600 pet mice rescued from New Hampshire home

By Vivienne Felber

A Stratham, New Hampshire rescue shelter received roughly 600 mice after the owner dropped them off. New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Executive Director Lisa Dennison said, “I think we’ve got over 600 mice coming out of one home, and probably more yet to come beginning of next week.” 

The owner reportedly dropped off the three large containers filled with dozens of mice, with many females thought to be pregnant. “I think that anytime someone has that volume of animals in a home, you just have to make that assumption that it’s breeding that’s gotten out of control,” Dennison said.

However, the mice are all in different conditions. “Some of the mice are wonderful. They’re beautiful animals, and they’re going to make wonderful pets for many people, so that’s great. But some of them – because of overcrowding,  because of fighting – had injuries, so that’s always challenging,” said Dennison. 

The NHSPCA is giving the mice up for adoption once they are approved. The mice that were donated are classified as fancy mice and are a good species of mice to become pets. Dennison said that in the 30 years she has worked she has never seen this many mice come from one home, her hope is more people will come to adopt the fancy mice.