HAWS Chinchilla Rescue - Waukesha, Wisconsin

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poha_b

Active member
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
40
(mods, please feel free to move this thread)

If you Google "HAWS Chinchillas", you'll see all the news articles, but here's a link if you would like to help:
http://www.hawspets.org/uploads/2015_Chinchillas_HAWSrelease.pdf

The news articles said the animals were friendly and apparently well cared for but currently there are none for adoption as the authorities conduct their investigation.
 
The news articles that I read said there were over a dozen dead in their cages. Doesn't sound all that well cared for to me.
 
I hadn't heard about this before, but from your link "Fire department immediately took steps to vent the home due to the ammonia levels found there, and contacted HAWS to assist in transport and housing of the animals."
If it's bad enough of ammonia levels that it needs to be vented... I've heard chins have more sensitive lungs that us, so I'd imagine it was pretty bad. Not to mention the health issues of living in that much of their own excrement.

Does anyone know if the rescues still needs chews and where to send stuff? (dont know when exactly this happened) I'd be more than happy to send some of the sticks I do. That only had an address for mailing checks though.
 
This is recent, just happened earlier this week. People are sending in donations of items, so you should be able to contact them at their number they have listed to confirm a mailing address for items to be donated.
 
Yes, they are still looking for all sorts of supplies and donations, as per their Facebook page. Donations via http://www.hawspets.org/ or you could just send your physical goodies to Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) | 701 Northview Road | Waukesha, WI | 53188 | 262-542-8851.
 
The dead ones were found in the freezer, must be a common practice since a former forum leader did the same thing.
 
The news articles said the animals were friendly and apparently well cared for but currently there are none for adoption as the authorities conduct their investigation.

rereading the post I'm guessing/hoping it was meant that the animal shelter was giving good care now and badly worded?

For those who dont want to google:
Police photos show the conditions inside the home. There were dozens of cages, and more than two dozen dead chinchillas. Some were in the freezer next to the family's food.
It appears there's landscaping mulch around the foundation of the house, but actually, it's compressed animal waste from the cages, about 2 feet high on the foundation.
Police said the owners are refusing to relinquish ownership of the seized chinchillas, but every day they're at the shelter, the bill grows, which may force them to give them up.
Waukesha police aid their investigation is ongoing. They plan to recommend child neglect charges but so far haven't sent the case to the district attorney.
The three children removed from the home are in the care of other relatives.

http://www.wisn.com/news/waukesha-woman-considered-hers-business-a-chinchilla-rescue/32116076
 
Yes, they are still looking for all sorts of supplies and donations, as per their Facebook page. Donations via http://www.hawspets.org/ or you could just send your physical goodies to Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) | 701 Northview Road | Waukesha, WI | 53188 | 262-542-8851.

This is recent, just happened earlier this week. People are sending in donations of items, so you should be able to contact them at their number they have listed to confirm a mailing address for items to be donated.

thanks, I messaged them to make sure they wanted it at their physical shelter address. I'm sending as much as I can afford to ship once I get a reply.



I kinda want to know what was said on social media that made the cops go check out a person at the house? Smell? harming self/others threat?
Also- I've seen that this is a rental in some stories. Im curious about how the landlord will react (if they dont know) about not only the hoarder stuff but the waste around the house being 2 feet high thing.

The dead ones were found in the freezer, must be a common practice since a former forum leader did the same thing.

I think the issue with this was just that it was mixed in with the food, instead of in a separate part or different appliance. I saw a picture with a pelt/carcass next to a pack of bacon. I dont know if that's regular or not but it seems gross.
 
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Yesterday's post from our General manager of ECBC on the ECBC Facebook page:

News on the impounded chinchillas in Wisconsin. I have been in contact with the shelter director. Kaytee and Oxbow companies have donated food and hay, deliveries are being made today.*
MANY OF YOU WANT TO HELP the shelter cannot adopt out any animals as they still belong to the owner, they need cages. Shelter staff are doing a complete count today and will have a more accurate count for me tomorrow. If there is someone in the Wisconsin area who has cages GREAT. We have a member in NY who has cages - is there a way to get the cages to Wisconsin? I need your networking help

I am working on a dust donation. And I will be sending hundreds of chew blocks.

