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Our latest HUGE rescue mission! Mass pointless breeding! ( with photos )

enchantingcavy

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Hey Guys,

just wanted to share our latest rescue it was HUGE! Rescues like this don't see to be uncommon these days but this one was just an absolute eye opener...

So just how many small animals can one girl, a car and some carry cages rescue? No rescue mission has ever been to large, to complicated or too far to drive for ACS. We'd drive to the other side of Australia if it means we can save a precious life! The following rescue is a typical case of what we would call a backyard ' collector '. These individuals are known to compulsively collect large numbers of animals ( usually several types of animals ) for no real reason at all and usually the animals end up being bred from compulsively resulting in them being mistreated or in worse cases investigations into cruelty to the animals takes place. Collectors often do not realize the conditions their animals are living in and often do not want to part with any of the animals even though they have far too many to cater for.

Our shelter received a call from a member of the public in late January 2007 who's call had been forwarded onto us by the RSPCA. Basically a man told us that his partner had taken off around a week prior and had left him with her pets. He stated that he was unable to afford the costs involved in feeding and caring for the animals and that he needed them gone asap. We were told on the phone that their were 5 rats and a few guinea pigs with their babies that needed to be rehomed...little did we know what we were about to find on arrival to the home. We arranged to pick up the animals that evening as the days had been very hot and we were concerned the animals would not cope with the summer heat. On arrival to the property in the early evening we discovered something e did not expect to see. Around 150 rats and their babies, approximately 15 mice and 7 guinea pigs ( some which were pregnant ) were being kept in appalling conditions in tiny cages and fish tanks. They had no food at all and only some had water. All the animals were very thin and it was assumed that some if not many had passed away recently. The home and cages were indescribable the only word that came to mind was a ' pit ' a pit of filth, droppings and a strong stench. The owner of the animals then elaborated/changed his story and told us that council had been called to the property twice already and that if the animals were not removed they were going to come round a third time and hit the owners with a $150 fine. This in itself was appalling to here...appalling to think that the animals had already been seen twice in the conditions they were in and that they had not been taken and nothing had been done regarding the situation. The cages were stuck shut and could not be opened so the owner grabbed a screw driver and began unscrewing the cages so that we could get the animals out. Keeping composed the rescue went ahead as planned and we took as many rats that we could fit into the car. Needing emergency help ACS then contacted Lou from BRR ( Brisbane Rat Rescue ) in a desperate situation asking if she could help us by taking in the rats. Out of dedication and passion for these small animals and without a twitch Lou joined forces with us and that night all the rats and mice were taken to her home to be cared for. The rats and mice are currently now residing in the care of Lou and ACS have taken on the 7 guinea pigs. Sadly ACS was unable to fit the last 40 male rats into our car on our first trip so a second rescue mission was taken place on the following day. A volunteer from the rat rescue joined Jessica in the rescue on the second day and we arrived at the home even more appauled than our first visit. This time it was an unbelievably hot summer day and the cage the rats were in had been turned on it's back so their were four solid sides and no air circulation. The bedding was dropping and sunflower seeds and the man had hosed all the rats with water as he thought it'd keep them cool. This hosing only made the bedding stink even more, made the rats filthy and made the cage very humid. The rats did not have any water at all on our second visit and they did not have any food some would have surely passed away from the heat. We were unable to obtain photographs of the enclosures the animals were kept in although have tried to describe them as best as we can. All the rats were taken to Lou at Brissy rat rescue where emergency cages, donations of bedding and overwhelming volunteer supported awaited. If you wish to find out further information on how the rats went after this rescue please contact us and we can put you in contact with Lou.
Below are photos of the case as it stands. We wereunable to get good photographs of the setup the animals were kept in due to poor lighting and risk of the owners becoming abusive so most of the photos were taken at Lou's home once the rats, mice and guinea pigs had been rescued.



 
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enchantingcavy

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Back at Lou's after we'd left...( note except for the rats in the pink/white carry cage all these cages is what these rats were housed in...this first one here we had to literally pull the wire off you couldn't open it it was stuck shut...



Some of the young rats...
 

enchantingcavy

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These are the ones the man said we should take as they'd probably die in the heat tomorrow and that today they were barely moving...



More rats
 

enchantingcavy

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Mum feeding a heap of bubs...


Starving mums hoeing into their food in their new home...

And all their babies!!!
 

enchantingcavy

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Boys dying of thirst they didn't leave this water bottle the whole time I was their...

More babies...

Rats sitting in the carry cage waiting to move into their new home...
 

enchantingcavy

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Young baby rats...

Moving into their home...
 

enchantingcavy

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The piggies...

1 boar ( the longhair ) 6 sows including one very light and small bub. Some of the pigs have minor fungal infection and I felt like some were carrying mange so have treated them all with revolution tonight. All the guinea pigs are very young around 12 weeks old so it worries me to think where the parents are and I'm assuming their were alot more piggies...


The piggies have been eating all day long since they came in they've been having their bowls refilled three times a day and had vegies throughout the day every day.

Jess
 

MilwCavyMom

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CONGRATS to all involved in saving these poor animals. It amazes me how people can be so cruel to animals. Watching Animal Detectives last week I saw an episode from Detroit with a man (a "collector") who had 247 cats in ONE HOUSE. One was DOA and only one was able to be rehomed, the rest were to be put down bc they were too wild and unkempt. It amazes me that people can live in those conditions and would do that to pets.

Again.....GOOD JOB! *high five*
 

pignewton

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Not that I sympathize all that much but animal collectors are truly "sick". They have no idea that their animals are not okay and are being mistreated. Thank God for the wonderful people who do rescue!
 

Tulia&Susie

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Wow looking at those pictures makes me a little sad. I mean look at all those rat babies! There are so many! I'm so glad you rescued them I bet there happy in their new home. Question did the guineapigs breed or not? I wasn't sure with that but if they didn't that's good I just wasn't sure. Great Job.
 

enchantingcavy

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Yeah sadly the man said some of the female guinea pigs might be pregnant grrr. Also some of the rats were pregnant aswell you're right their were heaps of babies it was unbelievable how many their were!

Jess
 

Res Judicata

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All those animals. My God. Thank you for getting them out of there. You rescue people are the best. Bless you!

Off the subject, but how do the momma rats find their own babies in that big old heap of squirming fuzz? Do rats not make nests? All those babies just sitting out there in the open in that pigloo picture. Or was momma taking them into the pigloo?
 

suzilovespiggie

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Wow! That's incrediable. All those babies. Thank you and all who took part of the rescue. Keep us posted.
 

masher

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Very well done to you for getting all those poor sweetioes out of there!

That really jsut deos sicken me that, anybody could condone themselves keeping such large numbers of animals in such horrible housing! Why on earth did they have so many rat babies?!
 

yarag009

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I am so proud of all the rescuers involved in this operation! I am not a rat person, but no animal deserve to live in those conditions! Thank you for your dedications and hard work!
 

sweetjay6891

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Just that picture of all those newborn babies in a pile was so sad to see. I can't believe how cruel people can be. Thats one load of babies! Congrats on what you did! Great gob.
 

wickedrodent

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Congrats on getting them out of there! You guys are amazing!

I believe rats are like mice and dwarf hamsters, females who are all pregnant care for all of the babies in the group.

What is going to happen to all the rats? Are they going to be adopted out?
 

enchantingcavy

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HI Guys,

thanks for the comments. Yeah we definitely don't euthanase here and Lou doesn't euthanase either so none of these little guys will be put to sleep if they had gone to the rspca most would have been euthanased...Lou will be working hard to try to find good new homes for all the ratties and same here regarding the piggies I guess they'll stay as long as they have to until they are all rehomed:p . I've been updated on how Lou is going with all the ratties and her support from volunteers has been fantastic she's had heaps of cages delivered and supplies it's fantastic to see she's had so many wonderful people support her through this...

Jess
 

jdomans

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Oh Jess all those poor rat babies!! How is everyone doing now? Those poor poor animals with no water or food.
 

The Magic Taco

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That is excellent work! I am so happy you could look after all those animals. I hope they're all doing well.
 
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