This week's ABC6 "Pick of the Litter" is Peanut, a quiet and affectionate 8 year old cat. He was brought to the Rhode Island SPCA because his owner was ill and has quickly become a staff favorite. Peanut needs to lose weight, so his new owner will have to keep him on a strict diet. If you are interested in adopting Peanut, come to the RISPCA to fill out an application.
This week's ABC6 "Pick of the Litter" is Lacey, a quiet, sweet 12 year old Cocker Spaniel who was brought to the RISPCA because her owner could not afford to take care of her anymore. This senior Cocker Spaniel is looking for a quiet, loving home to live out her golden years. If you are interested in adopting Lacey, come to the RISPCA to fill out an application.
This week's ABC6 "Pick of the Litter" is Coco, a 5 year old Lab/Greyhound mix. Coco has been at the RISPCA for a few months and is ready for her new home. She is a very sweet, playful dog who will probably do best as the only dog in the home.
This week's ABC6 "Pick of the Litter" is Maggie, a 3 year old, spayed female. When she came to the RISPCA she was pregnant. All of her kittens have been adopted, now it is Maggie's turn for a new home! She is a volunteer favorite who is very tolerant and loves to be brushed. She will do well in most homes.
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November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet-Month, find out how you can help support the RISPCA by checking out November's eNewsletter. Bailey, (pictured right) is the star of this month's "happy tail."
This week's ABC6 "Pick of the Litter" is a pair of 6 and a half week old miniature Dachshund puppies. Their pregnant mother was confiscated from a hoarding situation involving 70 dogs a few months ago. Sophie and Harley are the last two still waiting to find homes from the litter of four. They will weigh 8 or 9 pounds as adults. If you are interested in adopting one of the puppies, come to the RISPCA to fill out an application!
Make sure you are up to date on RISPCA news and upcoming events - check out September's eNewsletter to read more about BG, (pictured right) this month's featured adoptable pet!
It's been a busy week for our boy Auggie. He hit a speed bump health-wise mid week and had us worried, but he's back on the road to recovery! With his bloodwork results in hand, we're moving ahead with treatment and carefully constructed diet, and he's responding wonderfully. August's breathing has quieted a good deal, and his strength improves every day! We have received generous donations of fresh food from friends and local businesses, and he's thriving on his healthy diet. Some of his staples are: chard, kale, red leaf lettuce, collard greens, blueberries, melon and strawberries (his favorite).
This weekend, we moved into a new home, and August moved with us! This new house has a big porch, and we took the opportunity to construct him a safe, healthy outdoor play area where he can spend supervised time on sunny days. The natural sunlight and exercise on uneven terrain are both doctor recommended and very important for his recovery. We hope, once he is healthy, he will find a home where he can have a great outdoor escape like this for the summer time (you can even plant live, edible plants in there!).
August is very personable with us and with visitors, and is loving is new life ... a life he couldn't have had alone! We would like to thank again Dr. Daly and Dr. Brown for their excellent continued care of August, and all the people who have been following his story and contributing to his recovery. It can be harder for people to relate to exotics such as August than it is to relate to animals like dogs and cats. However, Auggie's current success is a tribute to the kind, animal loving community that we are proud to live in.
This week started with August feeling well enough to begin short trips outside to get some all-important natural sunlight. He seemed to really enjoy his short romp in the (chemical free!) back yard of some friends. He explored the lawn, poked around the paving stones, and basked a bit in the sun. He still tires out quickly, so we took it easy this first time ... but we are hoping for more great weather so that we can continue with our outings as his health improves!
Cats. Wonderous, mercurial beasts. We sure do have a bunch of 'em. Let's meet them!
