On the Twenty-fourth Day of Christmas,
look what came to Rikki’s,

twenty four plump pigs a plundering,

… and how is it that piggies need to come to Rikki’s Refuge?
The exotic pet market.

A cute little days old baby piggy is adorable …

and when people get told they’ll only grow to 10 or 20 or 40 pounds … and they make ideal house pets …. people fork over quite a bit of money for them. I see them being sold in parking lots around here all the time.

And then … they grow. No piggy stays 10, or 20, or even 40 pounds.
The pot belly pigs grow to 200-400 pounds,

and the farm pigs to 800, 900 even 1,200 pounds.

And pigs love to root everything up.

It’s what pigs do.

Pigs love to wallow about in mud.

It’s what pigs do.

If you expect pigs to live in your house, they will still be pigs. They will root up the carpet. And the drywall. And they’ll pee on it all in the hopes of making something that resembles mud.

If you keep them out back, they will root up your yard. In record time.

Don’t buy exotic pets, any pets for that matter, until you learn about them. And do that learning from someplace other then the one trying to extract $s from you in exchange for the poor little baby animals.

As you can likely imagine, soon these piggies who were once such adored cute little babies, are no longer welcome in the home. The lucky ones come to Rikki’s Refuge where they can spend the rest of their lives living in peace and happiness and mud and where they’re allowed to root the yard all up !!

Your donations to Rikki’s Refuge are gifts of life to the animals. Won’t you please help us save lives this Christmas Eve?

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 Twenty-third Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

twenty three goats a butting,

Yes, and many of the goats we have came because they were evicted from their homes for butting. They can’t help it, they’re goats !!

The black and white goat in the picture above never butted, well not that often anyway, maybe only if you had something she wanted to eat, or she thought you did!! That’s Nanny Goat. She came to Rikki’s cus she was a house goat, but as she grew up it just got so messy !!! Seriously. And, NO, you can’t litterbox train a goat, nor can you house break them. When it’s time to go, the tail goes up, and they go. No matter where they are!

Like the sheep, some of the goats came from pet-a-zoos getting rid of the cute babies. But most come one or two at a time from people who didn’t know much about goats when they thought they’d make great lawnmowers. Goats don’t much like grass. They prefer flowers, your favorite shrubs, any tree you plant, hoses, car trim, window sills, your boots if forget you have a goat and leave them on the front porch, and anything else they can chew on. And NO, they do not eat tin cans !!!

You’ve probably heard the term smelly old goat. But you have no idea what it means till you smell an older male who hasn’t been neutered. You can smell them from awfully far away. And once you smell that smell, you’ll never forget it. But it’s easy to solve, just neuter them !

Goats are also evicted when they dance on top of vehicles. For some reason many hoomans find this very offensive. But didn’t they know goats love to climb and will climb on anything they can find?

Why that’s even in the waiver that you’ll sign if you want to visit Rikki’s Refuge, not only might you get bit, kicked, clawed, butted, climbed on, but your vehicle will most likely get climbed on and if it’s shiny and the goats see their reflection, they’ll butt and butt and butt.

By supporting Rikki’s Refuge, you assure that the goats and others will always have a loving home at Rikki’s Refuge.

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 Twenty-second Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

twenty two sheep in need of sheering,

Oh I could tell you stories about our first three sheep, and learning to shear, with big clippers that looked kind of like scissors, and how the sheep got away, and how we’d chase them, and how they could out run us, and how it took three days to finish clipping ONE sheep, and how ragged that poor sheep looked. Bad hair day for sure !!!

Now with 43 sheep, we have a professional do the job, and they can shear one sheep, no fuss, no trauma, in THREE minutes flat !!!

So why do we have sheep at Rikki’s Refuge? College projects to raise a sheep, learn to neuter, learn basic care, and at the end of the school year to sell to raise money for the next class to buy some baby sheep. Sell? That most likely means for butchering. Often these college kids have come to love their sheep, and they want them to live, not die. The lucky ones come to Rikki’s Refuge.

And then there are pet-a-zoos who like baby sheep, cute little lambs, the one with all four legs, before they’re old enough to give up a leg so someone can eat leg of lamb. Yeah, think about it, pretty gross what people eat, and what they do to animals to eat it. Anyway bottle babies bring in big bucks at pet-a-zoos. They’re only good for a season, then they’re not cute enough, they’re sold off, yeah you know where to, and new ones are born for the next season. But a few lucky ones come to Rikki’s Refuge.

