Hundreds Of Rats Formerly Living With Woman In Van Are Up For Adoption

Hundreds of domestic rats in San Diego are up for adoption after a woman who had previously been caring for them in the van where she was living gave them up.

“Overall, these rats were well cared for and the owner really loved them,” said Nina Thompson, spokesperson for the San Diego Humane Society. “However, her population got out of hand very quickly.”

The woman had been living in a van near a convenience store where she worked after recently becoming homeless. She started with only two pet rats, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. However, those rats began to breed, their offspring began to breed, and the situation quickly became untenable.

Thompson told HuffPost that San Diego Humane originally removed 320 rats, though many of the females were also pregnant. Rats were “in every crevice” from the van, and were “coming and going” from the vehicle, Capt. Danee Cooke of the Humane Society’s law enforcement department told the Tribune. Officials captured as many as they could.