A New Hampshire animal shelter is grappling with an unprecedented surge of rodents after a local man surrendered nearly 1,000 mice, revealing a rapidly escalating situation.
The situation began when a man approached the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with an intent to surrender what he initially claimed to be 150 mice. However, this figure referred to containers rather than individual rodents. On the first day of transfer, the shelter received 73 mice, but by the end of the week, the number had ballooned to approximately 450, with an additional 500 anticipated.
The challenge for the SPCA has been immense. According to Executive Director Lisa Dennison, the task of caring for such a large influx of mice is ‘crippling’ given their rapid reproduction rate. ‘Even in the short time that we’ve had them, many of these mice have given birth,’ Dennison noted, illustrating the exponential growth problem the shelter faces. Female mice reach sexual maturity at just six weeks old and can become pregnant shortly after giving birth, further compounding the issue.
To manage the crisis, the shelter has repurposed part of its cat pavilion into a makeshift facility for the mice, with rows of containers lining the floors and stacked on shelves. The process of logging each individual mouse into the shelter’s database is a time-consuming endeavor, not to mention the continuous need for food, water, and bedding supplies.
The shelter’s usual capacity is far below the numbers they are currently handling, with Dennison explaining that while they have taken in large groups of animals before, such as 54 goats or 39 cats, nothing compares to the hundreds of mice they are now accommodating. Efforts are underway to relocate some of the rodents to other shelters and foster homes, and there is a call for donations to help with the resources needed.
On a brighter note, some of the mice have already found new homes. Shelter staff and volunteers have made the best of the situation by naming the mice with quirky monikers like Doug, Darrell, and candy-inspired names such as Butterfinger and Milk Dud. Local resident Elisha Murray, despite her previous stance against more rodents, adopted four mice after hearing of the shelter’s plight, noting, ‘We have the whole setup, everything I need at home already, so I figured, what the hell.’
The New Hampshire SPCA’s rodent dilemma underscores the challenges faced by animal shelters when unexpected circumstances arise. The community’s response in adopting and aiding in rehoming these mice reflects the collective effort needed to manage such overwhelming situations and highlights the ongoing need for support and resources.
Source: Local10
