#rispca

I’ve been putting off telling this story because I wanted to focus on the other stories that these animals have to share. Anyways, my sister finally told me it’s an important one to share. So, meet Mable!

Mable is actually my bunny. She is a wonderful beautiful lionhead with just the right amount of “bunitude”. However, she hasn’t always had her luxurious long mane.

One day, one of the animal cruelty officers from work (the RISPCA) got word of a rabbit in rough condition posted on Craigslist. So, she went and investigated and ended up bringing the rabbit to our clinic for veterinary care. The little rabbit was in ROUGH condition. All four limbs were covered in urine scolding, and there was not an ounce of fat on the body, you could feel the bones. Just incase somebody who isn’t bunny savy is reading this, rabbits must always have a source of hay, this enables them to have the fiber required to keep their insides moving, if their digestive system were to stop, it very quickly can kill the rabbit. The little bunny brought to clinic, was on the verge of this happening. The small animal manager texted our team and said that this little bunny was coming into the shelter and that our vet was not sure she was going to make the weekend. I asked if our vet wanted me to take her, to at least pass on a home with love. What I thought was going to be a weekend just to give a little bun a home to pass, turned into the start of a long journey.

She survived the first weekend, and by then… she stole my heart. This little baby was only about three months old, and she had a fighting spirit. She was a bit shy about me, but she knew I was helping her, taking her meds like a champ, and chowing down on all the hay I could offer. I knew I couldn’t let her go. That Tuesday (it was a long weekend!) I brought her back to the clinic, it was time to start the process of finding out just how truly bad her legs were. This meant she had to be put under anesthesia. While under anesthesia the veterinarian was able to perform x-rays on her legs, which showed that the urine scolding on her legs (this was caused by her living in her own filth) was so bad, the infection went down to one of the bones. Great. We made the weekend, we woke up from anesthesia, but now we have to pray we can treat this infection. Or else she would have to become a little tripod. Now becoming a tripod would not have been the end of Mable’s story, I remember doing research about tripod rabbits, just incase! However, nobody wants to ambulate a bunny’s leg…..

So after removing all the dead skin from all four limbs, I was able to be there when Mable woke up from her anesthesia. It was no longer a mission to just survive, we were gonna heal now. For months, Mable wore cast like bandages on her legs and got antibiotics twice a day. These had to be changed twice a week by a vet. We started out with all 4 in casts, then we went to just her back legs, until it was just her one really bad leg. FINALLY, all four legs were free! The first time I ever saw this bunny binky, I almost cried! She was able to do that, because of the time, patience, talent, and dedication our team had.

She still wasn’t done yet though! There was still one more big procedure she had to make it through. Her spay! I will always advocate for spaying and neutering your bunny, but my goodness was I nervous! The little fighter has already gone through so much and she had to go through a surgery now! Of course she came through like it was nothing though.

I took Mable home on January 20th, 2023, and her official adoption day of when she was medically cleared was May 23,2023. So it was a very lengthy process of healing, my entire last semester of college actually.

Today, Mable is the most spoiled bunny! She has her own bed, so many toys and treats (including those that come in her monthly subscription box), and so many people that love her! She recently had her first yearly check up where she got a clean bill of health!

You can sometimes find Mable with me at the RISPCA, where we have told our story to kids at our humane education camp, and even to potential adopters or those who are trying to learn more about rabbits when they attend our bunny related events!

A situation that seems to keep happening more and more. "I have a female (insert species here) and I got another one from (insert place here). They told me it was a female, but it's a male. Now I have more than I can handle!"

Something we always say at work: small animals are good at being prey animals. They reach sexual maturity at a young age, they get pregnant and give birth in a short span of time, they have large litters, and they can get pregnant again right after giving birth. All of this leads to an increasing numbers of small animals entering the shelters. Or worse, living in unsanitary conditions caused by the sheer number of animals being cared for by a limited number of individuals.

Who is to blame for this? It's not an easy question to answer. But I think it's again, something that society is to blame for.

