On the Sixth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,
six lizards a lazing,

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

five guinea pigs a gnawing,
four elderly equines,
three burly bossy bovines,
two rabbits a mating,
and a chukar in a cherry tree.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

four elderly equines,
three burly bossy bovines,
two rabbits a mating,
and a chukar in a cherry tree.

Today we have 13 elderly horses,

1 elderly mini horse and

2 donkeys !

And it costs a LOT to feed them all winter long. Well, really, every day all year round !! They elderly ones need special senior equine food and it’s gone up to $23.50 a bag. The donkeys are special needs and need food that costs a little more.

Would you consider donating a bag of feed for one of our equines this holiday season?

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Third Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

three burly bossy bovines,

two rabbits a mating,

and a chukar in a cherry tree.

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Second Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s

two rabbits a mating,

and a chukar in a cherry tree.

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

MY WHAT A FOGGY MORNING !!

But we’re happy to trade the well below freezing mornings for warmer fog today !

Fog adds a whole other level of complication and time to morning head count.

Every morning and every evening every resident has to pass a quick health check. When you take care of animals, you need to know the instant someone isn’t feeling well so they can get what they need right away. Making eye contact and checking each one’s demeanor is the quickest way to see if something is slightly off. The hoomans know every animal, their personality, how they act, what’s usual and what seems off. It’s a lot easier when you can clearly see them with your headlamps, but in the fog … oh my !!!

YOUR tax deductible contribution makes it possible for the animals to have the best care
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge

The sheep are sitting lazily around this afternoon ….

out in the cold rain … not much weather seems to bother them or makes them want to go inside.

On the First Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

a chukar in a cherry tree.

We rescued three more chukars in November.

Chukars are ground dwelling birds, they’d rather run and hide than fly to escape danger. Apparently this makes them popular with hunt clubs. They’re often used as bait to train dogs on. And for canned hunts, where they’re raised captive, and then suddenly released for the hunt. Not having been in the wild, they don’t know how to protect themselves from predators, human or dog. Most are killed. A few escape with injuries. Very few escape to survive in the wild. Most of the chukars who live with us now had been injured and left to die. Thankfully these three new ones are healing well, and will live a safe protected life here at Rikki’s Refuge in Chukar Chalet.

YOUR support helps animals like Chad, Cyrus and Caroline LIVE. It pays for the wound care, emotional support during their healing, and their daily care, food and housing for the rest of their natural and happy lives.

Please think about a $25 gift to Rikki’s Refuge Chukar Chalet.

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge

This has been a really bad day. It started when SHE was in the rain box for so long. I screamed and screamed. I scratched at the glass. But I couldn’t get the door open. I knew SHE was going to drown. And SHE hadn’t even fed-ed me Breakfast yet !!! If SHE drown-ed who’d feed me? I was scared. And I screamed. Finally SHE got out. And then I gotted my favorite breakfast. When I went back to bed …

bad Sylvestra had taked my nice warm heated bed by the window. I was mad. But if I tell Sylvestra I’s mad, she probably grown and smack me. Then here comes Charlie… I mean I love Charlie. But he thinks I’m his mommen and he always wants me to lick his face. I was just tired and wanted to go back to bed. The sun was already up. I needed my sleep. Sigh ….. I guess SHE go-ed away somewhere, cus SHE came back and scratched my ears. And my ear was itchy. So SHE did horrible things to me. Horrible I tell you. SHE called for Uncle Kirk to come help. I knew it was going to be bad when SHE put me on the table. I’m glad my hoomans are vegetarians, so I knew they weren’t gonna eat me or anything like that. SHE put those sticks in my ear and pulled out gunk. It wasn’t so bad. It felt nice to get the itchy gunk out. But then it got BAD. SHE tried to squirt water gunk in my ear!! Right in my ear!! That is really NOT nice. So I shook my head and it got all over HER and Uncle. Then SHE said to Uncle, hold him tighter, don’t let him shake. TIGHTER? I was already not breathing!!! So SHE put more stuff in my ear. And it just scared the pee out a me. Uncle said, I hear something dripping, oh, it’s the cat, it’s peeing all over. Well SHE thought Uncle meant Leo was peeing. Cus one of our potty stations was right there and Leo pees on puppy pads cus he can’t get his legs into a litterbox. He got hurted like me when he was a little baby and his legs don’t work. Maybe later they will. Like SHE helped to get my legs working some. But anyway. It wasn’t Leo peeing. And SHE just kept gushing my ear around and not letting me shake my head and I was so scared I just peed and peed. When SHE finished with me and let me get on the floor and scoot away. SHE said, OH the table is all wet, OH the floor, OH Uncle … your pants … oh no did it get in your shoes? I hope it did, cus it was mean to do that to me. But the good thing is my ear does feel better, and now I don’t have to climb up and into a litterbox. And I think I’m going to bed. Maybe tomorrow be better.
Love, Timmy
aka Timothy L. Cat, official Senior Spokes Cat for Rikki’s Refuge

Do YOU know what this is?

It’s frozen poop!! Did YOU guess right? And do you know what we, at Rikki’s Refuge Animal Sanctuary, do with it before the sun come up, and again after the sun goes down? Scoop it up. Whack it to break it loose. Chip at it. When it’s barely above freezing all day …. or way below freezing at night …. it can be pretty solidly attached to the ground. But we still gotta clean it up !!!!!

YOU stay home and stay warm, please. We’re here to do the dirty work. But if you’d just help us out a little? We have to buy new pooper scoopers, in all sizes and shapes, from chicken to cow, much more often in the winter cus they break quicker trying to dig up that solid poo !!!!

Can YOU imagine the size of the pooper scooper you need for cow pies ????? And yes, we do scoop during the daylight too. With 1287 animals who all poop at least once a day …. the scooping if round the clock !!!

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge