Hundreds of pet rats discovered in condemned LI home as volunteers scramble to find new homes for rodents
Animal rescue volunteers are scrambling to find homes for hundreds of pet rats discovered roaming through a filthy, now-condemned house in a New York City suburb.
About ten volunteers have spent the past several weeks capturing the domesticated white rats at a home in Rocky Point, roughly 70 miles east of Manhattan on Long Island. The effort comes as a major winter storm threatens the area.
Frankie Floridia, president of the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, estimates that more than 450 rats have already been rescued, with about 30 still believed to be inside the house. “What makes it challenging is that they’re in the walls — they’re everywhere,” Floridia said Thursday after another long day at the property. “This is a unique situation. We’ve never dealt with anything like this.”
The rescue group is working closely with a local animal hospital to treat the animals. Many of the rats were found suffering from mites, eye infections, bite wounds, and other medical issues, according to the group’s vice president, Erica Kutzing.
Despite their condition, only about ten rats have been euthanized so far. More than 200 have already been placed in permanent or temporary homes through fostering or adoption. Kutzing also credited rescue organizations in Virginia, Connecticut, and other states for taking in more than 50 of the animals. Volunteers are now coordinating safe transport for those heading out of state.
“A lot of people see rats as undesirable or overlook them entirely,” Kutzing said. “But when you care about the underdog, it usually says something kind about who you are.”
More than 200 rats are still in need of homes. Kutzing said adopters are encouraged to take in two or three at a time, since rats are social animals and do best in groups.
“These rats deserve a second chance,” Floridia said. “They’re clean, friendly animals — similar to hamsters — and they can make wonderful pets.”
Kutzing said the situation does not appear to have been a deliberate breeding operation, but rather a case of the population growing rapidly and spiraling out of control. Rats give birth about every 20 days, often producing nearly a dozen offspring per litter, and they can reach maturity within weeks.
“It snowballs fast,” she said. “If someone is already struggling — with hoarding, for example — it can quickly become overwhelming.”
The homeowner has been charged with animal cruelty, neglect, and endangering the welfare of a child. Police say a three-year-old child had been living in the house for several weeks in unsanitary conditions, with rat feces and urine covering the floors and rodents roaming freely.
According to prosecutors, the homeowner pleaded not guilty during her arraignment earlier this month. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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