Frequently Asked Questions and Answers by Carrie

If you have a question not listed, reach out to get an answer, and I'll add it to this list ASAP.

Where do the animals in your rescue come from?

Private surrenders, shelters, and other rescues. I also will take in hamsters, mice and guinea pigs from pet stores who have had animals get sick and became unable to be sold or have had animals relinquished to them whose owners could no longer keep.

Can I surrender my hamster, mouse or Guinea pig to you?

Please Note: Intake is CLOSED for guinea pigs. All of my cages and space for them is filled. Intake for male mice is also closed, they are solitary by nature and need to be housed alone and my designated male mouse area in the rescue is full.

*Intake for female mice is open, they are social animals and need friends and since I have female mice in sanctuary who are older, at any time either could loose their sister so I am open to admitting female mice of any age

*Intake for Syrian hamsters is open and limited to 2, I have 2 large cages measuring 1200 sq inches that are set fixtures in the rescue which are currently not occupied.

*Intake for dwarf hamsters is limited to intake on a case-by-case basis

To request surrender by email click HERE or Message through the link of this website. Please include as many details as possible such as age, how long you've had, reason you can no longer keep, area where you live, etc.

Are There Surrender Fees?

Every surrender situation is unique and has a set of circumstances that require me to consider carefully if I am able to accommodate another animal appropriately. Important topics such as physical space in the rescue, supplies on hand to set up cages, and daily and nightly routine adjustments to care for one more are all at the forefront of my mind when considering an intake. Financial ability, taking into consideration vet bills, and how adoptable the animal is are close seconds. Elder and sick animals can't be adopted out and my sanctuary runs full, always. I normally will not take in an animal that will become an immediate sanctuary resident for this reason. Any surrender fees are calculated based on my anticipated costs associated with future care but will never fully exceed those costs, instead they would just help initially.

Do you take in dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles or other rodents?

Not usually. While I do love all animals, I can only provide services for hamsters, pet mice and Guinea pigs because I am most equipped to handle their care and accommodations. I will not bring in animals like reptiles and fish which I do not know about their care, nor will I add animals to the rescue that may pose a threat to the ones currently here. For example, cats are risky around rodents and our 4 family dogs would pose a threat to cats so its unwise to take them in. I have to stick within my boundaries to prevent issues that may arise if I don't. Lastly, I have taken in a dog in 2023 which has been quite the hand full, which you can read about HERE definitely a learning lesson and not one I'll repeat again in my rescue which is supposed to be exclusively for hamsters, mice and guinea pigs.

So, what do I do if I can't take care of my pet?

If you are in Tucson, Az the Humane Society of Southern Arizona might be willing to accept surrenders of most animals. Surrender at your own caution, there is new information coming out every day about the fate of animals given to shelters. For dogs and cats only, Pima Animal Care Center might be able to help. Neither option is guaranteed. Unfortunately, hundreds of animals enter their doors yearly and since rescues are full, both facilities are stretched thin.

I live in Arizona and want to adopt but live in another city, do you deliver or ship?

No. I am not able to travel in order to adopt out to you, but you are welcome to apply to adopt and arrange to travel here on your scheduled adoption day. Keep in mind, adoptions follow an entire procedure, and all requirements must be met in order to be approved to adopt.

I want to adopt but live in another state, do you deliver or ship?

No, I can't deliver or ship but there are rescues in other states that you can apply to adopt from or I recommend visiting shelters to find a new pet. Check out this page on Rachel's Got Hamsters to see a list of rescues that may be near you that has hamsters and other small animals to adopt. Or try a Google search to find out if there are animals in need of homes closer to your location. Another option is to utilize PETFINDER or ADOPT-A-Pet to search for adoptable pets. If you still would like to choose to peruse adoption with Home Sweet Hammy Home and do not mind traveling here to AZ, I am happy to work with you.

I want to adopt a pet today, can I get your address?

Actually, I have a long adoption process that takes several days depending on where you are at in your hamster care or small pet journey, so same day adoptions are not possible. The first step in the adoption process is to schedule an interview by phone so we can discuss hamster, pet mice or Guinea pig knowledge and care. If you are ready to do that send an EMAIL HERE and I'll get back to you asap to get the process started.

