Like many dogs and cats who are surrendered to shelters across the United States each year, Alice, an 8-year-old domestic short-haired cat, was given up because her owners could no longer give her the care she needed. Unlike a family move, financial constraints or allergies1, Alice’s owners were not prepared to combat the effects of the dangerous 24 pounds she had become, and as a result she came to live at the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA). Upon arrival, Alice's new caretakers, RISPCA veterinary health care team members, E.J. Finocchio, D.V.M., Cathy Simonini, Renee Rogers, CVT and Jacqueline Rose sprang into action.  To view Multimedia News Release, go to