We’ve had two herds come from people who had them their whole lives for wool. In the production market, most are only considered good for a few years when the wool is softer. And like when your hair turns gray it gets courser, sheep wool gets courser over the years and less desirable. Those sheep are killed and sold as mutton. But the very few crafters who keep a small herd that they sheer and spin the wool and sell crafted goods, they tend to fall in love with their sheep, and keep them forever. But human lives come to ends too, and some end up having to move into situations where they can’t take their sheep. Most assisted living places won’t allow even one pet, let alone a herd of sheep. And so those come to Rikki’s Refuge for the rest of their years.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to incorporate assisted living housing into Rikki’s Refuge? I know that would be my dream if I needed a place to live when I get old. Well older. Some people already think I’m old. But I don’t !! I hope to always live among the animals and the trees.

Your tax deductible contributions make the dreams of Rikki’s Refuge carry on and grow bigger every year !!
You can help 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 Twenty-first Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

twenty one chickens a cackling,

actually … there’s a lot more than that talking away at Rikki’s Refuge. Chickens here and chickens there !!

Most are older hens who were dumped cus they were considered useless after 3 or 4 years of being forced into hard producing and egg laying. They’re tired, they’re worn out, their calcium is depleted, they get skinny, they’ve put their all into the eggs they constantly lay, and they’re dying. They need extra nutrition, they need love, they need to be outside, they need fresh air, they need sunlight, they need a home where they can just be chickens. And at Rikki’s Refuge they can do just that !!!

Chickens are the friendliest sweetest critters. They make friends with everybody !!

Help a chicken TODAY !!
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 Twentieth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

twenty puppies a pooping,

Yup, one of the most common reasons dogs are given up is, I’m not home all day and the dog is pooping in the house. She didn’t do that for years, but has started lately. Oh, I see she’s getting older and you’re gone 12 hours a day, and you expect her to just not pee or poop? I see! During that same 12 hours, do YOU every have to use the bathroom? Have you tried holding it that long? What would you do if you HAD to go? I mean … you HAVE to go, right? And so does your dog!

Get a dog walker, run home in the middle of the day, install a doggy door. But don’t dump your best friend!

Sadly so many dogs end up dumped when they are elderly. Not just over bathroom issues. But they’re bothered by the new young puppy … so they get rid of the older dog. Oh look, I had a baby, let me dump grandma.

Others have developed health issues and need insulin or heart medication or arthritis medication or more frequent vet visits. Just dump them, and teach your children what to do when you get old and need help …..

Others end up at Rikki’s Refuge because they’ve had a hard and scary life and they are frightened, too frightened to be touched. Some will become friendly over time, and often be adopted by volunteers who helped them to overcome their fears. Some will always prefer the company of dogs and not humans. And that’s ok!! We don’t demand they love us to live here!

Some never lived in a house and never learned that thing called house trained. Others hated the confines of a house and broke windows, chewed thru drywall, clawed down doors.

But at Rikki’s Refuge, every one of them ends up with friends and love for the rest of their lives !!!

YOU can support a dog for only $30 a month !! What a wonderful gift to give your dog loving friend who already has everything !!

You can sigh up for that right here — and let us know, tell us who your friend is and we’ll send them a card letting them know of your gift.

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 Nineteenth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

nineteen rebellious roosters,

Yes, just like the male turkeys, the roosters (male chickens) can be very aggressive. They will fight to the death over females. They will attack and fight animals other than roosters if they feel their territory is threatened, like a hooman who comes to “their” chosen area of the refuge, in their run with them. And one rooster is not happy with one hen, he demands to have at least 10 or 12 a day. And if they aren’t available, he will horribly torment the few he has. Several roosters with hens can seriously harm, or even kill them.

This is why people get rid of roosters. They usually want to keep the hens for the eggs they lay. But the roosters have little use, unless they want to eat them.

How sad is that?

In the egg industry many hens are kept for breeders, pumping out eggs (babies) in the hopes they will be good egg layers. Hoomans have breed chickens to have bigger and better parts for different reasons. Just let me tell you the two categories most are divided into if you want to be sick – layers and broilers. Yup, just what you’re thinking. Good for nothing but laying eggs or being broiled. Isn’t that horrible? I can’t imagine eating any living (or dead) soul.

Oh, I was going to tell you what they do to tiny little baby boy chicks, the go down the conveyor belt to the grinder and are torn to bits and tossed out. How horrible is that?

Hens tend to get along wonderfully in groups. So we can usually house those in need. They’re sweet and form loving bonds and they like other species, they just don’t have a competitive bone in their bodies. Why do hens need safe homes? Most of the ones that come to us are older and no longer laying eggs very fast, and so most people find them useless. Worse than useless, cus they have to pay to feed them. We welcome those hens for their long retirement years where they can eat, they can scratch around looking for bugs, they can have friends, and they can love life in the sunshine.

But those boys, the roosters, we can’t house as many of them. If we could neuter them it would help a lot. But due to their anatomy (internal testicles with a huge blood flow, more than to their brain, seriously) the mortality rate for general anesthesia and neutering is terribly high. I don’t know a vet who’ll do it.

