Thursday, March 27, 2008

"Thanks from Iraq"

Dear Marvin and all the staff at the RISPCA,




My name is SPC Renee Santos. I am with the 169th Military Police Company from Warren, RI. We are currently stationed in Iraq. I stopped in there in February on my leave and you graciously gave us vaccines for the two dogs we are taking care of out there. Unfortunately one of them died before I returned, but our Casey is still striving. I wanted to thank you on behalf of my squad for helping us get her vaccinated. Although we are not supposed to have pets here, Casey has become a part of our family. We found her as a puppy and she is growing into quite a big dog. She has boosted the morale of the squad helping to make this place feel more like home. She has taken on the role of protector for the squad, especially for myself and SPC Bethany Burdick the other female in the squad. Thanks to your donations of vaccines we were able to get her certified as a force protection dog. This means that she is now officially part of the US military and will hopefully grant her a long life. Dogs here are not treated as pets like in the US and tend to not get care and are a lot of times mistreated or killed. So now hopefully when we have to leave, even though we will have to leave Casey behind, we will feel better knowing that she will be cared for by US troops and hopefully have a good long life.




Thank you again for helping the newest member of our squad and family, Casey,




SPC Renee Santos and the members of the 169th Military Police Company
1st Platoon

2nd Squad




See this image full size with all of the members of the squad shown here identified.

Ponaganset Career Day

Renee Rogers, C.V. T.
Renee and her dog Lana meet with students at Ponaganset High School during their Career Day. Renee, Laurelin Sitterly and student observer Laura
hosted a table with information about Humane Education.
Seen in the Valley Breeze and Observer - March 6, 2008

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Husky Update

Feb. 26, 2008 -www.projo.com

"Glocester man charged in dog mistreatment"


Note from RISPCA -

3/24: All of the huskies involved in this cruelty case are doing well. The adults have reached normal weight, and the puppies are thriving. The court case has been continued and we will keep you informed.

3/14: The conference has been delayed for 2 wks.This case goes to pre-trial conference before the 6th District Court on March 13. The Husky puppies are NOT AVAILABLE for adoption and will not be until the judge renders a decision.

Harold - Adoption Update

Harold the 3 yr old tabby was adopted by an 89 yr old gentleman whose previous cat had passed away. The lady who brought Harold's new owner to the shelter wrote us , "it was a match made in heaven. Harold now follows him around like a puppy and of course sleeps with him at night.....He was so hoping for a grey tiger. Low and behold Harold!"

updates: Alice

updates: Alice
Alice on MSN Video - views: 122690 in approx. 24 hrs - Mar 24

Alice on MSNBC - WJAR-TV - Providence
"SPCA Puts Fat Cat On Diet" - Mar 24

Alice featured on Turnto10.com - see story and video broadcast
"Fat Cat Serves As Warning To Pet Owners" - Mar 24

Alice featured on ABC 6 NEWS "Pick of the Litter" Mar. 25


Monday, March 24, 2008

Alice

"Obesity is the unreported cruelty," states Dr. E. J. Finocchio, as "obese cats are predisposed to diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and other medical issues. You should always consult your veterinarian to get the proper diet for your cat."





Take the case of Alice, who was surrendered to the RISPCA weighing in at 26 LBS. Her mobility is so limited due to her size, that her breathing is affected - she pants quite a bit. She normally walks a few steps and then needs to rest. She cannot jump in and out of her cage and needs to be picked up for this. In addition, she is unable to clean herself, and this is really tough for a feline.

And that's not all - some visitors to the shelter were overhead laughing and making fun of Alice. Which prompted a staff member to post a note that said, "Yes, I'm fat...but its NOT funny." For any of us who have tried to lose a few extra pounds, you can sympathize with a animal who needs to lose half of her body weight. One child was moved by Alice's plight and sent a get well card to her.









She was given a bath the other day by staff and we let her sit in a sunny windowsill ( with someone who could stand next to her) while she warmed up. She actually started to groom her paws a bit. Alice is now on veterinary weight management food and we are hoping that she can get down to at least 13 LBS.









Her weight as of 3/24/08 is 22 LBS 13 oz.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Anne Fisher - RISPCA's Animal Control Officer of 2007

Writes Anne Fisher of the Richmond Police Department, " I am honored to receive this award and I am very happy and proud to be the Animal Control Officer for the Town of Richmond for I have worked hard for many years to make this Division what it is today. Again, I Love My Job!"
She also wanted to thank everyone who nominated her and included those "Critters" who appreciated her work.
Read about the Kid, Cat, and Dog of the Year Here.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

A dog's new life!


