RAPS on City TV this morning!

This morning, the crew of Breakfast Television on CityTV visited the RAPS City Shelter to hightlight some of our animals for adoption. It was a delight to have them visit. Check out Breakfast Television at http://www.btvancouver.ca/news/.

The staff at RAPS would like to extend a heartfelt 'Thank you' to the City TV for their wonderful coverage.

Bonnie's Furry Family

A lovely letter from Bonnie McQueen about her adopted feline family.

I recently adopted Rusty (Garfield Bd Oct. 2007) from RAPS @No. 5 Rd in Steveston on March 4th. Rusty has settled in very well, his two brothers and sister have welcomed him with open Paws. Rusty is quite comical, playful, affectionate. I really love this little boy. Rusty's brother Dugie ( Bd May 2004 Rules No. 6 RD) joined the McQueen Family two years ago March 30-07. Dugie is named after my Grandfather Dugald on my father's side. My Mum was still with us then (I will enclose some pictures). Mum used to come to the shelter with me on Wednesday nights. Mum really enjoyed herself. Dugie has hours of fun playing " Paw Hockey" with Rusty, the two boys are only three years apart.

Sister Missy didn't come from the shelter but shall I say I kept her from going to the shelter.

Her owner was moving out of the country so I adopted her in August 2005 (Bd Dec.01 2000).

Missy likes her siblings all right but she is the "Boss." She keeps The Boys in Tow.

They can sleep with her on the beds or sofas but remember one important point: do not get in her space or fur will fly. Missy is named after my Grandmother Elsie whom was nicknamed

Missy on my father's side.

The oldest Resident is Georgie (Tia Maria Bd Nov 13 1999). Georgie is named after

my dad George. Georgie joined the McQueen's Nov. 2003. Georgie is my greeter. He makes everyone in the animal world feel at home. Georgie first bravely starts by giving kisses and nose rubs and then as the new cats are exploring the condo, Georgie is not far behind making sure they are safe. Animals are amazingly smart.

When Georgie came to live with me in Nov 2003, I already had Carl (Carol Reichert's cat)

whom I adopted Feb. 2003. Carl was the family greeter at that time. When Georgie first arrived he was quite shy and fearful of the unknown, so Georgie ran under the bed and to my surprise Carl ran after him and the two were arm in arm under the bed side by side.

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of this. Carl and Georgie became fast friends.

In fact my Mum, Dad and I could tell the time according to Georgie and Carl as at

precisley 7:00 PM every night, the two fellows would walk side by side throughout the condo and later at my parents house. They would usually make at least two or three rounds.

My parents and I would always laugh as it was so precious. Carl passed away of Leukemia January 2005, but at least Carl and I had two lovely years together.

Everyone Loves Mario

These are pictures of Mario, one of the RAPS Cat Sanctuary felines (See the April 2009 RAPSity News article about Mario.). The first photo is Todd and Mario. The second one shows Nelly and Mario. The third is Teddy with Mario.

Duk-Duk's Friends

Duk-Duk had made a few friends during his short time at a Richmond construction site where he was living. Althrough no one knew where he came from, several of the site personnel were feeding him until they noticed he was injured one day. A gentleman brought Duk-Duk to the RAPS City Shelter for care and a safer home. Now Duk-Duk has become yet another beloved, temporary resident until just the right home is found for him. We are so glad Duk-Duk's construction-site friends brought him to RAPS.

Now Duk-Duk has been sharing more of his friends with us. Duk-Duk occasionally flies out of the pen where he lives, and last time returned with two wild ducks to share his dinner with. RAPS staff and volunteers were delighted that Duk-Duk felt comfortable to share his new home with a few other feathered friends.

Ramon Write to RAPS

Dear RAPS,

"I'm finally writing you with a picture to tell you how much my life has improved since acquiring Ramon. He is such a special guy and I don't know what I would do without him. He still freaks out every once in a while but we're working on it. I am mailing a cheque for his eye removal surgery. Thank you so much for helping me out with that and thank you for holding onto Ramon and providing him with food, water, shelter and love while he lived at RAPS.

Sincerely, Kirby and Ramon"

Questions from students about the RAPS Shelters

Late last year, two volunteers from RAPS visited a school in Delta to teach them about pets. The class had collected coins and supplies for the animals at the shelter. During the visit, the children provided us with drawings and questions about the shelter and the animals. Here are a few of those questions.

Q: How many cats do you have at the shelter? My guess is 17. ~ Carson and Abby

A: Carson and Abby, we have around 50 cats at the RAPS City Shelter on No. 5 Road in Richmond and around 800 cats at the RAPS Cat Sanctuary. They are all cared for until a home is found for them.

Q: How many pets do you have [at the shelter]?

A: At the RAPS City Shelter, we have about 45 rabbits, 50 cats and around 25 dogs. Sometimes we also have birds, chickens, ducks, ferrets, guinea pigs, cows and chinchillas.

Q: Why do cats and dogs go to the shelter? ~Justin

A: Justin, this is a great question. Dogs and cats end up at the shelter if they get lost or if they have never had a home to begin with. Some cats are born outside and have never been a pet. Also, some dogs and cats are brought to the shelter by their owners who can't care for them. At RAPS, we make sure we find a home for the animals.

Q: How many dogs do you have?

A: At the RAPS City Shelter, we usually have between 15 to 25 dogs at one time. In the summertime, we often have even more. We get a lot of dogs from people who bought them at pets stores and can't take care of them. At RAPS, we prefer that you get your animal companions from a shelter and not a pet store.

Grant is looking for his forever home

Grant is an attractive black Labrador retriever with a great personality. He is great with people although he needs to learn some manners (ie no jumping up!). He is very affectionate and would make a great family dog. Grant will need obedience lessons and an experienced home as he is 95 pounds and full of beans! With long walks and leadership he will flourish into a very loyal companion. Grant is ready for his new forever home.

Rajah Update!

Rajah was at the RAPS City Shelter for more than a year till just the right home was found for him. He is now loving life up in Whistler, BC. He looking fit!

Tank in his glory!

Tank was at the RAPS City Shelter for a long time till just the right home was found, but being a pit bull cross, many people overlooked him a possible dog to adopt. However, as you can see from his recent updates, Tank is a wonderful dog and a tribute to the gentle nature of the bull breeds.

Marble doing great

Hi, I adopted the very sweet Marbles from your shelter on Feb. 1st. She's been just great and has made a smooth transition into her new home. My other cat, Biscuit, gets along with her just fine and they've started to snuggle up a bit when they sleep. Marbles loves to sit on my lap and just purr away. I've also discovered that, even though she's 10, she's quite peppy and active, as well as a very good jumper (I found her on top of my fridge one night!). She has a massive appetite too. All in all, she's awesome and I'm so glad I adopted her.

Cheers,

Ainslie