Rats! Left Out In The Cold
Sonora, CA – Finding a cage full of rats left out in the rain on Thursday brought a stern message from Tuolumne County Animal Control (TCAC).
“Abandoning your pets is not only illegal, it’s also downright cruel,” warned shelter officials. The abandonment or dumping of any animal is a crime under California’s Animal Abandonment Law (SB 237), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail, or both.
An officer found the cage, pictured in the image box, with the poor pet rats inside. Shelter officials added, the rodents “were left to die in their cage, in wet and very cold conditions. As you can see, predators tried to get into their cage as it was tipped. The rats were cold, wet and terrified.”
The officer brought the rodents back to the shelter to get warmed up and have a vet check out their physical conditions. Shelter officials detailed, “It was discovered that the rats were in poor condition, as they had mites. With proper medical attention, the rats are doing much better and are now with a fabulous rescue.”
