Welcome to the rat race

It’s been a busy day here at the emergency shelter UAN’s Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers are running for 1,000 rats rescued from an overrun home in southern California last week.

Rescued rats enjoy their new “condo”

This morning we arrived to find that seven rats had escaped from their new “condo” enclosures. Luckily, all were quickly captured and returned to their cages. Volunteers are now wrapping the “condos” in chicken wire to prevent more escapes. The intake process continues. Rats are being “sorted” according to gender and placed into the large rolling condos in groups of 15 or so. 

A “juvenile” rat, about two weeks old.

In the last 24 hours, our rat pack has grown by about 25 — two new litters were born and they are resting comfortably with their new moms in our maternity ward.

Several news cameras have visited the shelter today, and we’re hopeful the media attention will help these rescued rats find new homes and educate people about the many good reasons to adopt rats as pets!

Read coverage of the response in the San Jose Mercury News.