Greetings!
In my last quarterly message, I proudly announced the grand opening of our new facility in Warwick and described that opening as the end of a journey. The reality, though, is that this new facility is just another step in the Society’s ongoing battle with animal cruelty that has been raging for more than a century and a half. Our new facility is drawing significantly more visitors and volunteers than we have hosted in the past and I am hopeful that we will continue to grow our base of support as we expand our services.
Every day I witness the great work our staff does. Sometimes the work is emotionally draining, particularly when animal cruelty cases are involved, but often the work is uplifting. Last Sunday, I stopped by the shelter and found our staff celebrating the adoption of Petey, a 17- year old cat. This guy was a sweet older gentleman in reasonably good but not perfect health and in that respect he was not unlike many other senior cats we have adopted this year. Our willingness to accept the surrender of older, difficult to adopt animals sets us apart from many other animal welfare organizations and this successful placement alone would have provided reason to celebrate.
However, Petey was even more special to our staff. He had been surrendered due to his human companion’s rapidly accelerating Alzheimer’s disease. The family had tried diligently to rehome him but were not able to, primary due to his advanced age and landlord restrictions. We accepted his surrender without qualification and assured them we would find him a good home. They sponsored his adoption fee at the time of his surrender to help make sure that would happen. Due to his age, Petey ended up becoming an office cat rather than being moved into the cat room and, as a result, many of us got to know him. He was adopted right after Thanksgiving by a couple who came in looking to provide a home for an older cat and they were delighted with the match, as were we. To make this even more special, they made a donation to the Society at the time of the adoption.
This was a win-win experience on several levels. A deserving and well-loved animal found a home with a new family with love to spare, a family in crisis received some timely support and consolation and the Rhode Island SPCA benefitted financially. Being in our new building likely helped in this instance but the real cause of our success in this and just about every other instance was our great staff. As we enter this holiday season, I am grateful to them for all they do and I am grateful to you for your continued support. I am looking forward to a great 2024. Until then, stay safe!
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
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Wayne M. Kezirian, Esq.
President and General Agent
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Whisker Wonderland ~ Dec. 2nd |
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All proceeds will benefit the animals & programs at the Rhode Island SPCA |
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Looking for something to do this Saturday? We hope you will stop by the Rhode Island SPCA for our Whisker Wonderland event. All are welcome! We'll have several vendors with items for pets and their people, crafts for kids, Big Dog Eats food truck, and lots of fun!
Interested in having holiday pictures with your pets? Sign up in advance! Choose between a holiday backdrop or Santa Claus!
Scan the QR code or click the button. $25 includes digital image and up to 2 pets.
Oh and we cannot forget the best part -- Slinky made ornaments for us to sell.
Only $10 each. Limited edition.
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Well, Paws in the Park got moved from Rocky Point to the new shelter in Warwick due to rain and you know what, it serves them right! Imagine the nerve of throwing a party and not inviting me! I understand that the relocated event was an indoor, human only event and that just goes to show that the big dog up there is looking out for me. No pups should ever be allowed at an event I am not welcome to attend! If they want to have Paws in the Park next year instead of Paws in the RISPCA Parking Lot, they should probably think about inviting me and maybe the rain will stay away. Karma… just saying…
So now that I am done howling at the moon – I need to do that from time to time to keep my human honest- let me bring you up to date. First off, one of my absolute favorites, Up Country, was at the relocated Paws in the Park event. Up Country is a Riverside, Rhode Island based company that makes and sells high quality dog and cat bling and accessories and all of their products are made in the USA. I think my human was feeling a bit guilty about not bringing me to Paws in the Park because he stocked up with a complete set of seasonal collars and leashes for me, all of which are proudly displayed in my new office. Right now I am wearing a seasonal holiday collar in red with holly, evergreen trees and reindeer (or maybe that’s a moose) but as time goes on I will be changing outfits. I just got done with my Halloween outfit and I have another outfit with snowmen all set for the New Year and I pretty much have all of the major holidays covered. I think should start posting on TikTok, it is pretty obvious that I have a future as a canine influencer. For many years now, Up Country has offered a free leash and collar to any dog adopted from the RISPCA. Check them out if you get a chance – they are a big supporter.
