Rat rescue in Michigan in dire straights! D:

This is ridiculous! All because some idiots dropped off a box of rats outside the rescue without having the decency to arrange a surrender to the people at the rescue when they were home? D: http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/lo...ondemned-over-damage-caused-by-rats/27972489/

I hope that rescues in the US will be able to help save these poor ratties

This is what I found out so far. The Muskegon County Animal Control in Michigan at 231-724-6008 are the ones responsible for what is happening to the rats from the news story. I called but they only had the answering machine on. The other person is Brian Werschem at Fruitport County, Michigan who is said to be in the office at around 9:30 am in the morning at phone no. 231-856-3151

I have searched up and down her fb page looking for some indication that this is infact what happened. I find it funny, that not one post was made about 150 rats being dumped in a cage in her yard, not one post looking for other rescues to take them in, not one post saying she needs help with these rats because they are loose. I am about 2.5 hours away I would of heard something about someone needing help. I am not buying into this for some reason it seems fishy, she stated she tried to get birthcontrol. IN all my years with rats I dont recall one conversation about birthcontrol for rats. She somehow majorly screwed up a lot of animals and now they will suffer due to her lack of ability to care for them properly. She doesnt work so there isnt an excuse. I would of been up all night for days catching every last rat and securing them properly. this is why i dont believe a rescue failed this bad, she screwed up big time. I am not sure how she did this but her neglect made a bad problem worse.

so sad

does anyone know what is going to happen to all those animals?

she must have some wildies and half wilds too

hopefloats said:

I have searched up and down her fb page looking for some indication that this is infact what happened. I find it funny, that not one post was made about 150 rats being dumped in a cage in her yard, not one post looking for other rescues to take them in, not one post saying she needs help with these rats because they are loose. I am about 2.5 hours away I would of heard something about someone needing help. I am not buying into this for some reason it seems fishy, she stated she tried to get birthcontrol. IN all my years with rats I dont recall one conversation about birthcontrol for rats. She somehow majorly screwed up a lot of animals and now they will suffer due to her lack of ability to care for them properly. She doesnt work so there isnt an excuse. I would of been up all night for days catching every last rat and securing them properly. this is why i dont believe a rescue failed this bad, she screwed up big time. I am not sure how she did this but her neglect made a bad problem worse.

Click to expand...

Did you look thru the photos? I think I found a possible reason why this got so bad, she doesn't seem to know anything about rats.
dated in late March there are photos of rats, one is shown out of it's "pet taxi"- a plastic carrier that it chewed its' way out of, and it's within inches of a cat

there's another photo of baby rats in with older , I think still baby rats, cant' tell if there's mothers in there, i'll add the photos

I think she may not have known what to do with them all but she really should have asked for help way back in March and as you said, there's no indication that she did.

Petunia, on her facebook page there is a video of a rat with a cat and at the end the rat goes into that carrier.

Irresponsible woman who didn't know what she was doing, who placed animals lives at risk, and didn't have the common sense to ask rat rescues for help before the situation got so bad.

I hope people and rescue groups are able to step forward to help those poor little ratties ....
because it doesn't sound like anyone cares about what will happen to them
.... authorities ordering everyone off the property, basically abandoning those pet rats is not the answer
I hope rat rescues can get together as they have in the past and work with the authorities to rescue those little ratties
I can't even imagine that many ratties, but I know rat rescues in the US have worked together many times to pull off amazing rescues

I wish I could bring them over the border I'm in Sarnia right across the bridge to Michigan. It is sad that she got herself overwhelmed without knowledge of how to keep them safely. That one photo does look like several different aged babies from wee pinkies to small juveniles.

I would also have been searching day and night for the ones who escaped outside. I have had rats dropped at my doorstep and I work a job outside of the rescue and manage to get them inside in a timely manner. The rat that is in the pet taxi also looks to have skin irritation and fur loss, likely a mite or lice infestation
Those poor things. I'm sure her intentions started as humbly as we all did but she got out of control and likely didn't seek the support of a community like this!
I feel lucky to have a community behind me both here and the city of Sarnia animal loving world and people are always asking how they can help. Working in the pet care industry also puts me at the frontline of educating new pet parents and helping inform them of parasite care, infectious diseases etc.
The first thing I tell people who have them as pets is decide on a gender and stick to one per household. Its too risky to keep both genders if you just want pets not to keep dozens and/or breed which I am constantly explaining to people why they should not even try it once.

I hope these ratties get properly cared for and removed safely and rehomed to places where they can live in a better quality of care and life!

Emergency !!
Please share with other rat owners and with rat rescues, please Help!

Crosspost (not me):

CALLING ON RAT PEEPS! Michigan rats in urgent need!

