DFW Rat Rescue adopted out about 3,000 rats since 2018, providing a home for rodents that would otherwise be left to fend for themselves, be used as bait for...
The DFW Rat Rescue has operated since 2018 and taken in rats from across Texas — and even out of state. Rat owners say the organization fills an important need.
Mary Matthews founded the local rescue in 2018, finding homes for about 3,000 rats that would otherwise be left to fend for themselves, be used as bait for pet snakes or live in one of the few pet stores that will have them.Matthews previously operated dog rescues but felt “there was a need” for a similar service for domesticated rats as many animal shelters don’t have the resources to take them in.
“It should be considered animal abuse to let your rat go outside because you can’t take care of it anymore,” she said. “But with that being said, there aren’t a lot of animal shelters or organizations that can take in a rat.”Major U.S. cities have redoubled efforts over the past decade to limit the spread of such rodents, which can carry diseases that can infect people.Dallas does not have the same wild rat problem — but that doesn’t mean the issue is non-existent.
Still, Dallas has made efforts to keep wild rats in check, such as by removing illegal dump sites that create areas in which rodents thrive, code compliance assistant director Brian Morris wrote in a statement to The Dallas Morning News.“We have implemented four proactive illegal dumping teams, which patrol the city daily to remove illegal dump sites,” Morris said.
Though domesticated and wild rats can typically be distinguished based on appearance and behavior, Matthews said she also encounters people who want to give her rats she cannot take in.“I don’t take in wildlife,” she said. “I can provide some support and resources but for the most part, I try to stay away from that because there’s not really a good place that you can release them afterwards.”
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