Second, our new location is coming together. I now have access to a beautiful walking path along the power lines adjacent to our shelter, courtesy of Rhode Island Energy. I get to see lots of our dogs when I take my walks and one of my favorites is Jack. Jack is a very handsome guy, kind of blond with a windblown look. I don’t normally chase cars but if one went by with Jack in it, I would be off like a rocket! Jack came to us with some pretty severe issues, and he gets anxious when he meets new people, particularly if they are on the other side of a barrier so he doesn’t show well in the kennel. He used to go wild when I walked near to him but, he has been a star pupil in behavior training and he is getting much better with his barrier issues. He is doing so well in his training that now he doesn’t even look at me when I walk by. If he wasn’t so dog-gone handsome, that would be a good thing but I kind of wish he was still interested in me.
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Please help find Jack a home. Ideally, Jack should be placed in a home with a single person who has experience working with dogs. He is pretty good on a leash and he is gorgeous. Check him out if you get a chance, I have!
Thanks for all you do!
Lily
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We are currently seeking long term dog fosters for some of our dogs like Pooka. All of the dogs have been here for a very long time and are either pending medical treatments or cruelty investigations. This makes them currently not available for adoption and in a state of limbo.
It would be wonderful if we could get some of these pups into a home for a few months until they are adoptable! If you are interested in fostering a dog for the RISPCA please reach out to Adri at araymond@rispca.com or fill out a foster application!
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Critters in the Classroom |
School is back in session and our humane education team is excited to get back into schools and libraries throughout the state. But did you know we also have programming for scouts, clubs, and nursing homes? We even offer birthday parties!!
During December, we are offering drop in programming on Wednesday mornings (ages 5 and under) and afternoons (grades 3-5) for $15 per child.
February vacation we will have 2 day camps on Feb 20 and 22. Summer camp registration will open on March 1st.
For more information please visit our website or click below.
We also encourage you to follow us on social media, especially on Saturday mornings to see what Slinky has to say!
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Meet Dolores!
This beautiful blue eyed girl is sweet, social and looking for her forever home! Dolores is a 2 year old mix breed! She enjoys string cheese and loves going for walks and playing in the outdoor play area. Dolores should go home with kids 10+ as she can get excited and jumpy during play! She is dog tolerant and may be able to have dog friends, but she is looking to be the only animal in the home. Dolores is a young gal so someone who enjoys an active lifestyle would be ideal.
Interested in our special girl? Fill out and application on our website or give us a call for more information.
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Meet Mufassa and Lady Jane!
These sweet older cats were surrendered to us after their loving owner could no longer care for them. Mufassa (orange) is about 15 years old, and his BFF Lady Jane is about 10 years old. These two are extremely bonded, as they are always cuddling together while they take their naps. They must be adopted as a pair.
When this duo came in we did full work ups on them, and all of their medical results came back pretty dang good! We do believe they should go to a home where they could be the only pets as we have no history of them living with other animals, and think their best fit would be a home where they can live out their golden years peacefully.
With questions about Mufassa and Lady Jane, or any of our other adoptable cats, please contact Olivia at owarburton@rispca.com
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You most likely don’t remember me but you probably remember a blind bunny that was named Mike. I had recently lost my rabbit and was beginning to look for another. For some reason I kept coming back to this blind rabbit in RI named Mike. I decided that I needed to drive from NH to RI to meet this little guy. Well I got there and scooped him up and realized I wasn’t going home without him. We got him home and I took a hutch and made it handicap accessible first thing so he could navigate things and have a place to feel safe. His hutch is in a gated off area with room to run and play. He settled in very quickly and is living his best bunny life. We have 6 rabbits total but this guy just absolutely amazes us. He’s always happy, loves all his toys and the things around him and he loves his people. He binkies and gets the zoomies. He’s even the cleanest one of the 6 and is very good with his litter box. He loves new things and is always curious but we put new things in the same area so he can keep track of them. He remembers where things are and navigates his environment extremely well. I am very lucky to have a spouse that entertains such things like driving hours to rescue a blind rabbit I decided I had to have. He’s is fantastic and we adore him! I’m grateful to have him. Shortly after getting him we renamed him Maverick because he is so brave!
Thank you for the work you do loving and caring for these little creatures until someone else can.
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322 animals were adopted between September and November!
Have a Happy Tail you'd like to share? Send your messages and pictures to HappyTails.
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Here are our Top 5 Wish List items that our animals would be happy to receive!
2.Pill pockets for dogs
3.Cat rainbow charmers
4.Bully sticks (large)
5.Small animal chew toys
Our staff, volunteers, and animals thank you:)
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About the Rhode Island SPCA ~ 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. 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.
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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Rhode Island SPCA | 155 Plan Way | Warwick, RI 02886
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