When the U.S. Department of Justice reached out to Humane World for Animals asking for help with a rescue operation, the organization jumped at the chance. Rescuers headed out to a breeding facility in Ohio, ready to intervene — and were shocked to find
951 chinchillas living in horrendous conditions.
The poor chinchillas were being kept in tiny, filthy cages in the dark. Many of them had matted fur, inflamed skin, overgrown teeth and numerous other health issues. The rescuers knew they needed to get them all out as fast as possible.
“The darkness, filth and utter confinement these chinchillas have languished in is a striking contrast to the lives chinchillas are meant to experience — bathing in volcanic ash and socializing in herds in the Andes Mountains,” Laura Koivula, director of animal crimes and investigations at Humane World for Animals, said in a press release. “It was like walking through a factory of forgotten souls.”
Over the course of two days, rescuers were able to bring all 951 chinchillas to safety. The first order of business was getting the animals much-needed veterinary care. After that, the focus became giving them the enrichment they’d been deprived of for so long. The chinchillas were provided with huts, perches, straw and dust baths, and their rescuers watched in awe as they experienced joy for the very first time.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the chinchillas settle into a safe place and express natural behaviors, like enjoying their first dust baths in our care,” Koivula said.
Chinchillas are native to South America and are endangered due to habitat destruction, hunting for fur and the pet trade. The rescued chinchillas were victims of an industry that exploits animals for profit and leaves them to suffer.
Humane World for Animals is currently working to secure placement for every single chinchilla they rescued so they’ll only ever know peace from now on. In general, chinchillas have unique needs, and only families who are truly prepared to meet them should step up to adopt one.
“We are grateful to the Department of Justice for securing their surrender so they can have a chance at a better future,” Koivula said.
