RAPS Canine Adoption Program Calms the Kennels
Shelter staff make changes to help reduce stress in the shelter dogs.

The Richmond Animal Shelter is a much quieter place these days.  Not because of fewer visitors, but because the shelter dogs have responded well to a new limited-viewing policy. Up until now, any visitor was allowed to view the dogs in their kennels.  This unlimited viewing causes the dogs extreme stress, which was never the intention of the visitors.  Now, when folks are interested in adopting a dog, they will speak with the kennel staff first to discuss the type of dog they are looking for before they meet a particular canine.  This change has made the kennels quieter and the dogs are much happier in the calmer environment.   However, dogs for adoption will always be available for viewing online at www.rapsociety.com.

Pub Night for the Cat Sanctuary Drainage Project
The Cat Sanctuary volunteers know that when it rains, a large pool forms in the Sanctuary courtyard.  RAPS has been raising money for this project for the last year, and our donors have been generous with their gifts.  However, we haven't yet reached our fundraising goal to begin this project.  Hence, our next Pub Night, on Friday, November 20th, will be dedicated to raising further funds. 

Silent Auction donations are needed and tickets to the Pub Night are available at the RAPS Shelters and Thrift Store.  Click on the cat!

Featured Creatures at RAPS
By Serena Bornholdt, RAPS Volunteers

Patty is a seven-year-old Black Lab cross. She is friendly and energetic. Patty loves to go on long walks and get lost in the smells of it all. She is always happy and thrilled to see people, and would benefit from a bit of training. She would love a partner who shares her enjoyment of the outdoors. Come visit Patty if you'd like to meet the perfect partner for outdoor adventures!

Daisy is a sweet 10-year-old Mastiff. She is extremely loyal and cuddly with those close to her. Daisy is an early bird, who enjoys her walks in the morning. Otherwise, she sometimes needs a little encouragement to get going. Daisy is quite content to sit on a patch of grass, sniff the air and watch the world go by. She also really enjoys lounging and napping! Daisy would be a great companion for anyone looking to add a four-legged friend to their household.

Weird Cat Tails
By Marianne Moore

Most cats have tails that are long, straight and proportionate to their body size.  However, some cats have what can only be described as “weird” tails – for example, short, curled, skinny or extra bushy.  Unusual tails could be due to having an exotic ancestor, such as a Manx (short-tailed breed) or a Japanese Bobtail (curly-tailed breed) somewhere in their family tree, or just because the cat was born that way.  Some unfortunate cats acquire shortened or kinked tails accidentally. Whatever the cause, several of the approximately 900 cats at RAPS’ cat sanctuary have weird tails.  Here are just a few of them.

Playful little Stanley has a short tail – about half the normal length. Maybe he has some Manx genes, but he doesn’t have any other Manx-like characteristics.  
  
Pee Wee and Sweet Pea are extreme cases of cats born with short tails.  In fact, these two dear cats really have no tails at all.  Sadly, their lack of a tail is accompanied by a nerve defect at the base of their spines, which results in them having no control of their bowel or bladder sphincters.  Pee Wee and Sweet Pea don’t seem to notice that anything is missing “back there”, but they require daily baths to keep their hindquarters clean and healthy.

Poor T.J.’s shortened tail is the result of an accident.  A few inches of his tail had to be amputated after it was caught in a door. 

Aptly-named Kinko has a normal length tail but it has a few odd kinks in it.  It’s just part of Kinko’s unique charm.   Click here to read more 'tail tales.'
 
The RAPS Cat Sanctuary is home to almost 900 cats that have been rescued from the streets, but who have not yet been adopted.  To help support the RAPS Cat Sanctuary, you can sponsor a cat or donate online.  The Sanctuary is open for visiting on Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.   Call 604-275-2036 for details.

Volunteering to Make a Difference
At the Richmond City Shelter, we have shifts available in the following areas:

Working with animals:  Dedicated hard working volunteers are needed to clean rabbit cages.   Our little furry friends really need your help one weekday morning shift per week (9AM - 12 PM).  We have a rather large rabbit population at the shelter, so lots of help is needed!  It is important to choose a day that you can come every week.  Cat lovers are needed to clean any of our cat rooms.  Shifts available on various days - let's find a day that works for you!

Projects: We would appreciative receiving help with various projects around the shelter.  Yard clean up, minor repairs and special projects await!  Are you retired or between jobs?  Work can be done weekdays or weekends depending on your schedule.  We'd love to have you join our team, and what better perk than to spend time with our precious animals while making a difference in the world? 

Please contact me at volunteer@rapsociety.com or leave me a message at 604-275-2036.  Hope to see you soon!  ~Debbie Wolanski, RAPS Volunteer Coordinator

Click here for a description of the volunteer positions.

Welcoming Helen and Tristan
RAPS is pleased to announce two new RAPS staff.
This August and October RAPS hired two new staff to help our operations run more smoothly.  Helen Savkovic is our new front desk person at the RAPS City Shelter.  Helen comes to RAPS with volunteer experience working with shelter animals and a wealth of experience in emergency procedures for animals in crisis.  She has made a world of difference in organizing the shelter office and streamlining many standard procedures.  In addition, Helen is heading up our educational outreach programs.  Check out the RAPS Blog for Helen's latest visit to the ESLA Class to teach students about animal control and welfare in Richmond.  

In October, Tristan Bassett was hired onto the RAPS team to coordinate our fundraising efforts.  Tristan comes to RAPS with years of fundraising experience, and she will be working part time with RAPS and part time at the Weekend to End Breast Cancer.  Tristan will be handling our donor and fundraising related efforts and coordinating volunteers interested in fundraising.  We are delighted to have Tristan filling this vital position that helps make animal rescue possible in Richmond.