This is Zeneck, a 9 year old Boston Terrier who was relinquished to us in January. She's a little on the elderly side...was a little chubby..and was in need of simple surgery for her "cherry eye", which she had most certainly had for years. She was unspayed and had obviously been bred at some point in her life. At 9 years old, she suddenly found herself in cinderblocks and chainlink at the shelter. And who, we wondered, would welcome an old, "imperfect" girl into their home? Her personality more than made up for her "flaws," but would someone else think so? We had her spayed and had her cherry eye repaired and crossed our fingers....
It turns out...YES! She was adopted soon after.
And just today we got a wonderful, uplifting letter from her new mom:
"We are in love with Zeneck! She fits so great into our family......last weekend, we drove off road to the beach. My husband jumped into Cape Cod Bay (very cold). Zenick jumped right in and swam around him...needless to say, everyone loves her. Her and Lola" (their other Boston Terrier, and new sister) "can run and run and love the companionship. She has become one of the family. P.S. She has already lost weight and can jump in the truck now. Before we had to pick her up!"
Thanks so much to her new family for opening their hearts to an older dog. We are so happy for her, and it goes to show that good things come to those who wait. It took her 9 years, but now she seems to have found her storybook ending!
Also, I'd love to take this chance to point out how very, very much it means to us shelter employees when our adopters drop us a note to let us know that they love their new pet. We see lots of sad situations every day, and it is letters and stories like this one that keep our spirits lifted and remind us of why we are here everyday...and for that, all of us here would like to thank Zeneck's mom for her wonderful letter!
-------------------------
Renee Rogers, CVT
Veterinary Technician
Rhode Island SPCA

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Volunteers for Orphaned Kittens Needed

The need for foster parents varies
according to the time of year.
During kitten season (early spring through early fall)
we need foster parents willing to open their
homes to pregnant and nursing mother cats
and orphaned kittens who may need to be bottle
fed until they’re ready for adoption.
This position requires a truly committed individual,
as sometimes animals may need to be in foster care
for up to eight weeks or longer.


Read about Caring for Orphaned Kittens as a RISPCA foster parent here.

Email Volunteer Coordinator Liz

"A Vision of Time" Clocks Donate Proceeds


A big thank you to Stephen and friends at
A Vision of Time
for their great idea of donating 5% of proceeds from all of their animal clocks to the RISPCA. They have already brought a dog and cat clock to the shelter so visitors can see them. These unique clocks are taken from your photograph ( dogs, cats, kids, wedding, etc.) and the animals tails swing back and forth. The black & white cat clock at left is "Cookie" who was actually adopted from our shelter. Check out their website and see samples of them actually moving.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Companion Rabbit Seminar this Saturday

Walter (left) is our Pick of the Litter today and is available at Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue.
He's a 5 month old neutered male and is litterbox trained. Walter is just one of the 150-200 buns that Sweet Binks takes in every year. If you're thinking of adopting a bunny or already have one and like to learn more, come to the FREE Seminar this Saturday at the RISPCA.
Topics covered will include lifting & handling, indoor housing options, nail-trimming techniques, proper diet, and more.

Although the seminar is free, donations are gratefully accepted. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

For more info call: 401-623-1340 or www.sweetbinks.org
March 22, 2008 10:30 am - 1:30 pm

Monday, March 17, 2008

Nina Adopted - Pick of the Litter 3/11/08


Nina has the luck of the Irish today when she's adopted on St. Patrick's and goes to her new home. She was featured last week on Pick of the Litter at ABC 6 News. Ditto for beautiful German Shephard Gina who was adopted too.

Summer Camp 2008 is Coming Soon



Registration Day for summer camp is April 5 and you can click here to check our calendar for the upcoming camp starting in July.

"EJ & Marvin" at Dog Time.com



Have you ever wondered how best friends Marvin and Dr. Finocchio got together? Here's the story of how they met, how he was introduced to family members, and became inseparable. Here is the story at www.DogTime.com

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

6th Annual Horse Ride with Dr. Finocchio


6th Annual Horse Ride
Godddard Memorial Park
Horseman's Area
B*Y*O*H - Bring your own horse!
Cost $20.00 per rider Please call RISPCA for a sponsor sheet. Prizes for the 3 highest fundraisers (Jr & Sr.) Sign in at 10AM - Ride begins at 11AM Lunch will be served and all riders receive a RISPCA T Shirt. Many prizes and raffle items. Proceeds will go to help provide food, shelter, and medical attention for the animals at the RISPCA. Contact Julie at 401-438-8150

You can download the pledge sheet to print out HERE

Monday, March 10, 2008

Local children open their hearts with donations


Max Legassey and Marvin with birthday donation

Local children have come up with a wonderful way to help our animals at their birthday parties. Instead of presents, they ask their friends to bring food and toys for our cats and dogs.As seen from all of the gifts that Max brought to our shelter, these children are truly generous and helped him celebrate his 7th birthday in a very special way.



Christopher Grant's friends helped him celebrate his 10th birthday by bringing food donations, toys, and blankets for our animals


Thank you to Miss McCarthy's 7th grade class
St. Mary's Academy - Bayview, Pawtucket

They collected blankets, food, and treats for the animals at our shelter.

Home room representative Alissa Musto is seen here with Marvin and donations.

"Paw"traits 2008



Pawtraits - The RISPCA and fosteringArts.org - April 20th through May 17th
An exhibit and sale of portraits of rescued shelter animals AND an exhibit and sale of Marvelous Marvin's original watercolor paintings. Proceeds to benefit the "Marvin Fund" at the RISPCA.
Opening Reception: Sunday, April 20th 1:00PM to 3:00 PM - RISPCA Auditorium
Artwork above left "Equus" by Marvin.
Above right courtesy Gloria Merchant. See the original in our shelter.

Happy Tail Adoption Update


Angel finds her home after being featured on Pick of the Litter Feb. 12th
Seen here curled up with young friend, it looks like they read "Marvelous Marvin" before bedtime.