Fiona, a mini mare, and Donkey, a mini donkey were rescued from an auction house kill pen, destined for slaughter. Their pictures had been posted on the internet and we just could not turn our backs on them. So we purchased them, found transportation from NJ to VT, arranged isolation for 3 weeks. They are now part of the family on the mountain. Fiona the mini mare is just as cute as can be at only 32" tall. She is just 2 yrs old and she is indeed a feisty princess! Little Donkey is still a bit sad, but improving daily! He had to be gelded a few days after arriving here since he was housed with Fiona, but his immune system is not in great shape so he has had a hard recovery. He also has several nasty sarcoid/sarcomas on his head. However, his new vet feels that with some healthy clean living and Chinese herbs, his immune system may be able to kick start. They will soon be moving in with Brookie and Sparky.

Stevie thinks Wylie is a blast!! Sassy...not so much. Houdini, the 21 year old Bengal cat, just keeps eating, eating, eating!

These guys are visiting us for a few days. Zoe has always been a take charge kinda girl and life is grand no matter what. Smokey on the other hand has often worried about the little stuff. Well, we think Smokey made a bit of a breakthrough. Smokey found out he can be a big boy when he jumped into the crate in the van all by himself!! NO big deal! Now, he seems to be strutting around a little more and pretty darn pleased with himself. It is very cute. Makes us smile. Way to go, Smokey!!

Sally and Harry have been staying with us this week. They are a very entertaining couple! Harry is about three times as big as Sally, but it is very clear who is boss. Actually, Sally feels she is the boss of the entire kennel! She likes to run the show. I am glad Sally is scheduled to be groomed before she goes home, since she has been flying around in the pouring rain today and looks rather bedraggled but happy. Harry has opted to go out enough to take care of business, but then prefers his bed. They are always good for a chuckle!

Things are moving along well, now. The bridge/road will be closed to all traffic on Monday and Tuesday, (9/26 & 27), but limited foot traffic will be allowed. All pick ups and drop offs will be able to go ahead as planned. After that we should be able to get in and out with only minor delays. We will still continue with weekend pick ups and drop offs until further notice. Just bear with us if we are a little late at the park and ride! We are planning for the extra time, but it could always be a little more that we planned :)

Things are really looking good! SD Ireland has moved in with a bunch of really big equipment and the road is teaming with activity. It really feels like the cavalry has arrived, we are so happy to see these guys! I don't think we will have to close down at all. At the most we may have to plan on a little extra time waiting for the machinery to move aside. Then hopefully there will be at least one lane of traffic allowed with no weight limits. 

Thank you, SD Ireland!

Along with free boarding for displaced animals, Ripanco Kennels has dog food that has been donated by Guy's Farm and Yard and Pet Food Warehouse. Anyone that has been displaced from their homes and needs food, please contact us.

I just spoke with the project manager from SD Ireland who is repairing the bridge. He told me it would be sometime next week (Sept 26-30) before he would actually be working on the bridge itself. He felt that foot traffic would not be a problem. So we are hoping to be able to continue picking up and dropping off animals as scheduled in Waterbury.
Please continue to watch for updates! Thanks!

It is looking like the road/bridge repair is finally moving forward! Sounds like SD Ireland will be moving in sometime next week with heavy equipment. When they get working on the bridge, the road will be totally closed for a few days. We are not sure yet if that includes foot traffic. As soon as we find out for sure what is happening, we will post it here. It may mean we can not transport animals for a day or two, but as soon as the temporary bridge is in place, it will allow one lane of traffic with no weight limit. This is all good news!!