Mission
Home Sweet Hammy Home's mission is to help as many small animals as possible, set them up in habitats they can thrive in and adopt them out to loving families who are offered free care resources. Our hope is to see small animals flourish in larger, more enriching habitats with knowledgeable pet parents who place a high value on their short lives.
Our Location
We are located in Tucson, AZ, USA. My name is Carrie and I've dedicated the entire downstairs of our home to the rescue. My incredible husband and I are a team. He constructs cages, offers support and fixes anything that breaks. I provide quality care for each animal and conduct all rescue operation. The animals are treated like royalty with no expense spared when it comes to their health and happiness right up until the day they are adopted, or the end of their life, whichever comes first.
Why A Small Animal Rescue?
Most people who hear the word rescue think of dogs, cats and larger farm animals without understanding the terrible circumstances tiny animals are finding themselves in. Home Sweet Hammy Home was originally established for hamsters but later became a haven for domestic mice and guinea pigs too. Each of these 3 animals have unique care needs that are largely misunderstood despite being sold by the thousands yearly in pet stores all over the world. Also sold in these stores, and online, are inadequate sized cages, improper accessories and incorrect food. Combining these sales of inappropriate items with the lack of proper care education has the potential to set up small animals for an unhappy life which contributes to illness and often death. This is where I hope to help in my small corner of the world. Hamsters, mice and guinea pigs are worthy of a rescue dedicated to them, just like bigger animals, they deserve to have advocates for their well-being too.
Before they ever even make it to a store shelf, they are bred and born in rodent mills. Then at only a few weeks old they are packed up and shipped off to pet stores, similar to how merchandise is shipped. Hamsters and guinea pigs are often thought of as children's pets, typically bought on impulse without much consideration to their comfort and happiness. Usually, domestic mice are purchased as food for other animals and get even less regard.
When someone buys them from a pet store, the employees usually can't or don't provide proper husbandry information to consumers, their job requires them to sell the animals and recommend supplies, so they do. There are exceptions to this statement, but it is rare. Furthermore, most new owners aren't even aware they are uneducated about the appropriate care their new pet needs, but it does not need to be this way!
My goal with this website, and the operation of my rescue, is to equip people with knowledge. I demonstrate proper care in my rescue and have always supported anyone who reaches out teaching them by phone, in person and through emails and text. Founded in 2020 Home Sweet Hammy Home was developed from a sheer desire to show others that tiny animals need more than what the world is giving them. It IS possible to house them correctly so that they can thrive fully, and it IS important to meet all their needs so they can be happy.
My schedule is jam packed full of daily animal care and rescue maintenance. Like all rescue directors, I juggle work responsibilities with family life right along with rescue operation, putting in countless volunteer hours daily, giving generously of my time and energy. But I would not have it any other way! Looking back, it all started with an emphasis on the misunderstanding of a small animal’s husbandry and the desire to create for them a much better life!
Today... this is still my rescue mission.
Sanctuary
I offer sanctuary to all animals who enter my care and cannot be adopted out, regardless of the reason. I am committed to providing my sanctuary residents a pampered life for as long as necessary. I love them fully and cherish the time I have with them. When they pass away it hits me hard, but it also makes me more determined than ever to help other animals who need it.
Rescue
Many of the hamsters I've taken in were once housed in less than ideal cages prior to their admission. For example, this critter trail pictured is TOO small for any animal to live in. The Syrian who lived here was getting stuck in the tubes!
Hamsters and mice require spacious homes with plenty of activities to thrive. I create DIY bin cage homes for the hamsters to live in and make them available to purchase if their adopter does not have an appropriately sized habitat of their own.
Advocacy
Operating a small animal rescue puts me in a unique position to share proper husbandry knowledge with many people weekly. There is a lot of misinformation out there about caring for these precious lives, so my desire is to provide credible resources so that each of these companion pets are able to live comfortable lives with all their needs fully met.
To ensure I am giving the correct care information, I am continuously researching and learning too. While my specialty is hamsters and domesticated mice, I have learned a lot about keeping guinea pigs as pets too and am happy to share it all.
My rescue, and my life, is devoted to these animals and assisting people with their care.
If I can help I will! The pages on this website are meant to provide guidance and resources so that small animals can truly live their BEST lives.