Greetings!
I have finished my first full month at the RISPCA, and I feel fortunate to be associated with a dedicated staff that is, without exception, passionate about animals, caring and diligent. We work every day to achieve outcomes that benefit animals and bring to justice those who harm them.
Highlights of my first month on the job include:
- Two outstanding surgical outcomes by Dr. Seth Finger, our medical director. Dr. Seth performed major surgery that saved the life of a lovely, gentle pit mix found wandering the streets of East Greenwich who had suffered a ruptured uterus with an abdominal infection. She has since been adopted. He also saved a small dog whose elderly, low income owner did not have the means to pay for the surgery needed to remove three massive bladder stones.
- We created a new, long-term foster care program to respond to the needs of a pet owner who had contacted us about relinquishing a beloved pet prior to medical treatment of indefinite duration. We melded together our hardship boarding program with our foster family program and, literally, turned tears of sorrow into expressions of gratitude.
- Our exceptional kennel staff found a home for a very friendly, small, visually impaired elderly dog that many other organizations might have deemed unadoptable. The couple that adopted him bonded immediately when they met and they have since sent pictures showing one very content and happy dog relaxing in their home!
More meaningful to me than the good result we achieved for our elderly, visually impaired, canine friend was the comment that was directed my way by a member of our kennel staff when I commented that I was impressed and a bit surprised that he had had been adopted as quickly as he was. She shrugged her shoulders and somewhat dismissively replied, “we work miracles here every day.” I am learning that we do!
Thanks for your continued support.
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Wayne M. Kezirian, Esq.
President and General Agent
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National Horse Protection Day |
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March 1st is National Horse Protection Day. When the RISPCA was established in 1870, horses were in regular use as a means of transportation and responding to instances of inhumane treatment of horses was a major focus.
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There I was, happily going about my day-to-day activities, playing with my buddies at doggie daycare and relaxing at home when my dad started working at the RISPCA. I was one happy-go-lucky dog, and I thought my shelter days were over. The next thing I knew I was back at the RISPCA on a Saturday morning.
The place is pretty much as I remember it was two years ago. However, I never noticed how many services it provided, including a small animals program and experienced dog trainers on staff to work with our adoptable dogs.
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Currently, I am working on polishing my manners a bit so that I can be a more effective ambassador for the Society. Anne Penta, a long-time staff member, is teaching me to behave better. Anne is a certified dog trainer, but she hasn’t been doing much training lately because she wears so many hats at the RISPCA. I won her over with my wagging tail and my jumps for joy. I feel pretty lucky Anne agreed to work with me!
I’ll be meeting with Anne once a week and will practice at home in my spare time. It’s hard work, but I am making progress. I sure do enjoy the treats Anne gives me when I am training! I will tell you more about the training methods and about my progress in future issues. Until then, thanks for supporting the RISPCA. I wouldn’t be here without generous people like you. My pals in the kennel really appreciate it, too!
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Regional Raymour & Flanigan Drive |
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The fun is happening right now with Raymour & Flanigan’s Snow Paws Donation Drive, currently going on until 3/15 benefitting the Rhode Island SPCA. There is a chance to win Raymour & Flanigan gift cards, wine baskets, and other wonderful prizes! You can swing by one or more of their 7 participating locations in North Attleboro, the North Attleboro Outlet, Millbury, Seekonk, Warwick, the Warwick Outlet, and Waterford to show your support. Have fun and support all the animals with our friends at Raymour & Flanigan during this Snow Paws donation extravaganza!
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Thank You Grapes & Grains |
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We’re excited to share that during the months of January and February, Grapes & Grains hand-selected a premium wine to highlight in their “Give Back” Wine Program. They donated 10% of every sale of this particular wine to the RISPCA! We appreciate their generosity and applaud their strong connection to our community. Thank you Grapes & Grains for your continued support!
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February was All About LOVE |
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During our Paw In Love Adoption event from 2/10 - 2/14, a total of 11 pets were adopted and are now in new loving homes! Adopters also spun the Wheel of Love and won prizes including Rumford Pet Express gift cards! Relive all of the love on Facebook and Instagram!
