Early on the morning at the beginning of November, 2023, a resident in a NW Portland apartment discovered a box on the steps of her building. The box contained an elderly rat and a young mouse. She brought them to DoveLewis for care, and from there they were transferred to the county shelter. The mouse was apparently healthy, while the elderly rat was covered in scratches and missing large patches of hair. He was severely underweight and showed signs of hind limb degeneration. But despite all that, he was sweet and affectionate. After his stray hold at the shelter ended, we brought him home to live out the rest of his life in comfort under the protection of the sanctuary. Since his arrival, he has been cleared of parasites, his skin has healed, he has gained over 50g, and grown back much of his hair, which is soft and wavy. He had a small mass removed in January 2024. He is delightfully vocal and likes to groom his humans. His favorite snack is toasted almond slices, which he will cram into his mouth until they are falling out the sides. In June 2024 a couple new mammary masses appeared. He was not a good candidate for surgery, so his human servants closely monitored him and spoiled him. He loved all of his rat friends, and could usually be found happily cuddled with fellow sanctuary residents, Alice and Amos. Finch had his final vet visit on Aug 20th, 2024, following a decline in his health. He is now reunited with Alice and Amos to cuddle across the Rainbow Bridge.