Did you know a capon is a neutered chicken? It’s done cus it changes their taste. As google tells me, “the process is done on chicks and involves cutting between the last two ribs and spreading them apart to remove testicles. Due to potential complications, this process is carried out on conscious birds, without antibiotics or painkillers, and the incisions are not sutured. The testicles are also located right next to the kidneys and a vital artery, so a simple slip kills the bird.”

I’d been a vegetarian before Rikki’s Refuge came into being in 1998. Nonetheless the more I’ve learned about what people do to animals they want to eat the more it horrifies me. How about YOU?

But back to the roosters at Rikki’s story. Though we have a lot of roosters, we have to separate many, some can live as the only bird in an enclosure, and some we hoomans spend the rooster’s life time being attacked and kicked and torn bloody. They jump at you at a very high rate speed and, at the least, leave huge foot shaped bruise marks, at the worst, tear holes in you. We’ve had roosters tear holes thru work boots!!

So we can’t just add another rooster to the group. We’re limited on when and how many we can possibly house. I wish there was a better solution. Cock (rooster) fighters keep each rooster tied on a short chain or in tiny 3’x3’ pens, that seems like a horrible life, and we won’t do that. It’s a horrible dilemma because I so wish we could save so many more.

With your donations we care for our existing residents. When there are more donations that the daily needs, we are able to expand our housing areas, and save more animals, like the many roosters begging for safe homes every day. Want to help: 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 Eighteenth Day of Christmas,
look what came to Rikki’s,

eighteen litter challenged kitties,

Oh for it to be ONLY 18 !! Kelly, pictured above, was our first manx kitty, and the one who taught us about manx syndrome. Manx kitties started as a vertebral mutation which can result in a short tail, or with more vertebra missing or malformed, no tail, or worse, in humans, we’d call it spina bifida. As in humans, this often results in spinal cord problems, creating issues such as no anal sphincter, or one that only partially works.

The anal sphincter is what closes shut when one is not actively pooping and prevents the poop from just falling out when it reaches the end of the line. So when that is missing or not working ….. go on, use your imagination!!

These kitties also suffer from other spinal and neurological issues just like kitties who’s have spinal injuries. Some can’t pee on their own, the nerve to tell the bladder, ok, time to let go, just doesn’t work. So they need to be manually expressed. Not really hard once you learn how, pick ‘em up, hold in the right position, palpate the abdomen till you find the bladder and ONLY the bladder, and gently squeeze in the right direction, and aim into the sink or litterbox !! But you better be sure to do that at least 4 times a day and never leave such a kitty alone for long, if the bladder fills, it can rupture and cause disaster and death.

Other issues aren’t usually as bad as the ones associated with elimination, hind end weakness, unsteady gait, lack of balance. Though some are paralyzed on the hind end all together.

And we, as in humans, breed these cats, and cross breed them, trying to get cats with no tails but who can retain their normal “bathroom functions”. The few kittens born that “work properly” are sold for big bucks (though many of those can no longer function once the grow or reach adulthood or a few years down the road). The rest of the litters, the ones who poop or pee themselves or are generally murdered.

This may sound horrifying to you. But this is the case with many “pure” breed animals. Unnatural traits are breed, often with a very close relative, until you get something you would not find in nature, but that sells for it’s uniqueness to hoomans who must have it all. This is one of the huge reasons rescues are always screaming, ADOPT don’t SHOP. Every time you buy an animal, you are causing the suffering or death of another. Until there are none left to die in shelters from the over population, and from the birth defects, ADOPT don’t SHOP.

Vincent, our first spokes kitty, was bathroom challenged. On the losing end of a run in with a vehicle, he lost a leg, part of another, half his tail, and had spinal injuries. A wonderful woman, Helen, did a lot of rescue and was at the vet clinic the day Vincent was brought in. She immediately took him in, paid for his surgery and care, only to find he was incontinent, both his bladder and his bowels. And that made him unadoptable. But he was just the most adorable, happy cat on the planet. So she searched for a wonderful home who could cope with Vincent’s issues. And that ended up being Rikki’s Refuge. Like many of the animals, with extensive medical care, a lot of alternative therapies, hours and days and months and then daily physical therapy forever, his issues were lessoned.

When managed well, these animals have wonderful love filled lives. You just have to be willing to learn the care they need, be willing to put in the time and effort and money. And do the clean up when needed !!!

Mouky came to us in 2015, also the victim of a run in with a vehicle. Paralyzed from the hips down, wetting and pooping himself, unable to move, with horrible bedsores up and down his hips and legs. First was the keeping him immaculately clean, the care of the wounds, which thankfully alternative therapies made it able for him to avoid skin grafting surgery.

