The Casper Police Department kicked off the holiday season by saving an adorable abandoned rat, as was the Christmas tradition in olden times.
Well, maybe not a tradition. Still, it’s a nice story.
On Tuesday morning, officers responded to the call of a reported disturbance when they saw a rat in the middle of the road, according to a post the department shared on social media.
While speaking with someone involved with the call, officers learned the rat was purchased to feed to a person’s snake, but was later thrown out. When officers finished the call around 2 a.m., they saw the rat was still in the road.
Since they felt compassion for the animal, officers encouraged it to move to a safer location off of the road.
At the end of their shift around 6 a.m., officers returned to the area to check on the rat, which was in the exact spot it had been left in, cold and afraid.
Instead of leaving the animal, officers placed some pieces of cloth from their cars into a box and placed the rat into it.
Later Tuesday morning, animal protection officers gave the rat to the Metro Animal Shelter, where it is receiving “wonderful care and meeting new friends.”
The rat must remain at the shelter for at least a week, to allow time for the owner to claim it. If not, it will be in need of a new home.
