ature
Rikki's Crazy Cat Person Club
For the Love of Black Cats
Our Website
Rikki's Refuge
is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc., an IRS 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit Virginia Corporation. Federal Tax-ID 54-1911042. Your donations
provide direct support. A financial statement is available upon written request
from the Virginia State Office of Consumer Affairs.
