My Nonprofit Reviews

Rikki’s Refuge is a 450 acre sanctuary that is an extraordinary place managing over 1200 animals each day. This is the place that beautiful, deserving animals deserve to feel loved and wanted until their last breath. Rikki’s has helped hundreds of animals to feel there is a purpose for them and to allow those who lost all faith and a second chance in life. You should go to visit them in Orange Virginia, and see the extraordinary! It will change your mind on how animals deserve to be treated and loved.

Life Unlimited of Virginia, also known as Rikki's Refuge, is an outstanding example of what an animal sanctuary can do to help unwanted animals. What I love about Rikki's is how much the sanctuary can help people and even whole communities. My best experience at the Refuge was with a beautiful Treeing Walker Coonhound, appropriately named Walker. He was well known in Orange County Virginia, and in the Reston VA communities as the sweet dog that survived horrible treatment, such as being shot in the back and left in the woods to die. Rikki's took the Coonhound in and saved his life, but who knew that Walker would later reciprocate in his own way. I took Walker in as soon as a met him, and he served as an official spokesdog for the Refuge. My brother, who had just returned from nine months in Iraq, was wounded on the outside, but also on the inside. My brother was able to heal because of the love of animals, especially Walker. After four months of stress I was able to talk my brother into visiting Rikki's with me, and he became a new person that day. He had fun with the animals, and at the end of the day I heard him laughing, something I had not heard him do for over a year! His laughter was music to my ears. Walker was able to help my brother heal on the inside, allowing him to stop contemplating suicide like so many other soldiers have done. Walker passed on and crossed the Rainbow Bridge three years ago, but his story lives on as one of many, many wonderful stories that Rikki's Refuge has to offer.

If there is a heaven on earth, it is sure to be Rikki's Refuge, a beautiful 450 acre animal sanctuary in central Virginia. If the 1200+ animals saved by Rikki's could talk, they would tell you that it is a glorious place with loving, compassionate people changing the world, one critter at a time. I work with the dogs, all who had a very sad life story before they found their way to Rikki's. Now they flourish in the green fields with a second chance in life. So many of the animals never knew what kindness was, until they entered the gates here. Rikki's Refuge has never met an animal that was not worthy of living a full and happy life, no matter what it takes. Truly heaven on earth!

You will fall in love with Rikki's Refuge as soon as you pass through the gate and see how many wonderful animals have been saved -- who thrive and live in peace and harmony. The large farm accommodates so many of God's creatures that have been abandoned or tossed aside. Rikki's Refuge is a sanctuary where everybody, every animal on 4 legs or 2 legs, is loved and given a second chance at life. Over 1200 animals, each with a story of past abuse or neglect that will move you to the core. But the best part? That there are over 1200 happy endings that will warm your heart. And feed your soul. And inspire you to do what you can to help. I am inspired every day I spend at Rikki's Refuge, working with the dogs and sharing that bond that for centuries has evolved and created the term "Man's Best Friend". And at the end of the day, you too will feel that you have helped make for a better world, hlped create a better life one loving, beautiful animal at a time.

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Rikki's refuge is unlike any sanctuary I have come across in many years of domestic and international travel. The emphasis it places on all living things, the rally cry that all life is sacred and worth saving is extraordinary. No animal is too old, too sick or too disabled to be treated with kindness and respect, and all efforts are made to provide comfort and a sense of love and belongingness to all who come through the gate. The core values of compassion and humane treatment for all animals are demonstrated in word and action by the Director, Ms. Kerry Hilliard, and all who donate time and energy to this magical place.

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