It's Tuesday again, and that means it's time for our twice weekly trip to The Edge in Providence with our Cafe Dogs program! This week, staff members Shawna and Lisa W. caused quite a stir with Cooper, a gregarious, lovable wiggle of a dog. Cooper is a young neutered male bully mix, and you couldn't find a better dog. He was on best behavior at The Edge, and reportedly made it his mission to personally greet everyone who ventured near his corner of sidewalk. He managed to con some tasty homem
ade dog biscuits out of a passing admirer as well! It was a great day for an outing, and we can only hope to have more wonderful, sunny days to enjoy with our friends on Wayland Avenue. We're starting to hear a bunch of buzz about our Cafe Dogs program, so come see what it's all about! Stop by any (dry) Tuesday or Thursday from 11:30 - 1:30 this summer for a chance to hang out with RISPCA staff and meet one of our great adoptable dogs, all over one of the best cups of coffee in the city.
We are (very!) glad to report that things are starting to look hopeful for August...and that he is gathering quite a fan base! His declining health prompted us to seek further specialist care. Funded by generous donations for that purpose, August traveled to Ocean State Veterinary Specialists on Friday to see exotics specialist Dr. Cyndi Brown and her team. After an extensive exam, a new drug regimen was prescribed and blood was drawn for further tests. Initial findings were that August is severely anemic and deficient in a number of areas. With his new drugs and an specialized feeding plan in place, things are looking up for our ailing chelonian. He is now eating very well (his new favorite treat is strawberries), and is thriving under the watchful eye of his buddy Bula.
shops, but the correct information required for their care is much harder to come by. Many well-meaning keepers end up with malnourished, ill and sometimes disfigured pets -if they survive at all -due to the abundance of poor information out there. One thing that has become clear is that the majority of August's problems stem not just from being abandoned in an unfamiliar environment, but also from a life-long lack of adequate care. In caring for August, we have utilized such resources as The Tortoise Trust forum and online library, consultations with Red Foot Tortoise keepers from Ross University and discussions with multiple veterinary experts in the area... and we suggest that any aspiring reptile keeper do the same. We hope that August and his story will encourage people to think twice before acquiring an exotic pet!
We generally try to avoid going to maximum capacity in the dogs kennels here at the Rhode Island SPCA. It's always a good idea to leave one or two kennels open in case of an emergency, but sometimes it happens that every kennel is occupied. That happened this past Thursday, June 10. Here's a quick tour of the kennels from that day. (Please note, some of these animals may have been adopted by the time you watch this video. That'll happen with cute critters.)
August is hanging in there, and got a chance yesterday to stretch his legs and explore his foster-home a bit. He is very curious, but tires out very easily, and started to go downhill last night. His appetite has slacked off, and this morning he could not keep his food down. This prompted us to take him back in to see Dr. Daly. The good news is that he has put on a little weight, and started eating a bit more this afternoon. The bad news is that, after taking x-rays, Dr. Daly discovered that Auggie has fluid in his lungs: pneumonia.
As a tropical species, August (like other Red Footed tortoises) is designed to handle hot, wet temperatures: 90* or even higher, with plenty of humidity. In the wild he would never encounter conditions like our chilly springs here in RI. By dumping an animal like August outside, an irresponsible owner is guaranteeing them illness...or worse. Lucky for Auggie, a concerned citizen took the time to get him the help he needs. Now it is our job to do what we can for him, and that's just what we plan to do. August will have a long, hard road ahead of him, but he is now in good hands. Please, consider sponsoring August; any amount that you give will go a long way to paying for the expensive treatments he will need to get healthy. It is unfortunate that it is so much more costly to treat a tortoise than it is to treat a dog or cat with a similar illness. However, if August can receive the care he needs, he will be able to settle in for a long, long healthy life - tortoises can live up to a hundred years, or even more!
treatment (we strongly suspect that parasites are the reason for his upset stomach), and is now basking comfortably under his spotlight. He does not enjoy his medications, but he does very much enjoy his bribes: fresh mango! For now, his new friend Bula is keeping careful watch over him and seems quite concerned with is progress:
Please check back to follow August's progress and to read other stories from around the RISPCA!