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During the month of February, we’ve been touched by the generosity of our youth here in Rhode Island. Madison, who recently turned 12 years old, asked for donations to the RISPCA instead of birthday gifts. Alongside her this month, St. Luke’s School in Barrington, RI, hosted a lively donation drive to give to our shelter. Between Madison and St. Luke’s School in Barrington, the lives of the animals we care for everyday have been enriched. We cannot do what we do without supporters like you. Thank you!
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The Humane Education department for the Rhode Island SPCA is happy to announce that we are working in collaboration with the second and third grade students of Community Music Works located in downtown Providence. Community Music Works is a community-based organization that uses music education and performance as a vehicle to build lasting and meaningful relationships between children, families, and professional musicians.
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Co-teachers Lisa Sailer and Lisa Barksdale are currently working with their students to create a visual album of animal songs due to be released this Spring. All proceeds raised will be donated to the Rhode Island SPCA. Stay tuned for more updates by visiting Humane Education on our website.
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You may have seen this disturbing Facebook post about a dog that was surrendered to the RISPCA by his owner. Misinformation fueled this post to go viral. As we do in every instance where we are dealing with an otherwise healthy animal, we continued to seek alternatives for Gambit in an attempt to avoid euthanasia. As of the date of this newsletter, Gambit is still with us, but we believe that we have located an out-of-state breed specific rescue that is willing to provide needed training.
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We had posted a “go-fund-me” page in an attempt to raise funds to support the unusual costs we are incurring to allow Gambit a second change and the results were disappointing.
Nevertheless, we will continue on with this project in the hope that we will be able to achieve a good outcome. Thank you to all who have donated to try to help save Gambit's life. Without support such as yours, we would not be in a position to go to such extensive efforts to save lives.
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The RISPCA Lewis Scholarship recognizes the efforts of graduating seniors who have made significant contributions toward the betterment of life for animals. Through its Humane Education program, law enforcement powers, and daily operations, the RISPCA strives to promote the humane treatment of all animals. The goal of the Lewis Scholarship is to reward the efforts of young adults who show compassion and selflessness toward animals, despite personal hardship. Read more...
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#1 Small Animal Edible Hideouts
#2 Bully Sticks
#3 Martingale Dog Collars
#4 Non-Clumping Cat Litter
#5 Canned Kitten Food (Fancy Feast preferred)
Since our shelter is temporarily closed for visitors, please order these items through our online Amazon Wish List or our Chewy Wish List! Our staff, volunteers, and animals thank you!
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Happy Tails ~ Rocky's 1-Year!
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Rocky celebrating his 1-year adoptaversary in style!! He loves his Sock Monkeys so what better way to enjoy his special day than with a Monkey Cake!!
THIRTY-SIX animals were adopted in February! A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who chose to adopt at the Rhode Island SPCA. Have a Happy Tail you'd like to share? Send your messages and pictures to Happy Tails.
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We Are the Rhode Island SPCA ~ There are many organizations throughout the country and the world that have “SPCA” and/or “Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” as part of their name. We often hear from intended local donors who believed that they had made a donation to the Rhode Island SPCA but had mistakenly directed their donations to an unrelated organization. The Rhode Island SPCA is an independent organization and we are not affiliated with any other SPCA. If you find our work to be worthwhile and plan to support our efforts, please be sure that you direct your contribution to the Rhode Island SPCA. ~ Thank you for your support
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Celebrating over 150 years of
"speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves"
est. 1870
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Founded in 1870, the Rhode Island SPCA is the oldest humane organization in the state of Rhode Island and the third oldest in the United States. 2020 marked our 150th anniversary of providing critical programs and services for the animals and people in our community. As a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, we rely on donations from individuals, businesses and foundations and we are not affiliated with any national humane organization.
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Rhode Island SPCA | 86 Amaral Street Riverside, RI 02915
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