Cassandra

Recently, Humane World for Animals (HWA) reached out to their partners, including Lowell Humane Society, to ask for help with a large scale rescue operation. Our small but mighty shelter responded to take in some of the pets in need.
HWA responded to a plea from the US Justice System to remove nearly 1,000 chinchillas from a commercial breeding operation in Ohio, after years of Animal Welfare Act violations at the facility.

What they found was bleak, described by Laura Koivula , director of animal crimes and investigations at HWA, as a "factory of forgotten souls".
Row after row of crowded, filthy cages held hundreds of scared chinchillas. In depth veterinary exams provided by the HWA team afer rescue found many suffering from a variety of ailments including severely matted fur, inflamed skin, overgrown teeth, scabs, sores and urine scalding. A number of chinchillas were found to be missing limbs, toes or ears.

In total, Humane World for Animals removed 951 chinchillas from the now-shuttered facility. Five of these chinchillas made their way to us at Lowell Humane Society. The male, Cyrus, is available for adoption. The 4 females we received are spending time in foster care for "pregnancy watch", which can be up to 115 days.

We are proud to partner with HWA and happy that we could assist, even in such a small way.
Chinchillas require special care and husbandry. If you are interested in learning more about adopting, please send an email to [email protected] outlining your chinchilla experience and knowledge, please include a photo of the enclosure you plan to house your new pet in.