Man Overwhelmed by His Pets’ High-Speed Breeding Surrenders Nearly 1,000 Mice

A New Hampshire man has surrendered not one, not 10, not 100, but nearly 1,000 mice. In a blog post, the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NHSPCA) revealed the massive influx its organization recently received.

Per the NHSPCA, on Nov. 13 a homeowner came into their lobby “hoping to surrender mice” as he was “overwhelmed by the sheer number” of rodents he had.

The man initially said he had 150 pets. He later clarified that he had 150 tanks of mice, some of which held more than a dozen rodents. He brought in three plastic tubs—which were reportedly “filthy”—that contained a total of 73 animals.

The NHSPCA followed up on the situation by traveling to the man’s home. They filled vans with tubs of mice, bringing their total to about 400 rodents.

The organization believes that 400 mice remain at the man’s home, which means they could be receiving nearly 1,000 animals. The rodents aren’t common field mice, but pet mice. The distinction is an important one, as the latter breed is friendly and curious, highly social, and entertaining animals.

The Mice Reproduced at an ‘Alarming Rate’

As for how the situation got so far out of control, the NHSPCA said that the mice were not separated by sex and were reproducing uncontrolled. Many of the females were pregnant when they were surrendered, the NHSPCA said.

“We have never seen anything like this,” Savannah Alcero, the Director of Animal and Veterinary Services at the NHSPCA, said. “And the longer we wait to get all of the mice out of their terrible living conditions, the greater the likelihood is that the numbers will continue to grow. With a gestation period of just around 20 days, mice can reproduce at an alarming rate.”

Indeed, Lisa Dennison, the executive director of the NHSPCA, told the Associated Press that the situation has become “crippling.”

“Even in the short time that we’ve had them, many of these mice have given birth,” Dennison said. “It’s an exponential problem that keeps growing.”

On Facebook, the NHSPCA said that other shelters have agreed to assist amid the situation. The NHSPCA is asking the public to help by fostering or adopting, or by donating funds or supplies to the organization.