| Hamster Rescue |
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| Hundreds of hamsters are abandoned each year at shelters, in front of grocery stores, or at the back doors of pet stores -- many in appalling conditions. The reasons for abandonment are numerous, but the end result is usually the same. These are animals are put down for lack of a proper home. This page is dedicated to finding a home for these hamsters who, through no fault of their own, get discarded. We will use the term "rescue" in its purest sense. A rescue is a hamster that is abandoned or neglected. Many of these end up in shelters either because their owners take them there or because some kind soul who finds them brings them to a shelter for care. In some cases, a rescue can also be a pet which the owners must give away. The reasons range from family illness to various unforeseen circumstances. These usually involve a small number of animals, and the owners often offer the cages and supplies with the hamsters. Additionally, unexpected litters from females purchased pregnant from a pet store would also fit into this category. Again, the key words here are unforeseen and unexpected. These are circumstances in which the owner did his best to provide a proper home until unable to. Many people use the term "rescue" more broadly to refer to: 1. Animals regularly "rescued" from a negligent pet store. 2. "Rescued/adopted" animals from a breeder who got overwhelmed through irresponsible breeding. It is our sad experience that if you are too quick to help either of these groups, they will continue in their irresponsible ways and create a never-ending cycle of "rescue" animals. The root problem needs to be attacked instead of the symptom. We applaud anyone who takes on these core problems (and will aid them as best we can) but will not typically list those animals on this page. Here is a link to Angela's hamster rescue page. Angela regularly checks the shelters in the Southern California area. She rescues and re-homes a full range of animals as well as helps to educate the shelters in the proper care of the various small animal species. She is a true devotee of rescues. She quarantines all animals before placing them to make sure they are healthy and ready for their permanent home. www.rabbitadoption.org/hamster.html We will also list the Recycled Rodents rescue page. This page most commonly lists rats and mice, but other species are also included from time to time. Recycled Rodents is also located in the Southern California area. www.recycled_rodent.homestead.com |