A few weeks ago, Pasadena Humane took in an extraordinary number of small animals from a single home in Arcadia. Ninety-four critters — 31 mice and 63 hamsters — were surrendered into our care, marking the largest small animal hoarding case in our organization’s recent history.
Responding to an intake of this size requires tremendous behind-the-scene coordination. As the animals arrived, our veterinary team examined each one to ensure their health and well-being. Thankfully, only a single hamster was found with a leg injury, and he’s expected to make a full recovery.
When large-scale intakes like this happen, our daily operations shift significantly. It’s easy to assume that critters require less from staff, but at Pasadena Humane we provide the same gold standard of care to all animals in our shelter, big and small.
With 94 new residents, we had to quickly expand our housing for small animals. One of our communal cat rooms was transformed into a comfortable temporary space for the newcomers.
Each critter now has a clean, safe enclosure while awaiting adoption. Our dedicated volunteers have been crafting enrichment toys to keep the hamsters and mice active and entertained during their stay.
Adoptions began almost immediately, and more than two dozen of the rescued critters have already found loving homes. Still, with an intake of this scale, we know it may take some time for all of them to find new families.
There’s a range of emotions that we go through when we deal with hoarding cases like this one. One of the first questions we ask ourselves is, “How did it come to this?” For me, cases like this one serve as a reminder of how essential it is to stay connected to our community.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned working at Pasadena Humane is that meeting people where they are builds trust and offers an opportunity to help before a situation spirals out of control. I can’t help but think that if this individual had known we could offer support earlier, the number of animals involved might have been far smaller.
Even when it’s hard, I know it’s vital to approach every large-scale animal case with compassion and empathy. In my experience, people at the center of hoarding situations often care deeply for animals but lack the resources or understanding to realize when they are in over their heads.
To support both the animals and the people involved in hoarding cases, we often work closely with Adult Protective Services and the Health Department to ensure the caretaker receives the help they need after the animals have been removed. But the sad reality is that, according to experts, animal hoarding has a nearly 100% recidivism rate.
That’s why our work doesn’t stop once the animals are safe. We regularly follow up with visits aimed at preventing future crises.
We remain deeply grateful for our community’s ongoing support, which allows us to respond quickly and compassionately to hoarding cases like this one and others across the region.
This year alone, in addition to these 94 small pets, we’ve cared for 19 cats found in a U-Haul in Monrovia, welcomed 50 guinea pigs from a large-scale rescue in South LA, and assisted Long Beach Animal Care by taking in a dozen of the 70 cats saved from a single home.
Right now, we’re still looking for loving homes for the remaining rescued hamsters and mice, along with nearly two dozen other small pets in our care, including guinea pigs and rabbits. Our adoption counselors are available to help anyone interested in learning more about small animal care and finding the perfect critter companion.
To learn more about adopting a small pet, visit pasadenahumane.org/adopt
Chris Ramon is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.