Some of you may have heard about the situation in Fruitport, MI. There are an undetermined number of rats loose in a home that has now been condemned. Though there was frantic effort over the weekend to try to connect with someone about this situation, I've not heard back from any of my inquiries until this evening. Turns out there is one county animal control officer trying her level best to do anything she can about this situation - she is grateful for any help we can give her.

Things are moving very quickly at this point. The township is ready to move in and do what it has to do with this condemned property. I'm going to take off work and go over there on Wednesday June 3 to round up as many of these little ones as humanly possible.
We need boots on the ground on Wednesday June 3, if possible, and more importantly, commitments to take in the animals I can manage to round up. I have local commitments for 30. Any over and above that can only stay with me temporarily - I simply don't have the resources to take on any more - but I will bring more than that home with solid commitments.

I've explained to this very nice, very overwhelmed animal control officer what an awesome rat community we have. Let's show her what we mean by that!

Feel free to email me at gotrats10 (at) yahoo.com.
Let's do this!

If it wasnt just a touch too far for me to afford the gas I would love to come help with the wrangling. I cannot bring them over the boarder for sure.
If anyone was willing to maybe fund my trip I could go and help at least

Help, cages, and homes needed ............ the rats need to be caught tomorrow,
and estimates suggest that there many be over 1,000 ratties that need to be rescued

Spread the word and help if you can

the township has an exterminator coming on Wednesday too ....
I just read the thread on goosemoose and it doesn't sound like any help is comming and doesn't sound like any rescues have stepped up to help

If anyone can take any rats, foster rats, lend cages or help in any way please contact gotrats10 (at) yahoo.com

SQ said:

Emergency !!
Please share with other rat owners and with rat rescues, please Help!

Crosspost (not me):

CALLING ON RAT PEEPS! Michigan rats in urgent need!

Some of you may have heard about the situation in Fruitport, MI. There are an undetermined number of rats loose in a home that has now been condemned. Though there was frantic effort over the weekend to try to connect with someone about this situation, I've not heard back from any of my inquiries until this evening. Turns out there is one county animal control officer trying her level best to do anything she can about this situation - she is grateful for any help we can give her.

Things are moving very quickly at this point. The township is ready to move in and do what it has to do with this condemned property. I'm going to take off work and go over there on Wednesday June 3 to round up as many of these little ones as humanly possible.
We need boots on the ground on Wednesday June 3, if possible, and more importantly, commitments to take in the animals I can manage to round up. I have local commitments for 30. Any over and above that can only stay with me temporarily - I simply don't have the resources to take on any more - but I will bring more than that home with solid commitments.

I've explained to this very nice, very overwhelmed animal control officer what an awesome rat community we have. Let's show her what we mean by that!

Feel free to email me at gotrats10 (at) yahoo.com.
Let's do this!

Click to expand...

who wrote this SQ? what rescue?

from what I've been able to read, it is illegal in MI to keep wild rats as pets, and because so many of the domestic rats are running "wild' with wild rats, and probably have mated with wild rats, I think there may be far fewer rats that they will allow anyone to take out of there.
if it's not legal in MI to keep wild rats, any females that may have mated with a wild rat will probably not be allowed to leave, that would mean only males that are clearly domestic rats.
this is truly a tragic situation but it appears that there may not be many rats that can be saved at this point

The info was posted by a woman on the rat race on facebook ....

These are domestic pet rats and all the pics I have seen show hoodies.

You may be correct but there are many many that can be saved if people step forward ...........
and as far as I know both males and females, of all ages are in need

Even saving 1 or 2 will make a difference.
If you live far away, like I do, but can make space, try contacting a rescue and offer to take in 1 or 2 or .. of these rats from theerescue if they will take them in from this situation
(I just did that) ... maybe this support will help rescues be able to help these rats

... But know that these rats are poorly socialized

Petunia said:

who wrote this SQ? what rescue?

Click to expand...

http://yaleroadadoptables.weebly.com/

damn there does not seem to be a coordinated effort to get in there and save the ones they can.
I only see Yale Rd and Crazy Critters actively involved and neither one mentions other rescues stepping in to help. https://www.facebook.com/CrazyCritters?fref=nf

Right .... rescues are not stepping in to help
and it looks like there will only be 2 women there tomorrow trying to catch as many pet rats as they can before the exterminators move in

They need carriers, people to help catch rats. people to help transport rats, cages, fosters, adopters , donations of supplies and money for gas etc

This is a complete disaster!

Those poor little ratties

got in touch wiht a few ppl who will be there, it's probably not nearly enough but it's more than NOTHING

so sad
and probably avoidable

yes .... and likely a lot more could be done given more time

frustrating being so far away and thus unable to help