Posts
written by Lauren Paul from North Star Rescue
North Star Rescue is a unique organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, a rescue group that is solely dedicated to rescue and welfare of companion rodents.
Companion rodents, a term that doesn't often come up at the dinner table, is a broad label used to encompass the various species that North Star Rescue works to protect including rats, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs and chinchillas. While many people are aware of the plight of cats and dogs surrendered to shelters, many don't realize that all species of animals that are kept as pets will find themselves represented in the statistics at the shelter one day.
Constable Mouse, a white mouse who retired
into the rescue's sanctuary program
as a senior after one year up for adoption
Lois, a volunteer who is one of our champion rat snugglers
The rescue takes in everything from the unexpected litter from a pet store hamster, tiny critters with big behavioral problems, to severe medical cases who may spend months in treatment at a medical foster home. As a "no-kill" rescue, once an animal is taken into NSR they will never be euthanized for lack of space, time spent waiting for adoption, behavioral problems or treatable medical conditions.
Rob, a volunteer watering rows of cages at the temporary rat shelter
While the foster and adoption program is what most people see from North Star Rescue, the founding directors will tell you that the heart of the program lies in education. In a typical month, you'll find volunteers from North Star Rescue providing educational materials at adoption events, answering behavioral questions from rodent owners all over the world, at a shelter conducting a staff training class on small animal assessments, or in a classroom educating children about the proper care of companion rodents.
North Star Rescue continues to expand programs, seeking not only to save animals in danger of euthanasia, but improve awareness and standards of care for all companion rodents.
Fergie, a female guinea pig up for adoption at our rescue
who was rehabilitated past some serious aggression problems
A group of baby rats, born at our temporary rat shelter
we operated for the hoarding case that was on A&E's Hoarders
The founding team of directors from North Star Rescue have had the opportunity to speak at national animal shelter conferences on strengthening companion rodent adoptions at shelters, and continue to work to expand programs to help encourage adoptions of small animals at shelters to reduce euthanasias of companion rodents on a national level.
Cynthia, one of the directors of North Star Rescue
outside of the rat hoarding house
For more information about North Star Rescue:
ViSiT their website at
http://www.northstarrescue.org
FOLLOW them on Fb
http://www.facebook.com/NorthStarRescue
MAKE a donation
http://northstarrescue.org/about-us/helping-north-star-rescue
* on our COTM website page
* on our main blog
* through our social media channels (Facebook & Twitter)
* through EFA's Teams & Yahoo Groups
