- November 6, 2024
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Members of the Cypress Knolls neighborhood came together to solve a rat problem after residents found a large crate full of “Dumbo rats” dumped on the side of the road in late May.
Out of the 20 rats found in the cage, eight were taken to a humane society and eight are currently in Vicky Faber’s care. Faber is trying to find homes for these rats, which look more like large Guinea pigs with oversized ears, Linda Spilling-Markey said.
“Once we all realized the problem wasn’t going to go away, we had two choices: ignore it or pull together as a neighborhood and take action,” Spilling-Markey said.
About a dozen neighbors gathered to collect the rats to find homes for them. According to a post on cypressknoll.nextdoor.com, resident Cathy Saris contacted the Sheriff’s Office on May 29 to figure out why a cage was dumped in their neighborhood. Spilling-Markey said the residents still don’t know who dropped the cage.
“I knew if we didn’t take responsibility for these rats, they would repopulate,” Spilling-Markey said. “They would fill the community, and we would have a rodent problem.”
There are now 14 Dumbo rat babies needing care, as well. Ultimately, Spilling-Markey said she was impressed with the neighbors who teamed up to take care of the situation, but their work is not yet done.
If you would like to take care of any of the Dumbo rats, contact Linda Spilling-Markey at 437-3338.
