Greetings!
I am excited to report that we will be holding the grand opening of our new facility at 155 Plan Way in Warwick on September 14th at 4pm. This summer has been jam packed with surprises and challenges and, to be perfectly candid, I am feeling a bit relieved to be at the end of this journey.
Our staff has done a remarkable job continuing to provide services to the Rhode Island community during this transition period. We have been busier than ever with notable increases in activity in our humane education department, at our Animal Health Center, and in our law enforcement division. Our new, larger facility in Warwick will allow us to better respond to community needs as they arise but the sad reality is that the demand for our services far exceeds our capacity to respond. One of the more exciting aspects of our new facility is that we will now have ample space to welcome volunteers and with the addition of new volunteers we will be in a position to take on additional challenges. We look forward to welcoming new volunteers and providing them with better hospitality than we were able to provide in our confined quarters in Riverside. Please contact our volunteer coordinator Robbyn Bouchard at rbouchard@rispca.com if you are interested in volunteering.
Speaking of volunteers, when I was feeling overwhelmed by the number of small but important tasks that required attention in order to get our new facility open, I happened upon a super-hero volunteer. I would like to publicly recognize John Carroll for his significant help and guidance. In addition to his hard work helping to finish our project, he was fun to work with and I enjoyed the time we spent together.
Please change your records to reflect our new telephone numbers. The Society’s primary telephone number is now 401-383-1900 and the primary telephone number for our Animal Health Center is now 401-383-9300. The old telephone numbers will remain active for several months as people get used to the change.
Thanks for all you do! We could not do what we do without your continued support. I hope to see you at the opening of our new facility and at Paws in the Park on September 30th.
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Wayne M. Kezirian, Esq.
President and General Agent
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Paws in the Park ~ Sept. 30th
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All proceeds will benefit the animals & programs at the Rhode Island SPCA
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Get those leashes ready! Registration is OPEN for Paws in the Park 2023. This year the registration fee of $25 includes both the event t-shirt (featuring our AmbassaDOG Gracie) and also a swag bag* full of goodies!
*limited to our first 100 registered walkers
This is our largest fundraiser of the year and we are so happy to have you join us! Grab a group of friends and form a team or walk with just your k9 best friend by your side. Either way, we look forward to seeing how creative and awesome our walkers can be! Remember all donations and proceeds directly benefit our animals and programs.
And don't forget about the canine costume contest! We will have prizes for the top 3 winners! Can't wait to see some hot dogs, super heroes, butterflies, and more...
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It has a busy summer and I am very happy to be moved into my new office in Warwick. No more being stuck in slow traffic on I-195 going from Riverside to Warwick. If I never see another lane split from the back window of an SUV, it will be too soon! You should see this place, it is great!
Our new facility has a large indoor play area with a huge skylight that I have grown quite fond of and the outdoor dog pens are being installed now. There will be plenty of spaces for my friends in the kennel to relax and play and, more importantly, to meet potential adopters.
Even though we haven’t had our grand opening at Plan Way yet, portions of the facility have been in use for a while and the last 5 weeks of our summer camp program were held in the new building. I enjoyed meeting the campers and I think they enjoyed meeting me. I did play a major role in the camp program.
Our campers learn about a number of topics including animal behavior and cruelty and about the role of the RISPCA in humane law enforcement. They learned that the RISPCA participates in all vicious dog hearings in Rhode Island and at the end of each session the campers participated in a mock vicious dog hearing using scripts that they created to highlight a dog’s behavior that might give rise to a vicious dog hearing. I was the model pup around which each story was created but I want to make it abundantly clear that the bad behaviors attributed to me in the mock vicious dog hearings were entirely fictional. The mock sessions were conducted using the exact script that is used when the RISPCA presides at an actual hearing and the campers were interested, engaged, enthusiastic and creative. Perhaps in part due to my enthusiastic tail wagging, in three of the five hearings held, I was determined to be not vicious and I continue to profess my innocence in the other two scenarios!
I look forward to seeing you at Rocky Point for Paws in the Park. It should be great fun!
Lily
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Help our Animals with Special Needs
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Baby Lalli was a scared little catten who needed knee surgery when he came to us. Each year we take in hundreds of animals from our community and many of them require additional medical or behavioral treatment before they can be adopted. Caring for animals like Baby Lalli is all part of our community mission.
Thank you for helping ensure that all animals, great and small, are cared for and protected. If you believe in our mission and want to support the amazing -- but often difficult--work we do everyday, please consider giving today. You can make a lifesaving difference for animals like Baby Lalli!
In addition, our annual raffle tickets are available for purchase -- $5 each or 5 for $20. Please call 401.383.1900, email us, or stop by our new shelter to get yours before it's too late. Winning tickets will be drawn on Friday, Oct. 20th. Prizes include: Invisible Fence from Moriarty's Fence Co.; a year supply of World's Best Cat Litter; a weekend getaway in Providence; and $200 Visa Gift Card. Good Luck!!
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Critters in the Classroom
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School is back in session and our humane education team is excited to get back into schools and libraries throughout the state. Did you know we also have programming for scouts and clubs too?
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Meet Lola! Lola is a 9 year old French Bulldog looking for her forever family! Lola really enjoys going on long walks and cuddling up on your lap. She is looking for a companion who can spend time both getting some of her energy out and relaxing on the couch! Lola has hypothyroidism and is currently being treated. This is a relatively common disease in older dogs and is generally well managed with inexpensive oral thyroid supplementation. Lola would do best in a home as the only pet! She loves her toys, her face washed, and to be pampered! Would you want to shower this frenchie girl with love? If you are interested, fill out an application on our website!
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Leela is the most precious older lady you will ever meet. She's so gentle, loves to be pet, and loves a good treat or two! Leela's ideal home would be adult/teens+ only, no dogs, and she might be open to a kitty friend. She needs a relatively quiet home where she can be completely comfortable.
With questions about Leela, or any of our other adoptable cats, please contact Olivia at owarburton@rispca.com
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Napolean is now Teddy! He’s living his best life and we just love him SO MUCH His crate is the biggest we could find. It has an orthopedic mattress, a down comforter and fleece blanket. And he loves going in there and snores so loud!! Thank you, Lauren
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263 animals were adopted between June and August!
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.Small animal chew toys
3.Cat enrichment toys
4.Bully sticks (large)
5.Wet cat food
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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