Busy Bees – April Sanctuary Update

Hi Everyone!


It may be coming along slowly, but spring is definitely making its presence known at the sanctuary. The grass is growing, trees are sprouting leaves, and flowers are blooming. Add into that all of the operational activities that come with spring, like budgeting and fundraising, and all of the preparation for the new construction, and it’s a busy, busy time of year. Luckily, we have lots of help from our volunteers and other supporters!

We were excited during April to see the enthusiastic return of UCONN student workgroups. After two pandemic years with no participation, we had three student groups put in four days of work over the course of April. They helped us fix up our driveway, cleanup the stone wall, and do some gardening. It was a great way to start the busy spring! We also have a few corporate and community engagement groups scheduled already for the rest of spring and summer. These groups are a huge help to the operation of the sanctuary, as coordinating the manpower for bigger projects can often be a challenge. If you are involved in a group that would like to coordinate a day of yard work here at the sanctuary anytime this spring, summer, or fall, just email me at [email protected]. We would love the help.

And speaking of help for our yard care team, I would like to send out a big thank you for the enormous show of support we got for our requests for yard care donations this year. We received several gas cans, a brand-new push mower and string trimmer, a small fridge for the yard care crew to keep cool drinks in, and another riding mower in great condition. We are so humbled by your incredible generosity. It means so much to us. So, thank you to Melissa, Jeff, Dan, Sue, and everyone else who contributed.

Ripley’s Corner Office


Hi Everyone!


I don’t often take assignments for my column, but Jon wanted me to speak on my favorite topic, food! We often get requests for information about how kids groups or individual kids can help out the sanctuary if they’re too young to volunteer with the animals and too small to run a tractor. The answer is food and supply drives! A huge chunk of our budget goes into my food bowl and litter box, as well as various other supplies the staff use to keep me well cared for. We have wish lists and supply guidelines prepped and ready to go for anyone interested in collecting for us. It’s pretty easy and lots of fun for the kids. If you’d like more information, just email Jon at [email protected]. I look forward to seeing what you get me for my next dinner!


Thanks so much!


Ripley

And of Course…Adoptions!!


We had some brisk adoption traffic in April! On the cat side, Cookie found her sweet way to a forever home, which gave us room to bring in shy little Lizzie. On the dog side big guy Buck went home with his new best bud, with Khloe arriving to fill his big, goofy shoes.

And unfortunately, we had a sad farewell at the end of April. Ortega was a pretty sick guy when he first came to us. He was diabetic and had kidney and heart problems. But with no one to reliably take care of him where he was, we knew his place was with us at the sanctuary. And while his care took a great deal of hard work, and caused us all more than a few grey hairs, he more than made up for it with loud purrs, endless snuggles, stimulating conversation (he was quite a talker!), and general goofiness. But a few days ago, as we always knew it would, his time with us came to an end. Ortega will be sorely missed.

Thank you all so much for whatever way you support us and our mission. We couldn’t do it without you.


Jon Phillips

Sanctuary Director

[email protected]

860-726-8533