A woman who kept more than 100 rats as pets in her house was arrested in Great Britain

Animal rescue officers found 38 rodents running freely around the house and another 74 in cages, and the air smelled of ammonia "so intense it was impossible to breathe."

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Photo: RSPCA
Photo: RSPCA
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

A woman who kept more than 100 rats as pets in a dirty and overcrowded room has been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence.

Sarah Jordan, 31, allowed rats to breed uncontrollably at her home in Leyland, Lancashire, England, the charity RSPCA said.

Animal rescue officers found 38 rodents running freely around the house and another 74 in cages, and the air smelled of ammonia "so intense it was impossible to breathe."

Jordan was sentenced to four weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and banned from keeping animals, except cats, for 15 years.

'Smell of ammonia that makes the eyes burn'

The court was told that dog nests were found in the drawers and under the bookcase.

Officers saw a young rat drinking liquid from a leaking radiator, as the animals had no water.

The RSPCA said several rats were sneezing and had respiratory problems.

Three rodents lost their fur and had scabs all over their bodies, one was missing half of its tail.

One animal had wounds on the back of the head.

Many female rats have given birth to around 80 young, the charity added.

"As soon as we entered, the smell of ammonia was indescribably strong, so much so that my eyes burned.

"I had to leave the room every now and then because the ammonia gave me a headache and I couldn't breathe," animal rescue officer Jess Pearce said in a statement read to the court.

It took the charity's team more than two hours to catch all the rats and transport them to the vet.

A vet at the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital charity explained in a written statement also read out in court that "it was expected that a responsible owner would contact a vet for advice if they noticed loss of fur or scabs on their pet's bodies".


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Jordan told the RSPCA team she bought four males and three females in Preston and admitted she was breeding them to sell and wanted the rodents to end up in the "best homes".

She pleaded guilty to four charges under the Animal Welfare Act, and was sentenced to house arrest from 20:00 p.m. to 07:00 a.m.


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