"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

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

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.

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.