Then the physical therapy began. He is one of the most headstrong little guys you ever met and he was never willing to give up, he’d endure hours of physical therapy to stand for 15 seconds.

Soon he could support his weight, then move one leg, then the other.

I don’t think there was a dry eye at Rikki’s Refuge the day he first ran. And again the day he climbed a tree !!!

Leo joined us this summer. His history is unknown, but his hind legs don’t work well. Sometimes he makes it to a puppy pad. But other times he pees and poops on his legs, then takes off scooting it all over the place !! YUCK. Lots of clean up!! Before discovering puppy pads, Leo would struggle to pull himself into even the lowest litterbox. He’d never make it in further than his hips, and the legs would stick out straight to catch the pee and poop …. But he’s trying. We’ve only just begun on his therapy and care, and just a couple days ago he actually stood and took one step !!!

Timmy has been with almost all his life, since he was about 8 weeks old. Seen falling out of a moving vehicle, he was scooped up and rushed to a vet. No broken bones, but lots of road rash and nerve damage. He usually scoots, but as long as he gets two sessions of physical therapy daily, he can stand and walk with a very awkward gait. But he prefers to scoot all over at a very high rate of speed !! And he’s never missed the litterbox, despite the difficulty of climbing in. Unlike other “differently abled” ones, Timmy refuses to use a puppy pad.

And the count goes on!! Dozens and dozens litter challenged precious kitties. As well as house trained challenged doggies. Many dumped cus no one would give them the love and take the time to help them have a happy life.

Aren’t YOU glad Rikki’s Refuge is here for cats and dogs like these?

Won’t you please donate just $1 today to help care for one of these animals for one day? Or consider a recurring $30 a month donation to care for one challenged kitty or doggy for all of 2024!!

Just click right here 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

Some of us at Rikki’s Refuge

don’t mind the rainy day cus we just wanna play in the mud !!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

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

seventeen emus escaping,

I have to admit, I was surprised when I was first asked to take in emus. Emus? They were first introduced to the speculative meat market, buy a breeding pair for an outrageous price, breed them, and a few years later you can sell them like giant turkeys. That didn’t go over well, the average consumer didn’t want a 70 pound turkey, and they didn’t care for the taste of them either. Back to the drawing board, and someone decided emu oil, from fattening them up, killing them and processing out the oil, would be a cure all for everything from baldness to high cholesterol, they didn’t care what it was purported to cure, as long as they could sell all these emus somehow and make some money. But those crazes didn’t last long either. With there being no market for these emus, when they were escaped, which they are very good at, nobody would claim them or take them back. Almost all of our emus were picked up off the streets, or out of the woods, or in someone’s barn, as strays.

The rest …. you guessed it, the exotic pet market. You thought it’d be cute to have a little chick for easter? Try a new and improved giant emu !!! But again, they get big, they eat, they need medical care, and they …. escape.

We started getting phone calls like, “I had two emus but one escaped and this one is lonely, can you come get it?”, “We’re moving and can’t take out emu.”, “We can’t keep the emu in the back yard and…”, and so on.

They’re big birds, standing about 5 feet tall most of the time. Quite a bit taller when the stretch up to look down on you!

They love to eat broccoli. And people love to feed it to them when they visit.

They love to swim.

And they have BIG feet !!

Did I mention, they love to escape? Which way did that emu go?

Your tax deductible donation not only feeds them, but helps to buy fencing material for constant repairs and reinforcements !!

YOU can help keep an emu contained by going to our website and sending a few bucks!
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 Sixteenth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

sixteen dangerous ducklings,

Yes, some can be. Shoelace, pictured here, charges your feet squawking and quacking, wings outstretched and beating, and he sure sounds fierce. If you don’t try to outrun him, he’ll untie your shoelace and try to pull it away !!!!

Most of our ducks are clam and gentle and wonder about playing in rain puddles,

or the pools we have all over for them, eating bugs and chewing on grass and weeds. We have little ducks and big ducks. The biggest ones are muscovies and people always think they look funny, or ask what’s wrong with their heads. Nothing, that’s how they look !!! The ladies find it very attractive !!

WHY do ducks end up at Rikki’s Refuge? Well …. like all creatures, they poop. And like birds, they poop when they need to poop, they don’t much care where, just where ever they are. And this upsets people when it’s on their carpet, their deck, their car. But the ducks don’t care!!

Many are gotten as cute easter toys. But a month or two down the road when the easter toy thoroughly fouls the bathtub several times a day, and starts flying around the house, they’re just not so cute anymore, and out they go.

At Rikki’s Refuge they can poop where ever they want to, we’ll clean it up, we’ll scrub their tubs a couple/few times a day and give them fresh water, we’ll fix them up if they get sick, and we’ll feed them …. every day !!

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