Close-ups? Ready for 'em

Just a quick thank you to Maria Giannini, who volunteers her time and considerable skills to make our many awesome adoptables look fantastic. A good picture is invaluable in the animal adoption biz and Maria takes the best! Thanks as always Maria!

August in June: Fourth Edition

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!

Auggie is now relaxing at home, enjoying some fresh greens generously donated by Whole Foods Market on Waterman Ave. in Providence. He is not a huge fan of his meds, but he's a good sport, and will do just about anything for a piece of strawberry. Thanks for following August's story, and please, continue to check back to see how he's doing!

Quick Tour of the Cat Room

Cats. Wonderous, mercurial beasts. We sure do have a bunch of 'em. Let's meet them!

Cafe Dogs 6-15-10

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 homemade 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.

Adoptions 6/7 - 6/14

We are happy to announce that we had 17 adoptions last week! We wish Brooke, Jill, Winston, Pinky, Blacky, Chesney, Humphrey, Gabbie, Mitten, Layla, King, Dartagnan, Hamlet, Bipity, Pokey, Willow, Horatio, and their new owners many happy years together!

Help us find homes for even more of our friends this week, come to the RISPCA and look for your new best friend!

August In June: Third Installment

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.


Sadly, exotic species like tortoises are readily available in specialty pet 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!

August sure has a long road ahead, but his future is looking pretty good thanks to a generous and caring team of people. We have some short back yard outings planned to catch some rays once the weather improves (besides being fun, sunlight is very important for reptile development). Please check back regularly to hear more about August and his adventures!

Full House in the Kennel

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.)