Again, The need right now is for caging, either cages themselves of money to buy cages. I'll update when I have more info.
 
"They can be shipped to HAWS, 701 Northview Road, Waukesha, WI 53188."
:) sending out a large box either tonight or tomorrow depending on when I can get to the post office tonight. I think I'll be cooking up a storm this weekend to send more. I'm asking family to pitch in with cooking and help with shipping costs. And I've got it spreading through facebook.

For anyone who wants a post to steal- feel free to edit out my stick info.
"A shelter recently got 300+ chins in after they were found in a neglectful and dangerous situation (the ammonia fumes themselves were cause for the firefighters to deem the place uninhabitable). I'm trying to get a shipping address to donate some chew sticks- waiting for a reply. If anyone want to help out with shipping we can send even more! Mi>Wi isnt horribly much thank goodness. They need plenty of supplies though. Please check out the page, they keep updating with what they need most.
To help me fund shipping more sticks, my paypal address is [email protected].
To donate directly to the shelter,
Donations can be made:
• By visiting hawspets.org and clicking on the DONATE button
• By calling 262.542.8851 and making a credit card donation over the phone
• By sending a check to HAWS, PO Box 834, Waukesha, WI 53187-0834
• Or in person at 701 Northview Road, Waukesha.
You can also purchase items for them off their Amazon Wishlist http://www.amazon.com/.../ref=cm_sw_r_fa_ws_6UUgvb14Y3VKV"
and linking thier facebook page with it: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Huma...iety-HAWS-of-Waukesha/80865767710?pnref=story
 
I asked for $ help shipping sticks and got this offer
"In fact I will match any donations up to $200 that you get to help the chins out."
Please if you arent donating one of the other ways and want to help me help te chins, post on my fb page after sending $ so your donation gets doubled!!!!
https://www.facebook.com/permalink....fset=0&total_comments=4&notif_t=share_comment

If anyone cant help out with $ but is near the SE Mich/ NW Ohio border and isnt busy it looks like I'll have plenty of trimming and cooking to do. I think I may have a stick cooking party this weekend.
 
Too late to edit, sorry about posting a ton in a row. A clarifying point on the matching. Matching up to $200 total, not matching every donation up to $200 (like 10 $199 donations).
 
Sorry, I was on my way out of my office yesterday when I posted this. I didn't mean to upset/stress/wrinkle any undies with my post. My only concern was sharing the story before I forgot as I know many of you are nearby and can possibly help with supplies.

From http://www.waukeshanow.com/news/haw...hillas-in-waukesha-b99471682z1-298023951.html
Smieja (HAWS' development coordinator) said the animals were in relatively good shape, friendly and tame, showing that they were generally cared for by the owners. HAWS, nonetheless, is giving all the animals health checks.
That is where my wording came from.
 
Dawn, I don't know who you are talking about, but it said SOME in the freezer. That means the rest were laying around dead.

Poha_b - You didn't upset me. I just didn't see where they were well cared for.
 
I saw this when it first hit Facebook. The article said the home was unlivable. Hoarding situation (even though they were a breeder, the conditions I read said the poop in the cages was built up really bad). So sad. They had a number of around 331 chins, but they're going to do a re-count soon with the new cages that were donated. Kaytee and Oxbow are the big company names that have made donations so far that I have seen from their facebook page. They can't adopt out any chins until the owner surrenders the animals or the chins are awarded to them. I hope they find better homes than what they were kept in.
 
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Thanks Tunes. It wasn't specifically you and I shouldn't be so thin-skinned. All I really cared about was spreading the word for the chins since I didn't see anything on this forum and I know all of us here care so deeply for any of our furry friends.
 
I don't even know what to say after reading that article. I did post to it because I simply cannot stomach the bold faced lies they are telling. $2000.00 a DAY to take care of 331 chins? How in God's name have I managed to take care of that number of chins for the last 10 YEARS. Unless they have an individual vet for each animal on 24/7 standby, sitting right next to the cage charging hourly, those people are nuts. I agree the chins needed removed, but you are no better than the people who had them if you are trying to get those chins by lying through your teeth about how much their care costs. $2000.00 a day my butt.
 
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