How are adoption fees calculated?

Adoption fees are based on many factors but are not income or financial gain for the rescue and will not exceed a reasonable amount. Rescuing animals is an expense in itself. For example, many of the hamsters were transported from California, and I met the transporter halfway in between, which resulted in both myself and the transporter paying out of pocket gas expenses. Another example is when hamsters, pet mice or piggies are taken in but need to see the veterinarian a few times to start the rehabilitation process. These expenses take a toll on our finances but must be paid in order to operate. Adoption fees offset them.

I found an injured wild mouse or an unattended litter of mice, can you help?

Wildlife centers don't usually assist with mice or rats, licensed rehabbers also do not typically take in these small animals. I have learned recently that when abandoned litters are relinquished to either a wildlife center or licensed rehabber, they usually end up as food for rescued predators. If you find a wild mouse or a litter of newborns without a mother around, checking online for advice is best, there is more help out there now then there was in the past. Many people set them up in store bought hamster cages complete with water bottles and wheels and think that is okay. It really isn't. They are not pets. If those cages are inappropriate for domesticated hamsters, they are extra inappropriate for wild mice. The end goal when rescuing and rehabilitating any wild mouse should be release back into the wild if possible especially if the mouse is perfectly able to survive. An excellent resource which was recently recommended to me was Orphaned Wild Mice and Rats on Facebook

Please note I do not take in wild mice here in the rescue home but I have been walking people through steps to take and am happy to be on hand for support and advice.

I found an injured dog or cat (or other domesticated animal)

There are emergency animal hospitals located throughout Tucson. Again, use Google to find the one nearest to your location. Each of these facilities will be able to scan the dog/cat for a microchip which is very important for reuniting pet and owner. If no owner is found, medical treatment costs would fall on the shoulders of the finder. I myself have been in this situation many times and it can be costly however it is the right thing to do for suffering animals.

What is your opinion on ethical hamster breeders and do you support their important work?

That depends on what you mean by support. I prefer people who are breeding hamsters responsibly over people who are backyard breeding them for sure. I think it should be illegal to breed and sell hamsters unless someone goes through the steps to become an ethical hamster breeder. People who are operating rescues and people who are choosing to ethically breed could work together to educate people who want to own hamsters. Ideally, we all could ensure a better life for their short years, sometimes months, they are alive on earth as pets. Not to mention those of us running hamster rescues would have way less surrender requests and overall less hamsters in our rescues living out their lives permanently.

Of course, for us to see this as a reality, rodent mills have to be shut down permanently and pet stores have to be forced to stop selling and that's annoyingly never going to happen worldwide, is it?

As for supporting ethical breeders, it is challenging operating a rescue for hamsters and finding people who are going to give them great forever homes when such a huge percentage of the population is getting baby hamsters from pet stores, backyard breeders AND ethical hamster breeders so the older hamsters in rescues and shelters don't get adopted and many are euthanized.

For every hamster that is bred by an ethical breeder and given a great forever home, that's one less home available to adopt a hamster out of a shelter or rescue, so it's hard for me to say I support any breeding at all when I always have hamsters here in my rescue who are over 2 years of age living out the rest of their lives here after not being adopted when they were young and healthy.

How can I help you or get involved?

There are many ways to help! Clicking on the affiliate links throughout this website and making purchases assists me with small commission fees paid out quarterly. Volunteering would be welcomed, there are remote and in person tasks I need done on a regular basis, indicate your interest by EMAILING and if you are able to send a donation through the rescue's AMAZON WISHLIST Or through the CHEWY'S WISHLIST it would be very appreciated.

501(c)(3) nonprofit status is approved. PayPal has already been established for vet visit funds so please consider donating and a tax receipt will be emailed to you the first week in January.

To offset costs of running the rescue I am creating planners, journals and notebooks, linked below, to sell on Amazon. Each one will bring in between $2 and $4 and will go directly into the rescue account.