Pet store employees (I can personally confirm this from experience) are not always taught how to correctly sex the animals in which they sell. While hamsters and rats are easier to tell, rabbits and guinea pigs are not. Some of the corporate pet stores have policies and regulations that definitely helps the problem. For example, PetSmart stores only sell one sex per store. So one store will only have males, and another store will only have females. Therefore, if people purchase more than of the same species, there won't be any surprises one morning. Even this practice may not always be perfect, and there are times when the opposite sex makes it into the stores. Most stores don't have a policy like this in place at all, so the chances of the same sexes ending up together are substantially higher. I have even heard of people purchasing a single female, and it giving birth in their home. My boyfriend tells me a story often, of how when he was growing up he had some gerbils that they bought, and they ended up being the opposite sexes, so they kept breeding. But his family would just sell them back to the store where they bought them from. So perhaps for some of these smaller businesses there could even be a slight benefit to selling the opposite sexes. They can cut out a middle man and breed the animals themselves or get them from unprofessionals for a lower cost.

Of course pet stores can't be the only thing to blame. I've spoken before on how individuals get an animal who they perceive as an easier or beginner pet in the stores. They often just purchase them on a whim with little to no education about them. (You can read further on this in the Smallies vs. Society post). So to some extent these individuals can be to blame as well. When welcoming any new animal into your home, I can not emphasize enough the importance of researching what you are taking on. At least that's the responsible thing to do. With research people could learn how to sex an animal themselves, and even learn the importance of spay and neutering.

That brings up my next point, is the cost and risk of spaying and neutering. Most small animals are considered exotics, therefore require care from an exotics trained veterinarian. That can be quite expensive even just for a wellness exam. I've heard of rabbit sterilization surgeries costing up to $500. I've also heard of veterinarians not performing the surgery at all after the animal is past a certain age. This is because of just how sensitive smallies are under anesthesia. The older they are, the higher the risk of complications or even not waking up. There are even some species where sterilization surgery isn't a common practice just because of how prone to complications they are. Guinea Pig are one of those species. While the surgeries can be performed, it's not commonly done, even for shelters. I speak from experience when I say it is not worth the risk infection. At least not when the animals are properly sexed and separated. Due to these barriers sterilization isn't always an option for everybody or every situation.

I want to make it known, that I don't feel that everybody in these accidental breeding situations are at fault. Especially when buying from a pet store, individuals have trust in who they believe to be professionals working there. That trust, is broken far too often. I will forever be an advocate for shelters. If you are interested in adding a new animal to your home, you'd be surprised how many shelters have smallies! You can find them on petfinder.com under the "other" tab. Reach out to shelters, rescues, and humane societies with any questions you may have. They are there to educate along with finding animals homes. I'm sure they'd be happy to give you information, and help you find the perfect addition to your family. Adopting not Shopping will always be a fantastic option!

I’ve always had a soft spot for what’s referred to as “pocket pets”, you know the ones, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, etc. What I didn’t know is just how much they would influence my life.

My name is Liz, and I’m a staff member at the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA). I work a lot in the area of the shelter known as the Small Animals, or the smallies as we like to call it. And let me just say, these little animals are full of so many surprises, with lots of personality, joy, and spunk, each is unique in their own way. That simple fact, is something that is overlooked by perhaps almost the entire world, or at least what it seems like.

In my line of work, I spend each and everyday educating and advocating for the proper care and treatment of these animals. Each day may also bring along the animals which have not received such required care and treatment… and the fact that some of these animals even survive, amazes not only me, but our veterinary staff as well. From a rabbit revived from the brink of death, a guinea pig with bladder stones, an under socialized rabbit with attitude (there actually might be a lot of those), and hamsters with bulging eyes, there’s never a dull moment.

I invite you to join me as I tell my story, as I share what care these animals really need. And how each and everyday, they prove me to that they’re Small but Mighty!

Growing up, our parents did things that made us upset. We couldn't eat the whole bag of candy that we got on halloween in one sitting, we had to come inside when it was getting late, we had to do our chores, etc. When you are the caregiver of an animal, sometimes you have to give them the same kind of tough love.

Different breeds have different specific needs. There are rabbits and guinea pigs with longer fur. These little smallies do require being brushed, and it's not something they are used to right away. It takes time to get an animal use to being brushed, and lots of positive reinforcement. But that doesn't mean it is something that should be avoided. The knotting and mats that result in not brushing are not just full of fur... These animals are low to the ground, the ground in which they use the restroom. The mats are full of feces, urine, dead fur, dead skin, and hay. It's not unheard of for there to be bugs either. Over time, these mats also become more compact, and become closer to the skin. This causes pulling and irritation on the already sensitive skin, and can result in open wounds and infections. I haven't even begun to speak about the digestive problems that can result from ingesting too much hair. So, if your smallie doesn't like being brushed, try offering them their favorite snack while you brush them. It might also be a good idea to do it over time in short intervals. No matter what, brushing isn't an option, it's a necessity for the health of the animal.

