In March 2024, we became aware of an urgent situation in Roseburg, OR when a local rat lover put out a plea on social media. There were a large number of rats living outdoors on a property in horrible condition. Cages were caked with layers of waste, and it was clear that the rats were not being regularly cared for. In total, 17 rats were removed from the property, seven of which came to Rat Way Sanctuary in urgent need of care. Of those, the worst was a little girl we named Sylvie, who was severely emaciated and in respiratory distress. Despite immediate care, she passed a few hours after arrival. A couple weeks later, a second girl, Clara, passed after the onset of neurological symptoms from a pituitary tumor. The remaining five rats greatly improved in the weeks after their rescue. Johnny and Cyrus, who arrived with labored breathing, both graduated from the oxygen chamber and put on quite a bit of weight, getting them back to healthy sizes. They became besties, and were inseparable until Cyrus? sudden death. Amos had a neuter to remove a cancerous testicle, and he settled in well with our other senior residents, where he lived out the rest of his days in comfort. Johnny, like his bestie, Cyrus, passed suddenly and without warning. Penelope and Olivia were both been spayed and are doing very well. All of these rats are incredibly resilient, and we couldn?t be more pleased with their astounding recoveries.