Campaign Story

Earlier this year, our good friends at Out of The Pocket Microsanctuary asked for our assistance in a devastating case of animal hoarding, where a member of the public was found keeping over 600 mice. The conditions were horrific. The mice were crammed into tiny cages, males and females mixed together, breeding endlessly. Many were severely injured. The males were fighting, a natural behaviour in intact males, especially when confined to tiny cages. It was a crisis unlike anything we had ever faced.Forget Me Not Rescue took in over 100 mice, most of them pregnant females. Since then, more than 100 babies have been born into our care. We’ve watched those pups grow up in a world completely different from the one their parents came from: safe housing, enriching activities, appropriate food, and a peaceful space to raise their young. Over time, we’ve seen them begin to trust us and even more beautifully, we’ve watched them build strong bonds with each other.Mice are deeply social beings. They form friendships, communicate and even take turns keeping watch while others sleep. Every single one is unique and every single one deserves a peaceful, connected life.But now we’re facing a major hurdle: desexing the boys.We currently have over 80 male mice who need to be castrated. This is absolutely essential, male mice who aren’t desexed will begin to fight viciously, sometimes to the death, from as young as 3 months of age. Housing them individually isn’t practical, we simply can’t maintain 80+ separate cages on top of our current 40 cages and solitary housing is not the life these mice deserve.Desexed males can live with other mice safely, experience proper social enrichment, and form strong bonds. They’re also calmer, cleaner, and less stressed. It’s not just about preventing fights, it’s about giving them the lives they were always meant to have.We’ve been quoted $150 per mouse. That adds up quickly, over $12,000. We’re hoping to raise $5,000 to start, which will cover desexing for 50 mice. If you can chip in, even just a few dollars, it would mean the world to us. Every bit of your donation goes directly to their vet care. We’re a small rescue with no government funding and limited adoptions. Most of these mice will stay with us for life. But we are deeply committed to desexing the 80+ males in our care. If you’re able to support this, we would be so grateful. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us move closer to that life for them.They’ve already survived so much. Now, with your help, they can finally begin to thrive.Thank you for standing with them and with us.