Getting nail trims is something that I don't think any animal enjoys. But the longer nails grow, the more likely they are to cause disaster. Animals with long nails are more likely to cut and scratch both themselves and others. That's the simplest problem. Longer nails are more likely to be broken, and split or broken nails that are not monitored or treated can result in infection. They can also be quite painful. I have also seen animal's nails grow in all different directions, which has resulted in the nail growing directly into the skin, causing infections and basically a continuous painful wound. Trimming nails is admittedly not an easy task, it's certainly a skill. If you are in need of help trimming your pet's nails, ask for help!

I understand not wanting to upset, anger, or injure the animals that we adore so deeply. But by avoiding necessary care, they're being neglected and further issues and or pain may even result. If you are in need of help brushing or clipping your animal's nails, veterinary hospitals are usually more than willing to help (of course they do usually charge). If you are in the Southern New England area, we offer small animal nail trims at the RISPCA for $15 per animal, and all the profits go towards the care of the shelter smallies. I am sure many other shelters or rescues across the country offer similar services as well. So, for the sake of our beloved pet's health, we are going to have to upset them sometimes, and provide them with some tough love.

The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA), is the oldest non-profit animal welfare organization in Rhode Island, and the third oldest in America. Founded in 1870, the RISPCA offers many services, from pet adoption and rehoming, to pet training and assistance programs.  

I chose this local non-profit organization because I have personally seen their work. We have recently adopted a Siberian Husky from the RISPCA, his name is Spirit and he was almost four years old when we got him. Spirit came from a horrific, abusive family, he was also the result of RISPCA’s animal cruelty services. Spirit was found extremely malnourished and fragile. He was then taken into the shelter, where they did their absolute best to get him healthy again. We already had a Siberian Husky; his name is Yukon and he was just over a year old at the time. So, when we first started the adoption process for Spirit, the RISPCA planned for us to make multiple appointments with Spirit, to be able to build trust and foundation with him. It took a long time for Spirit to get comfortable and to trust us, he barely had human contact before.  

The RISPCA has multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. On these platforms, they share animals that are up for adoption and where they also communicate with the community. Each of these sites have their very own vanity metrics. First off, the RSPCA community communicates on Facebook through vanity metrics such as likes, comments, shares, also called engagement metrics. And it’s the same thing with its other social media platforms, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. These other platforms use vanity metrics such as views, followers, bounce rate, etc. The RISPCA, or any organization, can improve these metrics and turn it into useful information. For example, something an organization could keep in mind is that they will need to establish objectives in metrics (Who is the intended audience, what is the question being asked, what techniques will be used, etc.).  

Advanced metrics, channel metrics, and behavioral metrics are metrics used to evaluate social media initiatives and campaigns. For example, let's take a look at Facebook. Some advanced metrics used on Facebook are conversation reach, content reaction/response, share of community, etc. Facebook also uses channel metrics such as insights, video views, URL links, and even social referrals. And lastly, Facebook uses behavioral metrics. They use metrics such as click-through links, engagement rate, and conversation rate. And for the last one, I want to talk about another social media platform that the RISPCA uses, Instagram. Instagram, just like Facebook or any other platform, uses metrics. Firstly, Instagram has advanced metrics such as audience growth, conversation reach, content reaction/response, and even brand awareness. Secondly, they use channel metrics such as video views, impressions, URL links, etc. And finally, Instagram also uses behavioral metrics like impact actions, conversation rate, saves, etc. Something that is also worth mentioning is that Instagram has an “insights” section within your account that shows you profile views, profile saves, and how many accounts you have reached with your posts (Which fits under the “channel metrics” category). 

This non-profit organization is very important to me, because the dog that I have now is the kindest creature I have ever met, and Spirit never deserved what happened to him. I am very thankful for the RISPCA for rescuing him. Overall, the RISPCA’s social media platforms all use metrics such as advanced, channel, basic, and behavioral to measure how successful they are. I am very grateful for the audience gained and the impact on their business with these social media metrics, for I have adopted one of the most kind-hearted dogs. I hope the RISPCA keeps growing socially so they can continue the lifesaving that they are doing currently.