Eugene police and animal welfare officers pulled more than 100 pet rats out of two parked vehicles on Sept. 23, uncovering feces-smeared seats, chewed-up cushions and barely a drop of water inside a tarp-covered Saturn that had been sitting curbside. The owner told officers he had rescued the animals and was trying to round up the stragglers with yogurt.
According to NBC16, Eugene police have removed more than 100 pet rats from two vehicles parked in Eugene, a number that kept climbing as crews searched further. Eugene Police and the department's Animal Welfare unit were called out around 10:30 a.m. that Wednesday as the two cars were being towed from the area of Cheshire Avenue and Washington Street, per KVAL. Inside the blue Saturn, officers described rat feces throughout the entire vehicle, chewed up seat cushions, trash, no food, and very little water, the station reported.
A Second Car Full of Rats
The discovery didn't stop at the Saturn. Additional rats were found in the man's nearby gold Suburban, per the same KVAL account, meaning officers were suddenly dealing with two rodent-packed vehicles instead of one. The rats proved extremely challenging to catch, and while an officer managed to grab a handful, police were unable to capture all of the rats hiding inside the second car before it was towed.
Both vehicles were eventually hauled to a towing yard, where the search turned up still more animals. The vehicles were eventually towed to a towing yard where additional rats were recovered from inside both vehicles, KVAL reported — a detail echoed by KEZI, which noted that the vehicles were eventually towed to a towing yard where additional rats were recovered as the full scale of the case became clear.
Newborns Arrive at the Shelter
Greenhill Humane Society ended up taking in 52 rats spread across eight cages, according to reporting from Lookout Eugene-Springfield. Shelter staff said the space the rats had been kept in was dirty and inadequate for the number of animals crammed inside, and several of the rats were suffering from acute and chronic medical conditions by the time they reached Greenhill, per NBC16's report.
The population didn't stay at 52 for long. Three rats gave birth to 18 newborn rats shortly after intake, instantly adding 18 more mouths for the shelter to feed and house.
Dozens More May Still Be Trapped Inside
Police believe the job isn't finished. A large number of rats are still believed to be inside the vehicles, according to a statement relayed by KPIC, with the Animal Welfare Unit continuing to provide food and water for the rats until Greenhill has room to take more, according to Lookout Eugene-Springfield's account of the ongoing effort.
Eugene police have confirmed this case remains open under neglect investigation, per KPIC's reporting. People also detailed the department's request for residents to flag anything unusual to authorities as the investigation continues. Oregon's animal welfare statute defines minimum care as including food of sufficient quantity and quality to allow normal growth or maintenance of body weight, according to the Oregon Revised Statutes, a standard investigators will likely weigh as the case moves forward.
For now, the exact number of rats still unaccounted for inside the two vehicles has not been confirmed, and no charges have been reported. KOIN was among the outlets documenting the squalid scene inside the two cars, where feces was littered throughout and little to no food was found when officers first arrived.
