| The Down Side of Rescues As with all things, there is a definite down side to doing rescue. Thanks to the irresponsible breeding involved in supplying pet shops, rescue is often being asked to pick up the pieces. Sometimes there is nothing rescue can do. Some cases are just unrealistic for rescue to handle. A hamster who has viciously attacked a number of people clearly has a temperament unsuitable for placement and could be a liability. Animals that are extremely ill, need extensive veterinary treatment, or are in need of continuous medical care would put a great burden on most rescue organizations. It is, of course, up to the individual rescuer which animals they are willing to take in, and which they are not. There comes a point, however, where the realization hits that taking in a particular unplaceable animal will mean that numerous young, healthy, placeable animals will have to be turned away. This is one of the most difficult decisions a rescuer will ever have to face, and for which there is no easy answer. Some Final Thoughts Rescue is one of the most rewarding things we can do, and also one of the most difficult. Wonderful, happy stories abound about rescue and they tend to encourage folks to get involved. While this is a great thing, often those new to rescue run into heartbreaking difficulties and give up because they were unprepared and no one thought to forewarn them. That being said, let me share with you a rescue story. Every Saturday there is a livestock auction near my home. One day, two rats were included in this auction. By chance, before bidding started, I happened to overhear the gentleman selling the rats comment that if he couldn’t get rid of them he would turn them loose on the way home (I live in the desert and this was July). Naturally, I bid on the rats. After standing in line for 45 minutes to pay my $2, I finally got to take a good look at them. I’m sad to say, their condition didn’t surprise me. They smallest appeared to be about 3 weeks old. He was totally limp, cold, and in truth, I don’t think he was conscious. The other was a young adult showing major signs of the SDA virus. Swollen eyes and glands under the chin, gasping for breath, blue feet and tail, and was screeching and turning around the box in panic. It was not a pretty picture. I rushed the two of them home, gave them a few moments of probably the only loving they ever had, and then gave the greatest gift I could give. Their lives ended quietly and painlessly with soft words and gentle pets. Yes, this is what rescue is about – every bit as much as finding wonderful homes for needy hamsters. (Not the norm, thank goodness, but the kind of thing you have to be prepared for none the less.) |
| Rodent Rescue Page 3 |
| Written for and adapted with permission from Rat & Mouse Tales Volume 17, Number 3 A publication of AFRMA (www.afrma.org) Copyright by the author |
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