Humane Society rescues abandoned hamsters
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/12/2024 (326 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Hamsters are not garbage, said Tracy Munn, manager of the Brandon Humane Society.
Munn’s declaration came after two hamsters were left abandoned beside a local business’s garbage bin. A man who had witnessed the rodents being abandoned brought them to the shelter on Monday afternoon.
“He was a nice man, probably in his 50s,” said Munn, “He was at McMunn and Yates on Richmond Avenue, and said he watched somebody put something in the dumpster and then he saw that the person had two cages, but they wouldn’t fit in the dumpster. The garbage was full.”
The person placed the two cages on the snow-covered ground beside the dumpster and left, said Munn. That’s when the good Samaritan went over, because he “saw something move.”
“They had thrown away the two hamsters — each in a cage, (with) food and a round ball that hamsters play with.”
“It’s very upsetting. Who does that? Why do people do this? They could have frozen (to death),” Munn noted.
The Humane Society does not usually take in hamsters, but Munn and her staff have already started to clean out the cages and tend to the little creatures.
“They are very cute — these two little hamsters,” added Munn. “I just think it’s a very sad thing to do, at what point do you think it’s OK to throw them away?”
Munn said she has been wondering why someone would have had no choice but to leave the two hamsters beside the dumpster. It could be financial strain, or a rift in a relationship. “I’m trying to keep an open mind, there could be two sides to this story.”
The abandonment of the hamsters also highlights the importance of responsible pet ownership, she pointed out, adding that gifting pets for Christmas is a bad idea since it is a multi-year commitment and should not be made lightly, no matter what kind of animal it is.
“We need to raise awareness about the cruelty of abandoning pets,” Munn said.
Abandoning an animal is considered a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada, but it has specific wording that means the act of abandonment itself does not necessarily lead to charges.
Under the Manitoba Animal Care Act, an owner must follow requirements outlined for animal care.
Anyone who violates the Act can face a fine of not more than $5,000 for a first offence and not more than $10,000 for a following offence.
Munn said she will always wonder why someone took the “drastic measure” of abandoning the two hamsters on a cold and snowy winter day, but added she is more interested in keeping the little animals safe and healthy, adding she is grateful for the man who noticed something, “and did something.”
“The good Samaritan cared enough to go and have a look, good on him for that.”
» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com
» X: @enviromichele