Women Found Living In Van With More Than 300 Pet Rats
A woman living in a van in San Diego with her pet rats has agreed to give them up—all 300 of them. The San Diego Humane Society went to the woman’s van near Del Mar on October 8th. They found rats had clawed into the upholstery, burrowed into the seats, and even gnawed at the engine wiring. Capt. Danee Cook says the woman wasn’t hoarding the animals—she’d actually started with just two pet rats. But the rodents can give birth every four weeks, and produce a dozen offspring in a litter. Cook says the woman acknowledged that things had gotten out of control.
Authorities collected about 320 rats, and more than 100 are currently ready for adoption. Now a GoFundMe page set up by a resident has attracted over $5,300 in donations for the woman identified only as “Carla.” “She said she had no idea so many people cared about her,” says the page. The woman, meanwhile, has found a new place to stay.